33054-007887

17

[marginalia] 51/11557 ....... 8th Dec'r 1851.

No. 51/190.

The Honorable the Attorney General and the Solicitor General, to the Hon'ble The Colonial Secretary, reporting as to payment of Constabulary - Surat -

________________

Attorney General's Office,

Sydney, 6th Dec'r 1851.

Sir,

With reference to the accompanying documents forwarded to us under form Blank Cover on the 28th ultimo, we have the honor to refer you to the enclosed letter from the Civil Crown Solicitor, and to state that, in our opinion, the salaries of the Claimants ought to be at once paid by the Government without waiting

until

[bottom of left margin]

The Honorable

The Colonial Secretary

[notes in left margin]

It may be necessary to refer to the Colonial Treasurer to ascertain under what arrangement the money was paid to the Account of Mr Mitchell.

... 8th

[in another hand]

Refer to the Col: Treasurer accordingly.

... 9th ... [initials] ChFR

[in a third hand]

The Hon'ble the Colonial Treasurer for his report

Blank Cover 16 December 1851

For the Colonial Secretary

[signed] W. Elyard Jun'r

To be returned

_____

[in a fourth hand]

[initials] MF

Noted

______

51/12529

18

until the amount placed to the credit of Mr Commissioner Mitchells [sic] account shall have been recovered.

3 - We found this opinion or the assumption that Mr Mitchell was the Agent of the Government in distributing the Police Pay, and that the salaries of De Rengie [?], Burke, and Fraser were not placed in his hands in pursuance of any voluntary arrangement on their part.

4 - It would seem that there is not the least reason to doubt that the money will be recovered -

We

35

We understand that it still stands to the credit of the late Mr Mitchell's public account.

We have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servants,

[signed]

J.H. Plunkett ... Attorney General

W. M. Manning ... Sol'r Gen'l