Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa since September 1795, Volume 1 (1908).pdf/388

354 thereafter a pension of £600 a year, with a promise of £300 a year to Mrs. Bird should she survive him. His successor was Sir Richard Plasket, who assumed duty on the 23rd of November 1824, with the title of secretary to government, and a salary of £3,000 a year.

Colonel Bird made no complaint to parliament on his own account. Just then there was a memorial before the commons, brought by Mr. William Parker, who asserted that the late colonial secretary had acted in an improper manner towards him, and was the cause of his failure in the colony. Beyond showing that there was no foundation for this charge, Colonel Bird did nothing directly to cause discussion in the commons, but indirectly several members were known to be prompted by him.

In 1820 a man named Bishop Burnett, who was well connected in England, came to South Africa as an independent immigrant with a little capital, and rented some ground close to the Grahamstown commonage from Mr. Robert Hart, the superintendent of the Somerset farm at the Boschberg. From the government he obtained a grant of land adjoining that he had leased from Mr. Hart. Upon this estate Mr. Burnett commenced agricultural operations in the style to which he had been accustomed in England, and expended his capital largely in an ornamental building and embellishing the grounds about it. From a firm of merchants in Capetown he obtained a considerable credit, and mortgaged his property as security. In the end he was unable to pay the second year's rent and a sum of money due for some cattle to Mr. Hart, who sued him for the debt before the circuit court.

A series of lawsuits followed, and a decree was obtained declaring Mr. Burnett insolvent. During the proceedings in the case leading to this declaration, he tendered in payment ап account against Captain Henry Somerset for grass supplied to the Cape regiment under that officer's command, but as this account was disputed, the court refused to accept it as equivalent to money. In the condition to which he was reduced, his capital lost, his prospects in