CROZIER, Robert 1835

National Archives, Kew, CO48/164, 116

[Filed under correspondence for 1835]

To Lord HOWDEN [Transcriber's Note: Governor of the Cape as Sir John Francis CRADOCK 1811-1814]

Cape of Good Hope

15 July 1834

My Lord,
          The many years that have passed away since you governed the Cape has in all probability been the cause of scarcely bearing me in mind or recollection, but the subject on which I now take the liberty of writing to Your Lordship is one of vast importance to the welfare of my family and myself that I hope it will plead my excuse.
   The great reduction that was lately made in my salary has compelled me to send a memorial to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, praying to be restored to my former income, a copy of that memorial I now beg to enclose and as my services are therein detailed Your Lordship would perhaps consider it unnecessary if I said anything additional herein.
   Having passed the greatest part of my lifetime in the service of the Colony, I conceive my case to be one of great hardship, more especially as my children (the male part) have attained that age which requires an education to prepare them for professions to enable them to make their passage through life. My family consists of Mrs. CROZIER, three sons and a daughter.
   When Your Lordship was here and after your return to England you were pleased to express satisfied at my service and conduct, and I think that nothing has occurred to remove that opinion and as I have no friends here or colonial family interest that can effect any favourable result to my memorial, my only claim must hinge on past services, which induce me to appeal to former Governors under whom I have served, and as Your Lordship is one, I rest satisfied my appeal will not be in vain.
   During Your Lordship's long career in high situations in public life, many claims for past services have been submitted to your decision, and as you are well aware that the servants of Government can effect but little unless supported by their superiors, therefore I request you will be good enough to strengthen my memorial by representing to Mr. STANLEY whatever Your Lordship thinks my long services deserve, and any other support you are pleased to give me will be ever remembered with gratitude and thanks.
   Being convinced it will take all the united efforts of my friends to have the loss I have sustained restored to me, consequently I have written to the Earl of CALEDON, begging he would interest himself in my behalf with Mr. STANLEY and I am confident His Lordship will not fail to do everything in his power to serve me.
   Although the present Governor is quite a stranger to me, he has kindly forwarded my memorial with every recommendation my unquestionable claim requires and of which he seems very sensible.
   With offering my respects to Lady HOWDEN and Colonel CRADOCK (the latter no doubt has forgotten the many visits he paid me at the Post Office), I am with every esteem, My Lord
Your Lordship's faithful & obliged serv't
R. CROZIER

[Enclosed]
Copy

To His Excellency Major General Sir Benjamin D'URBAN
Governor of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape Town
25 June 1834

Sir,
    I have the honor to transmit herewith a Memorial to the Rt Hon. E.G. STANLEY, His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, on the subject of the late reduction of my salary; as Post Master General of this Colony, which I request Your Excellency will be pleased to forward, together with such observations and recommendation as my case, which is one of considerable hardship and disappointment, appears to you to merit; after a series of years uninterrupted services of labor, responsibility and utility to the Settlement, I am well aware that in private life I have not the slightest claim to either your consideration or protection, therefore the basis of my appeal to you entirely rests on public grounds, as persons who have devoted so many years to His Majesty's Service, as I have done, cannot be viewed in any other manner than the wards of the State and the Government, which they have faithfully served, naturally should become their guardian.
   Your Excellency having filled many high and distinguished situations in public life, well qualifies you to represent and support the claims of individuals like myself, consequently I rest satisfied Your Excellency will do every justice that my claim seems to deserve.
I have the honor to be
Your Excellency's Obedient Humble Serv't
Signed Robert CROZIER

National Archives, Kew CO48,164, 55

General Post Office
Cape Town
Cape of Good Hope
26th April 1835

Sir,
    Although I have not the honor of being personally known to you, yet I trust you will pardon the liberty I have taken as a Civil Servant of the Government to write to you on the subject of the late ruinous reduction that was made in my salary, after an uninterrupted service of nearly twenty eight years, during which time I have risen from step to step to the position I now hold, not only by the suffrage of the First Minister of the Crown, but likewise with the entire approbation of successive Governors, who have borne full testimony and approval of my service.
   It is useless to trouble you with a detailed account of these services, which are fully stated in my Memorial of the 20th June last and to it and the several documents which are subjoined thereto I beg you to refer, and notwithstanding the Secretary of State's decision thereon was unfavourable, it is my intention as soon as Sir B. D'URBAN shall have returned to the seat of Government to submit another Memorial for reconsideration, hoping thereby to obtain a patient hearing and a favourable result to the prayer therein contained.
   After having been officially employed for nearly twenty eight years you may naturally conceive that the most valuable portion of my lifetime has been devoted to the public service, therefore the injury that has been done to me can only be repaired in the first place by the restoration of my former allowance.
   Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that my present income is lower than any other Head of a Department under this Government and that there are fifteen Civil Servants belonging thereto whose salaries have not been reduced and many of them have not been one third of the time in the Civil Service that I have been, but they are no doubt in every respect deserving and merit any favor that Government may be pleased to bestow on them. This circumstance I merely adduce to show that my case is one of distressing hardship and that I have reason to complain of inequality in the measure of reduction, of which this bears ample proof.
   When the prayer of my Memorial was unexpectedly refused, the Want of Colonial Funds was stated to be the reason, but the demise of Mr. BRAND on the 10th instant, who was formerly a member of the Court of Justice and enjoyed a pension of £200 a year, which is exactly the sum deducted from my salary – the death of this Pensioner affords a fair opportunity of restoring my former income, without the least augmentation to the Colonial expenditure, as by the extinction of pensions, as the holders die off, the meritorious servant of Government, who has suffered most by the reductions, wherein I have deeply shared, can be put in receipt of their former incomes, without being any additional burthen to the Colony.
   I trust you will bear in mind the strong claim I have on Government and the plan I have herein suggested to give me my former allowance, when my Memorial be forwarded for reconsideration, whereof I will give you timely notice. The death of Mr. BRAND will of course be ere long officially reported to the Colonial Office.
I have the honor to be, Sir
Your most obedient humble servant
R. CROZIER.