PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
8855 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
SIR,
32
No. 18.
COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE.
Downing Street, April 9, 1886.
I AM directed by Earl Granville to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of State for War, a copy of a despatch from the Governnor of Queens- land, with its enclosure, respecting the proposed reduction of the amount of the pension of Sergeant-Major Lewis (late R.E.) on account of his having entered the defence force of Queensland.
The Under Secretary of State,
SIR,
War Office.
No. 19.
I am, &c., (Signed)
JOHN BRAMSTON.
WAR OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
War Office, July 5, 1886.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th April last, and to acquaint you in reply that there does not appear to be any doubt but that the full terms of the agreement were clearly explained to Quartermaster-Sergeant Instructor Lewis, and that at the time he was made thoroughly aware that, if he took his discharge in the Colony, he would only get such pension as his Army service prior to his entry into Colonial employ would entitle him to.
Under these circumstances, no higher rate of pension can be awarded to this non- commissioned officer than that of which he is in receipt; and I am to add, with reference to the remarks made by Sir A. Musgrave and Colonel French in the enclosures of your letter, which are returned herewith, as to the effect of the Regulations on this subject, that it appears to the Secretary of State only reasonable that when a soldier is in the employment of a Colonial Government, and continues in such employment at the termination of his Army engagement, any pension to which he may be considered to be entitled for his Colonial service should be paid not from Army, but from Colonial funds.
I have, &c.,
SIB,
The Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office, S,W,
No. 20.
(Signed) THOS. W. CAVE.
The RIGHT HON. THE EARL GRANVILLE, K.G., to ADMINISTRATOR SIR A. H. PALMER, K.C.M.G. (QUEENSLAND).
Downing Street, July 16, 1886.
I REFERRED to the Secretary of State for War Sir A. Musgrave's despatch of the 13th of January* last relating to the pension claimed by Sergeant-Major Lewis (late R.E.), and I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of the reply which has been received from the War Office.
You will be so good as to communicate to Sergeant-Major Lewis the decision of the Secretary of State for War.
The Officer Administering
SIR,
the Government.
No. 21.
I have, &c., (Signed)
GRANVILLE.
COLONIAL OFFICE to TREASURY.
Downing Street, August 2, 1886.
WITH reference to your letter of the 3rd of April 1886,§ relating to the proposed regulations affecting the receipt of Imperial non-effective pay by officers in the employ of Colonial Governments, I am directed by Earl Granville to submit the following observations for the consideration of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury.
2. As regards Military and Naval Officers taking military or naval service under a Colonial Government, the conditions of such service have been agreed to in previous
No, 10.
↑ No. 18.
‡ No. 19.
§ No. 16.
33
correspondence, except as to the retired pay payable from Imperial funds on account of his Colonial service to an officer who retires while in such Colonial employ; and this question awaits their Lordships' reply to the letter from this Department of the 7th of April 1886,* covering a further report of the Departmental Committee of War Office, Admiralty, and Colonial Office.
3. Lord Granville notes with satisfaction that their Lordships agree that Civilian Pen- sioners should be placed on the same footing as retired Military and Naval Officers in respect to civil employment under Colonial Governments.
4. The proposed regulations will permit retired Military, Naval, and Civilian Officers to take civil employment under any Colonial Government without suffering any deduction from their Imperial pension or retired pay.
5. Retired Military and Naval Officers obtaining civil employment paid from Imperial funds, will, if the new salary and the retired pay together exceed 4007. a year, receive less civil pay than civilians appointed to the same post; that is to say, the civil salary will undergo an abatement of 10 per cent. or such further amounts as the Treasury may determine, but the abatement is in no case to exceed the amount of retired pay, or reduce the emoluments below 400/. a year. And their Lordships propose that this rule should extend to retired Military and Naval Officers and Civilian Pensioners taking civil employment in Colonies which submit their annual estimates for Treasury approval.
6. This rule as regards the home service is based upon the principle that the Exchequer shall not at the same time provide pay and pension for the same person; but the reason for the proposed rule as affecting certain Colonies is less evident, where the Exchequer provides only the pensiou and the Colony the pay; while the enforcement of it may materially increase the difficulties of the Secretary of State for the Colonies in finding efficient officers for the appointments which he has to make,
7. At present five sets of estimates are submitted to Treasury approval:—
(1.) Bechuanaland, where the bulk of the annual expenditure is provided by
Parliament.
(2.) Cyprus, where the local revenue more than covers the ordinary expenditure of the year, but is unable to provide the whole of the Turkish tribute, of which a portion, fluctuating annually in amount, is voted by Parliament each year. (3.) St. Helena, which with great difficulty finds money
for the ordinary expenditure of the year, but is quite unable to pay for its homeward mail service, which according to Treasury rule is charged to the Colony; therefore an annual grant in aid is voted by Parliament to enable the Colony to provide this service. (4.) Sierra Leone, which received a grant some ten years since to meet an extraordinary deficit. This grant, which is nearly repaid, did not appear in the estimate as a loan, but the Secretary of State required that the Colony should make repayment whenever the funds permitted.
(5.) Fiji, for which a vote of 100,0007. was taken at the time when the islands were ceded to England, which sum was given as a loan to be repaid whenever possible. A further sum of about 10,000l. was voted last year in payment of certain German land claims, which had been rejected by the local tribunals, but had been re-opened diplomatically and decided without reference to the Colony. This sum was also given as an advance repayable in the same way as the former one of 100,000%.
8. The rule, therefore, would apply to a varying state of circumstances, and, if adhered to, will unquestionably hamper the Secretary of State in considering the promotion and transfer of officers. The present Governor of Sierra Leone, Sir S. Rowe, was appointed on account of his special fitness for the duties required, and with this object was moved from the more important government of the Gold Coast, naturally at the same salary, which is higher than that ordinarily paid to the Governor of Sierra Leone. He is about - to retire from the army, and, had he done so before the move, this rule would have made it necessary to deduct the amount of his retired pay, which he would have been drawing on the Gold Coast, and to increase the Sierra Leone salary by whatever sum was necessary to secure to him the same emoluments as before.
9. The case of Sir Samuel Rowe is one that may occur again in subordinate posts, for the Gold Coast service contains various retired military officers, and if one of these is promoted or specially appointed to Sierra Leone, as has happened already, the principle upon which the latter Colony will pay less for his services than to his civilian predecessor and save the difference will not be clear; and there will probably be increased difficulty and friction in finding officers to fill vacancies in the service.
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• No. 17.
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