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enclosed extracts from a private letter addressed by Mr. H. Merivale, then Under-Secretary of the Colonial Office, to Sir C. Trevelyan.

It will be seen that he was encouraged to look forward to the office of librarian, possibly on the retirement of Mr. Mayer, and probably on the retirement of Mr. Mayer's successor.

Mr. Mayer died so soon that Mr. Woods was not considered to have qualified himself for promotion, and Mr. Halksworth was appointed librarian. Before long, i.e. in 1860, the salaries of the supplementary clerks in the Treasury, from among whom Mr. Woods was taken, were raised to 5007. a year, and Mr. Woods not unnaturally pleaded for a similar increase, com- plaining that a transfer, meant as an acknowledgment of good service, had in fact proved detrimental to his interests.

But the Secretary of State uniformly refused to bring his case under the notice of the Treasury, viewing it as one of ill luck, and pointing out to him that 4001. was a sufficiently high salary for a sub-librarian, and that the superior office, rising from 6007. to 8007., remained still open to him on Mr. Halksworth's retirement.

Mr. Halksworth has now retired, but it is only to give occasion to the abolition of the office to which Mr. Woods has been required to look as the recompense of his services.

Instead of this promotion, Mr. Woods will be still attached to the library in the position of assistant, a class whose salaries rise from 3507, to 6007. a year, the maximum salary of the assistant being the minimum of the old librarianship, the post to which Mr. Woods would in the natural course of things have succeeded, and to the duties of which he does in the main succeed.

It appears to Lord Kimberley, that under these very peculiar circum- stances, Mr. Woods might properly be allowed to receive at once the salary of 600%, to which, but for the recent alteration, he would have risen of course without any further increase

Lord Kimberley trusts that their Lordships will authorise this arrange- ment.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

C.O. 885/5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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