Colonial Despatches

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No 8 of the 2nd of September last, referring to your Despatch No 6 1 in which it is mentioned that the detachment of Royal Engineers which Her Majesty's Government have taken measures to send to British Columbia would be maintained at the Imperial cost for only a limitedperiod period, and that the Colony would afterwards have to defray the expense thereof, but that the more recent intelligence received, since the date of your despatch No 6 of the prospect of raising a large and early revenue in the Colony had caused an alteration in your view, with respect to the first charge for the Engineer Party, and that Her Majesty's Government now expect that British Columbia shall be self supporting, and that the first charge upon the Land sales must be that of defraying all expenses which this Engineer party shall occasion, and directing me to make suitable provision to re-imburse the British Treasury forany any expenditure incurred on this account, as soon as the circumstances of the Colony permit.

I shall not fail to attend most carefully to those instructions, without, however, entertaining much hope of being immediately able to meet the expense of the military establishments of the country, or of roads, surveys, public buildings, and other indispensable outlay, which must be incurred before the country can possibly become a fruitful source of revenue; like a nurseling it must for a time be fed and clothed, yet I trust it will before many years re-imburse the outlay and re-pay the kind care of themother mother country, with interest.