Board of Trade
EL
No. 40.
B. Hawes, Esq. to R. M. Martin, Esq.
13 January 1847.
32
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE RESIGNATION
- No. 40.
COPY of a LETTER from B. Hawes, Esq. to R. Montgomery Martin, Esq.
Sir,
Downing-street, 13 January 1847.
I AM directed by Earl Grey to acquaint you, in answer to your letter of the 1st instant, that his Lordship did not consider it necessary to return any answer to your letter of the 4th ultimo, because he had nothing to add to the communications which had already been addressed to you by Lord Grey's predecessors in this office, and by himself.
OF MR. M. MARTIN, TREASURER OF HONG KONG. 33
and I am to acquaint you in answer, that on the understanding that the correspondence in question shall be strictly limited to those papers which relate to your resignation, no objection will be raised on the part of Her Majesty's Government to any motion which may be made in the House of Commons for its production.
I have, &c. (signed) B. Hawes.
440
I have, &c. (signed) B. Hawes.
-- No. 43.
No. 41.
R. M. Martin, Esq., to Earl Grey.
23 June 1847-
No. 41..
COPY of a LETTER from R. Montgomery Martin, Esq. to Earl Grey.
My Lord,
7, Pall-mall East, 23 June 1847.
MR. CAYLEY, M. P., and Mr. M. Forster, M. P., who have known me intimately for many years, and who were my securities to the Crown in China, have recently earnestly appealed to Lord John Russell in my behalf. His Lordship, on the 18th instant, states that he must decline entering further into the case, and must refer it to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Your Lordship, as I understand, declines to inquire into a case decided by your predecessor.
The case of the late Sir E. Wilmot may perhaps suggest, that my condemnation, unheard, is scarcely consistent with justice.
I respectfully submit there can be no precedent for continuing a punishment inflicted by your predecessor, which I am ready to prove is unmerited.
Time, circumstances and the Select Committee of the House of Commons recently sitting to inquire into our commercial relations with China, demonstrate that the Report which I prepared in China, at the suggestion of Lord Stanley and of Mr. Gladstone, and which the Queen has graciously permitted to be publicly dedicated to Her Majesty, were just, true, and of national importance in various points of view.
That my return to England was not injurious in respect to any important duties as "Treasurer of Hong Kong is evident from the fact of my office not being yet filled up.
Yet, for a zealous and conscientious discharge of my duties, according to my oath, I have been deprived of my position, and all hearing denied me for two years.
I now solicit that your Lordship, in the spirit of justice, will grant permission for the correspondence connected with my conditional resignation of office to be laid before Parliament.
Mr. Gladstone conceded this point, but I hesitated to avail myself of it, as I was unwilling, even in appearance, to do any thing which might be displeasing to Her Majesty's Government.
But now, the Select Committee of the House of Commons having closed its inquiry on China, and all prospect of redress or inquiry having passed away, I am necessitated to entreat from your Lordship this boon in favour of one who has long, faithfully, and I trust not uselessly, endeavoured to serve his country.
I have, &c. (signed) R. M. Martin,
COPY of a LETTER from R. Montgomery Martin, Esq. to Earl Grey.
My Lord,
7, Pall-mall East, 28 June 1847.
No. 43.
I AM grateful for the permission accorded by your Lordship for the production before Parliament of the correspondence in the Colonial Office, relating to my conditional resignation as Her Majesty's Treasurer in China, to which object the motion shall be limited.
- -
I have, &c. (signed) R. M. Martin.
No. 42.
B. Hawes, Esq. to R. M. Martin, Esq.
No. 42.-
COPY of a LETTER from B. Hawes, Esq. to R. Montgomery Martin, Esq.
Sir,
Downing-street, 28 June 1847.
I AM directed by Earl Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23d instant, requesting that the correspondence connected with your resignation of the office of Treasurer of Hong Kong may be laid before Parliament, and
Boare
of
Trad
EL
No. 40.
B. Hawes, Esq. to
R. M. Martin, Esq.
13 January 1847.
32
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE RESIGNATION
- No. 40.
بيعسوب
COPY of a LETTER from B. Hawes, Esq. to R. Montgomery Martin, Esq.
Sir,
Downing-street, 13 January 1847.
I AM directed by Earl Grey to acquaint you, in answer to your letter of the 1st instant, that his Lordship did not consider it necessary to return any answer to your letter of the 4th ultimo, because he had nothing to add to the com- munications which had already been addressed to you by Lord Grey's pre- decessors in this office, and by himself.
OF MR. M. MARTIN, TREASURER OF HONG KONG. 33
and I am to acquaint you in answer, that on the understanding that the corre spondence in question shall be strictly limited to those papers which relate to your resignation, no objection will be raised on the part of Her Majesty's Government to any motion which may be made in the House of Commons for its production.
I have, &c. (signed) B. Hawes.
440
I have, &c. (signed) B. Hawes.
-- No. 43.
No. 41.
R. M. Martin, Esq.,
to Earl Grey.
23 June 1847-
No. 41..
COPY of a LETTER from R. Montgomery Martin, Esq. to Earl Grey. My Lord,
7, Pall-mall East, 23 June 1847. MR. CAYLEY, M. P., and Mr. M. Forster, M. P., who have known me intimately for many years, and who were my securities to the Crown in China, have recently earnestly appealed to Lord John Russell in my behalf. His Lordship, on the 18th instant, states that he must decline entering further into the case, and must refer it to the Secretary of State for the Colonies."
Your Lordship, as I understand, declines to inquire into a case decided by your predecessor.
The case of the late Sir E. Wilmot may perhaps suggest, that my condem- nation, unheard, is scarcely consistent with justice.
I respectfully submit there can be no precedent for continuing a punish- ment inflicted by your predecessor, which I am ready to prove is unmerited.
Time, circumstances and the Select Committee of the House of Commons recently sitting to inquire into our commercial relations with China, demon- strate that the Report which I prepared in China, at the suggestion of Lord Stanley and of Mr. Gladstone, and which the Queen has graciously permitted to be publicly dedicated to Her Majesty, were just, true, and of national impor- tance in various points of view.
That my return to England was not injurious in respect to any important duties as "Treasurer of Hong Kong is evident from the fact of my office not being yet filled up.
Yet, for a zealous and conscientious discharge of my duties, according to my oath, I have been deprived of my position, and all hearing denied me for two years.
I now solicit that your Lordship, in the spirit of justice, will grant permis- sion for the correspondence connected with my conditional resignation of office to be laid before Parliament.
Mr. Gladstone conceded this point, but I hesitated to avail myself of it, as I was unwilling, even in appearance, to do any thing which might be dis- pleasing to Her Majesty's Government.
But now, the Select Committee of the House of Commons having closed its inquiry on China, and all prospect of redress or inquiry having passed away, I am necessitated to entreat from your Lordship this boon in favour of one who has long, faithfully, and I trust not uselessly, endeavoured to serve his country.
I have, &c. (signed)
R. M. Martin,
COPY of a LETTER from R. Montgomery Martin, Esq. to Earl Grey. My Lord,
7, Pall-mall East, 28 June 1847.
No. 43.
I AM grateful for the permission accorded by your Lordship for the produc- R. M. Martin, Esq. tion before Parliament of the correspondence in the Colonial Office, relating to to Farl Grey. my conditional resignation as Her Majesty's Treasurer in China, to which 28 June 1847. object the motion shall be limited.
- -
I have, &c. (ed)
R. M. Martin.
No. 42.
B. Hawes, Esq. to
No. 42.-
COPY of a LETTER from B. Hawes, Esq. to R. Montgomery Martin, Esq.
Sir,
Downing-street, 28 June 1847.
I AM directed by Earl Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of R. M. Martin, Esq. the 23d instant, requesting that the correspondence connected with your resig- 28 June 1847. nation of the office of Treasurer of Hong Kong may be laid before Parliament, and
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.