Coates to Stanley, 20 May 1833

encl. in Hay to Bourke, 3 July 1833, [HRA 1, 17: 158-9.]

Church Missionary House 20th May.
Sir,
In the beginning of the year 1831, an arrangement was entered into between Viscount Goderich and the Committee of the Church Missionary Society, by which the Society undertook a Mission to the Aborigines of New Holland, for the support of which His Majesty's Government engaged that a Grant of £500 per annum should be assigned out, of the Colonial revenues of New South Wales. Some correspondence ensued between Lord Howick and myself, with reference to the period at which the said Grant should commence; and it was settled, by Lord Howick’s Letters of Feby 10th and 18th, 1831, that the payment of the entire sum of £500 per annum for the support of the Mission should commence from the period of the Missionaries’ arrival in the Colony; but that therefore of half salary should be authorised to each Missionary, from the date of his embarkation, calculating the voyage at four months. From a letter recently received from the Revd. Richard Hill, the Secretary of the Society’s Corresponding Committee in New South Wales, it appears that His Excellency Major General Bourke had not received any distinct Instructions on the subject from His Majesty’s Government for the payment of the money, and in consequence had not made the stipulated payments on account of the grant to the Society’s Representatives in the Colony. I am therefor directed by the Committee to request that you will be pleased to direct that the Revd. J. C. S. Handt's half Salary may commence from Feb. 12/31, the day on which he embarked at Portsmouth for New South Wales, amounting to £83. 6s. 8d.; that the payment of £250 one moiety of the grant may commence from July 4/31, the date of his landing at Sydney; that the payment of the half salary- of the other Missionary, the Revd. Wm. Watson may commence from Oct. 15/31. On which day he embarked at Gravesend, amounting to £83. 6s. 8d.; and that the payment of the other moiety of the grant may commence from May 1/32. the date of Mr. Watson's landing at Sydney.

I have, &c.,
D. Coates Sec., C.M.S.