No. 15
4 November 1858
Sir
1. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No 7 of the 2nd September last, 1 transmitting copies of a correspondence between the Colonial Department and the War Office, on the subject of the measures which had then been taken for sending a detachment of the Royal Engineers under the command of aFieldManuscript image Field Officer to British Columbia, and stating that . had been appointed to the command and to the office of Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works in British Columbia, and transmitting a copy of the instructions which had been addressed to that officer, with reference to the discharge of his duties in that capacity, and specifying the amount of Regimental pay and Colonial allowances, to which he and the Commissioned and non-Commissioned officers of the Detachment are entitled. 2
I further observe the arrangements made for the conveyance of the larger portion of this Detachment by Cape Horn,andManuscript image and for the despatch of Twenty men and an Officer by the way of Panama. 3
2. I have no remark to make in reference to those arrangements except to observe that in your instructions to Colonel Moody, and correspondence with the War Office, every difficulty appears to have been forseen and provided for.
3. Colonel Moody's appointment to the office of Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works will relieve me of much responsibility, and I look forward with satisfaction to the period of his arrival and the commencement of those useful labours which will tend so much to the advantage and development of the new Colony.
4. The Manuscript image
4. The revenues of the country will not be immediately capable of defraying the expenses of this detachment and I shall be under the necessity of drawing upon the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, according to the implied authority in Mr Merivale's letter of instructions to Colonel Moody, until the new Colony is in a position to meet that expenditure.
I have etc.
James Douglas
Governor
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
VJ 17 Jan
Manuscript image
Mr Jadis
Please explain with reference to this desp. 534, what the arrangements are under wh the Govr of B. Columbia sanctions disbursement to be defrayed out of Imperial funds. Is there nothing beyond "the implied permission" to do so conveyed in Mr Merivale's letter to the W.O. of the 18th Augt? 4 Is there no extent assigned to which the Govr is allowed to draw on the Treasury?
C Jany 18
Lord Carnarvon
We have relied or pretended to rely upon the gold being produced in such quantities as would be sufficient to render B. Columbia self supporting in all respects save the salary of the Governor, which Sir Edward was of opinion, should be paid out of Home Funds. In this hope we have indulged ourselves that the ColonyManuscript image would also have the means of defraying the expense of the detachment of Royal Engineers, and therefore, the Governor having himself given us such cheering accounts of the prospects of the place, we have never distinctly authorized him to draw upon the British Treasury for Engineers or for any other service. But with Colonel Moody and his men we were obliged to adopt a different course. It was impossible to send a portion of the B. Army to a distant settlement without a distinct arrangement as to it's mode of payment &c. Accordingly it was stated by us in our Letter to Colonel Moody of the 18 August 5 last that if there were no available funds in the Colony the Treasury, on the requisition of the Governor, would, as an advance to be recovered from the Colony, make suchManuscript image payments as might be requisite on acct of the Engineers. This I regard as adequate authority for the Governor's announcement that as the resources of the Country will not be "immediately" capable of defraying the expense of the Detachment he should be under the necessity of drawing upon the L.C. T-y. It is really no more nor less than we have expected: and I conceive that the course we should take now is to write to the Treasury, and send them a copy of this despatch requesting that they would provide in their Estimates or arrange with the War Office, if that is the correct manner of proceeding, for this force for theManuscript image year. It should be stated that the S. of State continues to regard such payments only in the light of an advance, and that he confidently hopes that the Colony will be in a position before very long to assume this charge itself. I have offered the preceding observations without any knowledge of Sir Edward Lytton's present intentions with respect to a vote for B. Columbia. Perhaps he has communicated with Mr Elliot on the subject.
ABd 25 Jany
I am much obliged to Mr Blackwood for this information. Annex draft for Sir E. Lytton's consideration.
C Jany 26
Other documents included in the file
Manuscript image
Merivale to Treasury, 10 February 1859, forwarding copy of the despatch and recommending the course suggested for the payment of the Royal Engineers be approved.
Footnotes
  1. Lytton to Douglas, No. 5, 2 September 1858.
  2. = instructions to Moody as CCLW Check Merivale to Moody, 23 August 1858, enclosed in Lytton to Douglas, No. 7, CO 398/1, p. 58, 2 September 1858.. [NOTE (MDH): No sign of this enclosure in the current markup of B587007.scx.)] Merivale ?? to Moody, 18 August 1858 ?? FIND?? does Moody acknowledge these letters?? Lytton's instructions to Moody as CCLW are contained in Lytton to Moody, 29 October 1858, Colonial Correspondence, F. 1149, PABC. [NOTE (MDH): This document doesn't appear to be in the collection yet.] Cf Douglas to Lytton 534, CO 60/1, p. 353; received 15 January 1859 ??
  3. = main detachment of REs See footnote in Douglas to Stanley 10342, CO 60/1, p. 86.
  4. Merivale to WO, 18 August 1858. FIND ??
  5. CO to Moody, 18 August 1858. FIND?? Does Moody acknowledge??
People in this document

Blackwood, Arthur Johnstone

Carnarvon, Earl

Douglas, James

Elliot, Thomas Frederick

Jadis, Vane

Lytton, Edward George Earle Bulwer

Merivale, Herman

Moody, Richard Clement

Organizations in this document

Colonial Office

Treasury

War Office

Places in this document

British Columbia

Cape Horn

Panama

Vancouver Island

Victoria