[From Home Office File HO 98/66 ]

Atholl to Lord Hawkesbury dated London July 19th 1805

My Lord

I beg leave to put down as a memorandum the points which I troubled your Lordship with yesterday.

First my recommendation that the two Deemsters of the Isle being alike and equal in all their official situations and duties should have similar salaries.

Secondly that a Government House should either be purchased for the Lieut Govr or an allowance of £100 p ann given for a house in preference to repairing at great expense a house which from its situation in the ditch of the old Castle must always remain damp and uncomfortable.

Thirdly that I should receive instructions to direct or empower the Lieut Governor on my going at any time to the Isle of Mann to proceed in the trial of any courses which may have been begun before him or on which he may be sitting on my arrival.

Fourthley that instructions should be given to the Lieut Govr not to assemble the Keys except in their Judicial Capacity without first informing his Majestys Secretary of State for what purpose they are called upon to assemble and receiving his instruction.

There is another point of some importance to [] government within the Isle of Mann which I omitted to mention yesterday viz the appointment of a secretary to the Govr or Lieut Govr. It is impossible to do without a person in that situation and it is scarcely reasonable that the Governor should be put to the expence as is at present the case of [xxx] there.

I would propose that the secretary should be placed on the Civil Establishment of the Isle at a sallary of £100.

I have the honour &c Atholl

Notes

The suggestion of renting a house rather than repairing that in the Castle should have been followed - but as Lt Govr Smelt wrote it was repaired tho his succesor Lt Govr Ready rented Lorn house. Likewise the advice to place a Governor's secretary on the Civil list was excellent and under the governorship of Lord Raglan and the necessary increase in goverment social welfare in early 20th century the post of secretary was transformed into Government Secretary or head of the civil service.

Atholl was at loggerheads with the Keys from his first attempts to improve on the financial arrangements his parents had reached in 1765, and throughout his Governorship. He was always attempting to re-impose the previous hereditary Lordship of Mann to the Murray family.