CO129-018 - Others - 1846 — Page 538

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CORRESPONDENCE

one of great moment, yet that I have endeavoured honestly to fulfil my duty as a servant of the crown, in the responsible commission which Her Majesty was pleased to intrust to may care.

Sir,

I have, &c.,

R. M. MARTIN,

Colonial Treasurer.

No. XIV. To C. E. Trevelyan, Esq., Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury.

H. M. Treasury, Hong Kong,

July 7, 1845.

I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith, for the information of the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury,

a copy of my account for the quarter ending 30th June last, as Treasurer

of this colony and of the diplomatic service in China*,

I have also the honour to transmit a statement of the several sums

of money paid by me during the past half-year, under the authority of Governor Davis, and for which no final vouchers have yet been rendered.

It is my intention this day to resign the office of Treasurer into the hands of the Governor, that I may be enabled to state in person to Her Majesty's Government our actual position here.

Mr. Davis having refused me six months' leave of absence for the purpose of making this statement, have felt myself compelled to take this step; and when the whole case is known, I trust their Lordships

• This voluminous account, with every voucher, authority and receipt in dupli- cate, was sent to the auditor at 3 A.M., on the morning of the 3rd of July, that is, only two clear days after the termination of the quarter. The auditor acknow ledged it to be a most complete account, and passed it, after four days carefu! examination, without calling for any documents or objecting to the smallest item, The whole of my accounts have been found perfectly accurate in their detailed payments aut balances by the Commissioners for auditing the public accounts in London; and I shall have no hesitation in placing them in comparison with those of any other department in the British empire. Before leaving the colony I asked a board of survey on my account-books, which, to the number of seventeen, were found "in good condition and properly written up."

To the

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673 Hongkong Hapin e 1846, 531

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Permit nice to rework in refe rence tothe observation of MP Secretary, lylacetone contained in Your Rowstuffet, Letter of 15.

6th Just that Imost fully ack nowledge the principle that it is duty of a Lubordinate Officer to refrain totle's country without the content the you?" : _ Get aseve -cption Iventure to hope that on fur ther examination Preflection it will departure from the principle in the present case was not only justifiable but rendered imperatively threesda from my shows conviction that Pa tional interes to of the highest importance investi. required imediate Kerious inve

gation which could only effectually. done by my repairing to England; Swas bound by the highest obligations to risk even life itself for the accompetion ment of the great objects in view.

be seen a

however that the exception lotte rule be not admitter

" trust that the motives which inflamed tions for the procedure, Extremores exer fine twenty years to promote the

Rublic good,

as exemplified in the -companying is due weight with Me Govern t

Memorandum of services

t I have the honor toke Myford.

yourfaitiful Lorvant

will have their

Lord Lyttleton

Colonial office.