To his Grace the
Duke of
Portland, one his
Majesty’s
Principal
Secretaries of State
322
The Memorial of
Kenneth Francis Mackenzie
Esquire Attorney
General of the Island of
Grenada and the
Grenadines in America
After many years
of Public Service in an unhealthy Climate, it is with much Concern that your
Memorialist finds himself under the necessity of making the present application,
in order to obtain redress in a matter where he apprehends Government and the
Individual are equally interested, but your Grace’s disposition to promote
Justice induces your Memorialist to trust that you will take into your
Consideration the following short statement of facts and give such directions
in consequence as you may think the circumstances require.
In
January 1778, Lord Macartney then Governor and Commander in Chief of Grenada
and Tobago was pleased to appoint your Memorialist his Majesty’s Counsel at Law
of the last mentioned Island. In November 1779 John Graham Esquire, then
Lieutenant Governor, and by the Capture of Grenada, Commander in Chief of
Tobago, was pleased to appoint your Memorialist Attorney General of Tobago; and
soon after the arrival of George Ferguson Esquire who succeeded Mr. Graham as
Lieutenant Governor and for the time Commander in Chief of Tobago, Your
Memorialist was appointed a member of his Majesty’s Council in that Island.
The
The cession of Tobago to France,
induced your Memorialist to quit the Island, and in the Year 1783 his Majesty
was graciously pleased to appoint you Memorialist Solicitor General of Grenada
and its dependencies. In the beginning of the year 1785 his Majesty was also
pleased to appoint your Memorialist a Member of Council for the Government of
Grenada. On the twentieth day of January 1791 Edward Matthew Esquire, Governor
and then Commander in Chief of Grenada, was pleased to appoint your Memorialist
in the place of Sir Ashton Warner Byam then lately deceased, Attorney General
of Grenada until his Majesty’s Royal pleasure should be known—And his Majesty
being pleased to approve thereof, was further Graciously pleased on the twenty
fifth day of April 1791 to appoint your Memorialist Attorney General of the
said Island of Grenada and the Grenadines, with authority to have and enjoy all
the Rights fees profits privileges and advantages thereof. – Your Memorialist
is in Possession of the Commissions and other documents which substantiate
these appointments and he begs leave to add that he has uniformly and
conscientiously to the best of his abilities performed the duties attached to
each of them.
The
appointments of Kings Counsel, Member of Council and Solicitor General are in
this Country attended with trouble and labour, but with no emolument
whatever.—In like manner, the Office of Attorney General here, tho at all times
laborious and troublesome and exposed to responsibility, furnishes nothing but
Rank at the Bar, and thereby that
Chance
323
chance for professional success
which knowledge and talents insure without it, for tho an Annual Salary of
about Two hundred pounds, Sterling, payable by the Crown, is attached to the
Office, on account of its precluding the possessor, from acting in any cause
against the Crown, yet that sum iis not paid, and your Memorialist has never
been able to recover any part of it, tho’ very inadequate either to the duties
of the situation or to the loss of health which rarely fails to be the
Consequence of residence in tropical Countries.
Of
the Principal of these facts, the Public Offices at Whitehall furnish
authentick (sic) evidence; and of the others, your Memorialist, if necessary,
is ready to produce the most unquestionable testimony. The only Comment which
he will presume to make upon them is, that tho’ Government certainly may fix
the Recompense for Public services, at whatever they may be deemed Worth, Yet
when an office is given and accepted, with a specific annual Salary attached to
it payable by Government, and the duties of that Office are performed, Your
Memorialist humbly conceives the money becomes a debt of Right and that Good
Faith and Justice have an equal Interest in seeing it paid.
Your
Memorialist is persuaded that the Circumstances as set forth in this address
have not hitherto come to your knowledge; and he also hopes and trusts that
notwithstanding the pressures of Public business of infinitely more importance,
Your Grace will not Consider as misemployed the few Minutes which may enable
you to honor to the engagement of the Crown, and Justice to the claim of the
Subject.
K.F. M
