The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-14 00:00:00

lON,-FEBRUARY 14, 18

REGISTRAR OF HACKNEY CAR

RIAGES.

Copies of any Appointments to the Office of Registrar of
Hackney Carriages; and of any Correspondence which
has taken place between the Secretary of State for the
Home Department and the Lords of the Treasury, re.
lating to the said Office.

Extract of a Letter from D. W. Harvey, Esq., to Lord
John Russell, dated the 25th August, 1838 .
" Respecting the appointment which your Lordship pro-
poses to give me immediately, I presume it is not usual to
insert the salary in the document itself. The amount of
salary may be made the subject of a Treasury Minute, sub-
ject, of course, to the understanding I have from the be-
ginning reserved, that no emolument or profit will be re-
ceived by me, should Parliament determine that the office
of Registrar comes within the Act of Anne ; for though I
fully appreciate your Lordship's consideration in conferring
upon me the appointment, and acceptable as I admit it to
be, in more than one particular. yet I cannot reconcile the
position and remuneration of the office to the being dis-
qualified to represent the borough of Southwark, or any
other large section of the people in Parliament."

Metropolitan Public Carriages' Office,
20, Adam-street, Ade'.phi,
Sept. 19, 1838.
My Lord,—My experience of the responsible duties at-
tached to the office of Registrar, in no way relaxes my
original disinclination to hazard my seat, by accepting the
contemplated salary. That the acceptance of salary would
probably so act, is indicated by the concurrent opinions of
the Law•officers of the Crown, by whose authority the
House of Commons would in all probability be guided ;
at all events, I should not attempt to dissuade them from
it, though with all humility I venture to question their
law. Upon receipt, therefore, of your Lordship's letter,
I proceeded instantly to the Treasury, to avert a conse-
quence against which I have from the beginning provided,
and was favoured with an interview with Mr. Phillips, and
afterwards, at his suggestion, with Mr. Baring. The
latter Gentleman informed me, that all that was at present
known at the Treasury Board, was your Lordship's re-
commendation of myself for the office of Registrar, and the
adoption of that recommendation by the Boat d. and that
the subject of salary bad not as yet come under its notice.
I then detailed to Mr. Baring the substance of my inter-
views and correspondence with your Lordship, and my de-
termination not to endanger my seat upon which state-
ment that Gentleman gave it as his decided opinion, that
the wisest course would be for your Lordship to commu-
nicate to the Board of Treasury the actual state of the
case, to the effect " that, as it was doubtful whether the
office of Registrar might not be regarded as an office of
profit under the Crown, Mr. Harvey declined to accept
any salary until the question be disposed of to his satisfac-
tion, either by the opinion of competent law authority, or
by an appeal to to the House of Commons; paeferring to
execute the duties of the office gratuitously, than to ha-
zard his seat by accepting any emolument ; and that as
Parliament could not at the time of accepting the office by
Mr. Harvey be justly appealed to, the Prorogation being
at hand, your Lordship acquiesced in tnis arrangement."
This was the substance of Mr. Baring's advice, in which
I entitely concur ; for should the question be raised in the
House of Commons, all cavil would be silenced by the
simple truth.

I. entirely concur with the Attorney-General, that re-
nunciation of salary would not obviate the disqualification,
if the office so works; but renunciation implies acceptance,
which in my case has been expressly, and from the begin-
ning, repudiated.

I much regret the trouble this correspondence gives to
your Lordship, but I desire to assure you that I shall dis-
charge the duties of my office with equal zeal and fidelity
without salary as with salary, and shall regard myself
equally obliged by your Lordship's consideration.—l have,
&c., (Signed) D. W. HARVEY.
Lord John Russell, M. P., her Majesty's Principal
Secretary of State for the Home Department.

Adam-street, 30th January, 1839.
My Lord,—Having most anxiously weighed the subject
in my mind, I cannot reconcile it to the claims of my con.
stituents or to my own feelings, to retain the office you have
so kindly conferred upon me. I therefore beg leave, with
the most grateful sense of your Lordship's kindness, at
once to resign it. As I renounce all salary, I shall most
readily continue here until your Lordship shall have found
it convenient to appoint a successor.—l have, &e.
(Signed) D. W. HARVEY.
Right Hon. Lord John Russell, M P., &c. &c. &c.