the secretary of state to grant pensions to all colonial governors after a certain term of service. But complaints having been made to Parliament of the partial and defective relief afforded by these enactments, some additions to the rate of pension allowed was authorised by Act 35 & 36 Vict. c. 29.1 laws. All colonial enactments are brought under the con- Colonial sideration of the colonial secretary, by whom they are referred to legal officers, whose duty is to examine every act and report upon it, for the purpose of discovering any defect, and of determining the expediency of allowing or disallowing the same. Unless there is some special reason to the contrary, Acts which merely relate to the internal affairs of a colony are seldom if ever disallowed, but are at once confirmed, upon report of the examining officers. Very often, however, technical errors or defects are found in colonial statutes, which are brought under the notice of the governor ky the colonial secretary, and are generally amended with out delay by the colonial legislatures. If the defect be not serious, the Act is permitted to remain in operation, pending the action of the local legislature, but it is not meanwhile formally submitted to the Queen for confirmation or disallowance. A large number of colonial laws annually pass under the review of the examining officers. The great bulk of them require, of course, a very cursory inspection, but occasionally questions arise. of considerable nicety and importance. Formerly the duty of examining colonial laws was performed by the Colonial Land and Emigration Board, and they still examine and report on such laws as may relate to land or emigration. The business of the Colonial Office is conducted on Business a very admirable system. The office is divided into five office. Hans. D. v. 205, p. 1515. Rep. on Off. Sal. Com. Pap. 1850, v. 15, Evid. 1500-1510, And see Hans. D. v. 124, pp. 562, 574, of the of the office. Business branches, each of which takes cognizance of the affairs of a distinct group of colonies. On the arrival of the mails, the despatches are opened by an officer specially charged with this service; and they are handed over to the branch to which they respectively belong. They are then first read by the chief clerk of the branch, who notes upon the despatch his opinion concerning it; it is afterwards sent to the permanent under-secretary, who also reads and makes a minute upon it. It then proceeds to the parliamentary or political under-secretary, who does likewise. It is then sent for the consideration of the secretary of state, who deliberates upon the despatch, with the advantage of the minutes made by the officers through whose hands it has previously passed. The secretary then forms his own decision, making a separate minute thereof, which either becomes the subject of a despatch in reply; or, if the matter is very important, the secretary writes the despatch himself, or makes a brief minute, stating the sense in which it is to be answered, upon which a draft letter is prepared for his approval, which, having received his initials, is copied and forwarded to the colony. Thus every. thing is brought under the direct notice of the colonial secretary. h When Mr. Otway was parliamentary under-secretary for foreign affairs (1868-1870) he introduced this admirable method of business into his own division of the Foreign Office; deeming it to be a great improvement upon the established practice in that department. In 1876, a departmental committee recommended that the work of the Foreign Office should be remodelled, so as to assimilate it to the practice which prevails in the Colonial Office, and a Treasury minute gave directions accordingly. It is of great consequence that the responsible head of a department should keep the reins of government Rep. on Board of Admiralty, p. 180, Com. Pap. 1861, v. 38. First Rep. Dipl. Serv. pp. 58, 71, 119, Com. Pap. 1871, v. 7. J Hans. D. v. 232, p. 1058. in his own hands, and permit nothing important to be done without his knowledge and approval. The colonial secretary requires of his employés that the necessary work of the department shall be faithfully and punctually performed. Once a fortnight he receives a return of the business in arrear, from which he can see whether anything has been neglected. The duty of distributing the work among the subordinate clerks rests entirely with the permanent under-secretary.* The appointment of the officers and clerks of his own Patronoffice is in the patronage of the colonial secretary, who age. has also the appointment of the queen's messengers, alternately with the other secretaries of state. The staff of the Colonial Office consists of the secretary of state, with a salary of 5,000l.; a parliamentary under-secretary, with a salary of 1,500l.; a permanent under-secretary, with a salary of 2,000l.; and three assistant-secretaries, with salaries from 1,200l. to 1,500l. (one of whom acts also as legal adviser), with an establishment of clerks. The assistant-secretaries have important duties to fulfil, in consequence of the large amount of correspondence, and the difficult questions which arise between the colonies and the mother country, especially in reference to the colonies which are self-governing.' Emigration Information Office. Attached to the Colonial Office there was up to 1853 a department known as the Colonial Land and Emigration Board. With extension of self-government to the principal colonies, and the renunciation by the imperial government of the crown lands to their respective governments, the duties performed by this office became necessarily obsolete. By Treasury minute of this date * Rep. on Off. Sal. Com. Pap. 1850, v. 15, Evid. 1541, 2880. 1 Hans. D. v. 221, p. 792; Est. Civ. Serv. 1877-8, p. 82. ecretary for India. the office was reorganised and became a Board of Emigration, with a chief and assistant commissioner." Most of the duties of this board of late years have been transferred to the Board of Trade. In this connection there is now an emigration office attached to the department of the colonial secretary, whose sole duty is to provide intending emigrants to the British colonies with full and impartial information. The office is conducted by a chief clerk with the salary of 6501. Secretary of State for India. From the year 1784 to 1858, the territories of the British crown in the East Indies were governed by a department of state designated the Board of Control for the Affairs of India, which was established under the authority of the Act 24 Geo. III. c. 25, in conjunction with the court of directors of the East India Company, who were incorporated by a royal charter, which had been amended by various Acts of Parliament." But, in 1858, this double government was abolished, and the entire administration of the British empire in India was assumed by her Majesty. Henceforth India was no longer to be regarded as in any sense a colony, but as part of the territory of the British sovereign, and subject to the direct authority of the crown, exercised through the instrumentality of a secretary of state. Under the Act 21 & 22 Vict. c. 106, all the powers hitherto vested in the East India Company and in the Board of Control for the Government of India were transferred to a fifth principal secretary of state. And by the Act 36 Vict. c. 17, sec. 36, the East India Company itself is dissolved. Finally, by the Act 39 & 40 Vict. c. 10, the Queen m Com. Pap. 1854, v. 27, p. 306. For particulars concerning the functions of the Board of Control, see Rep. on Off. Sal. pp. 194–200, Com. Pap. 1850, v. 15; Murray's Handbook, p. 221. was empowered to add to her royal titles that of Empress of India. By this statute, the absolute supremacy of the British crown in India was asserted; and this supremacy is not only over British subjects therein, but over 153 native states. In fact, none of the princes in India in alliance' with her Majesty are absolutely independent: for example, they cannot make war against foreigners, or among themselves; they cannot make treaties, except with Great Britain; they cannot regulate their succession, without the consent of the British crown, which is a paramount power over them all with a just claim to their subordinate co-operation.o And finally, every native chief now rules under a sunnud, or written grant from the British government, the primary condition of which is that the chief shall remain loyal to the crown.' Council. By the Act of 1858, a Council of State for India was Indian established, consisting of fifteen members, each being allowed a salary of 1,200l. per annum, who should hold office during good behaviour, and be removable only upon an address of both Houses of Parliament. This council is intended to advise and assist the secretary of state in the transaction of Indian business, and to be to some extent a check upon the exercise of his administrative powers, otherwise arbitrary, there being no representative system in India to control his acts. Of the fifteen members composing the Indian Council, seven were chosen by the court of directors of the East India Company from their own body, and the other eight members nominated by the crown, upon the advice of the secretary of state. Vacancies amongst the elected members were filled up by the choice of duly qualified persons by the elected members; and vacancies amongst the nominated members by the crown. But in 1869, Parliament abolished the elective • Hans. D. v. 228, pp. 91, 124; P 21 & 22 Vict. c. 106. Also 32 Hunter, Life of Mayo, v. 1, pp. 189, & 33 Vict. c. 97. 204; West. Rev. v. 50, p. 309. |