Trevelyan to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Treasury Chambers
24 November 1858
Sir,
With reference to Mr Elliot's letter of the 11th Instant, 1 enclosing an application from Captain Gosset, the Treasurer of British Columbia, for Stationery etc, I am directed by the Lords Commissoners of Her Majesty's Treasury to transmit herewith Copy of a Report from the Commissioners of Audit, with Copy of the printed Instruction of 1848, 2 and I am to request that you will move Sir E.B. Lytton to inform My Lords whether it is intended that the general system of Accounts prevailing in other Colonies, should be applied to British Columbia, in which case My Lords will direct the preparation of the NecessaryEstimatesManuscript image Estimates, Warrants and other forms required by those Instructions.
In the mean time, My Lords are of opinion that the Copy of the printed Instructions of 1848 should be forwarded to the Treasurer of the Colony, for his guidance, in establishing a good system of Account.
Sir E.B. Lytton will observe that the Forms of Cash Book, Waste Book, Journal, and other Books are now being printed.
I am also to transmit herewith Copy of a Report from the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, on Capt. Gosset's proposal that a supply of Stamps for deeds &c should be sentoutManuscript image out to British Columbia.
I am etc.
C.E. Trevelyan
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
I think the Treasury Instructions of /48 should be sent to the Govr of B. Columbia, to be communicated to the Col: Treasurer, for his infn & guidance, together with a copy of this Letter and its enclosures—from which Capn Gossett will learn that he has made an erroneous suggestion in regard to the stamps he asked for for the Colony. As to the T-y enquiry whether it is intended that the general system of accounts, applying to other Colonies, should be extended to B. Ca, it is at present a little embar[r]assing to answer in the very early stage of affairs in this new place. But as it is clear that until the Colony is self supporting Parlt will have to maintain the establisht I think that the Treasury should at once send out the Instructions addressed to Governors of all Crown Colonies; for an account framed in a proper form, will have to be rendered to the Commrs of Audit in England. When the Colony can pay its own way, & the accounts are rendered to its own local Authorities, the Instruction of the T-y may be operative or not.
ABd 25 Novr
I should certainly send all the papers and instructions to the Governor and direct him to conform to the same in his financial proceedings. I should tell the Treasury that no Legislative Council has yet been created at B. Columbia, but that Sir E.B. Lytton is of opinion that the Governor ought to follow all the established forms and proceedings in financial matters to the utmost extent possible under the existing institutions of the new Settlement, and that the printed instructions have accordingly been forwarded to him for his guidance.
Mr Jadis, Drafts may be prepared.
TFE 2 Dec
Other documents included in the file
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Draft, Merivale to Trevelyan, 10 December 1858, agreeing the established forms and proceedings should apply in British Columbia and advising that the printed instructions had been forwarded to the governor.
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Draft reply, Lytton to Douglas, No. 52, 10 December 1858.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Edward Romilly, Henry Arbuthnot, and W.L. Maberly, Audit Office, to Treasury, 19 November 1858, concerning the system of accounts to be established, related forms, and instructions for the treasurer of British Columbia.
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Charles Pressly, Henry Roberts, and James Disraeli, Inland Revenue, to Treasury, 18 November 1858, stating that stamps for various duties as requested by Gosset applied only in the United Kingdom but that dies could be provided for colonies requiring similar stamps.