SIR GEORGE GREY'S PENSION (PAPERS RESPECTING).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1878 Session I, H-08

11.—B,

1878. NEW ZEALAND.

SIR GEORGE GREY'S PENSION (PAPERS RESPECTING).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Secretary for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord, — Downing Street, 3rd January, 187cS. I have the honor to request that you will inform me of the amount of salary which will be drawn by Sir George Grey as Premier and Commissioner of Customs of New Zealand, and also the exact date from which his salary commenced. This information is required by the Paymaster-General's Office in this country, Sir George Grey being in receipt of an Imperial pension of £1,000 a year, as an ex-colonial Governor. I have, &c., Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanby, Carnarvon. G.C.M.G., &c.

No. 2. His Excellency the Governor to the Secretary for the Colonies. My Lord, — Government House, Auckland, Ist March, 1878. In reply to your Lordship's Despatch No. 3, of the 3rd January, 1878, in which you direct me to inform you of the amount of salary drawn by Sir George Grey as Premier and Commissioner of Customs of New Zealand, and also the exact date from which his salary commenced, I have now the honor to inform your Lordship that Sir George Grey was sworn in on the 12th October, 1877, and his salary would commence from that date. The salary of Premier, as fixed by "The Civil Service Amendment Act, 1873," is .£1,750 a year, Ami mi extra salary is drawn as Commissioner of Customs. I have, &c, The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon, &c. Normandy.

No. 3. The Secretary for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord, — Downing Street, Ist May, 1878. In reply to your Despatch No. 12, of the Ist of March, I have the honor to transmit to you the copy of a letter from the Treasury, stating the instructions which have been given to the Paymaster-General for the payment of a reduced rate of pension to Sir G. Grey, from the 12th of October last, inclusive. I have, &c, Governor the Most Hon. the Marquis of Normanbv, M. E. Hicks Beach. G.C.M.G., &c.

(Enclosure.) The Treasury to the Colonial Office. Sir, — Treasury Chambers, 29th April, 1878. With reference to Mr. Malcolm's letters of the 20th December, 1877, and 22nd instant, I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you, for iliu information of Secretary Sir M. H. Beach, that, having regard to the terms of the seventh

H.—B

2

section of the Act, 28 and 29 Viet., c. 113, my Lords have authorized the Paymaster-General to pay to Sir George Grey, late Governor of New Zealand, a retired allowance at the reduced rate of £125 a year, from the 12th October last, inclusive, until further instructions. I am, &c, R. G. W. Herbert, Esq., Colonial Office. William Law.

No. 4. The Hon. the Premier to His Excellency the Governor. Memorandum for His Excellency. Sir George Grey presents his respectful compliments to the Marquis of Normanby, and has the honor to return the despatches noted in the margin. 2. Sir George Grey regrets that the first of the despatches in relation to his pension was not transmitted to him by the Governor as soon as it was received in this country, as, had this been done, it might have saved mistakes, and the appearance of Sir George Grey having forwarded to the Paymaster-General's Office a wrong return. 3. The Governor has been pleased to inform Her Majesty's Government that Sir George Grey's salary as Premier of this colony commenced from the 12th of October, 1877 : but the enclosed certificate from the Colonial Treasury shows that that salary did not commence until the 14th day of October, 1877, inclusive ; and Sir George Grey long since forwarded to the Pay-master-General's Office a declaration to that effect. 4. Under the present arrangement, Sir George Grey is deprived of his pension for two days, through a mistake for which he is not responsible. Wellington, 10th July, 1878. G. Grey.

(Enclosure.) I hereby certify, that the salary paid to the Hon. Sir George Grey, X.C.8., as Premier of the colony, dated from and inclusive of the 14th day of October, 1877. The Treasury, Wellington, C. T. Batkin, 9th July, 1878. Secretary to the Treasury.

No. 5. His Excellency the Governor to the Hon. the Premier. Memorandum for the Hon. Sir George Grey. The Governor presents his compliments to Sir George Grey, and, in reply to his memorandum of this day's date, he regrets extremely to find that there should have been a mistake of two days in the date at which Sir George Grey commenced to draw his salary as Premier of this colony. The Governor will, however, take care to rectify the mistake by next mail. Government House, Wellington, Normanby. 10th July, 1878. By Authority : Geobge Didsbuet, GoTernnient Printer, Wellington.—lB7B. i Price 3d.]