Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, James to Lytton, Edward George Earle Bulwer 25 April 1859, CO 60:4, no. 5892, 327.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (6), Marginalia (1).
This document contains mentions of Indigenous Peoples. The authors of these documents
often perpetuate a negative perspective of Indigenous Peoples and it is important
to look critically at these mentions. They sometimes use terminology that is now considered
hurtful and offensive. To learn more about modern terminology pertaining to Indigenous
Peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and decolonization, please refer to the Glossary of terms.
Douglas relates Begbie’s report upon his return from Fraser River where the country appears to be
every where quiet,though the First Nations population are suffering
much privation of food.Douglas also reports on mining at Fort Yale and sees promise in the auriferous table lands between Fort Yale and Hope.
A minute by Blackwood suggests that Douglas should be instructed to implement an export duty on gold; however, Merivale responds that there is
little chance of raising an export dutywithout an Assay Office. The following minutes agree and write to the Treasury
with reference to this despatch and that of the 8th Aprilto recommend the establishment of an Assay Office.
No. 143
Since my last report of the 12th Instant, nothing of much
importance has occurred respecting the Colony of British Columbia.
2. Mr Begbie returned yesterday from Fraser's River, after
visiting all the settlements as far
far as the Fountain. The country
appears by his report to be every where quiet.
far as the Fountain. The country
appears by his report to be every where quiet.
3. The Indian population have suffered much privation of
food, in consequence of the dearth of fish and their natural
improvidence, but the white Miners were well supplied, though
provisions were selling at a high price, caused chiefly, by the
distance from the sea, and the heavy expense of transport.
4. The snow was still lying deep in many parts of the road,
when Mr Begbie left the Upper Fraser. The Miners were however
beginning their
their labors, and were moving into the upper country
in great numbers.
their labors, and were moving into the upper country
in great numbers.
5. The accounts from the mining Bars below Fort Yale are most
satisfactory. Mr Perrier late Justice of the Peace, who arrived
lately from that part of the country, has given me much interesting
information, respecting the earnings of the miners, of which I
will proceed to give a synopsis for your information.
Hill's Bar on which he holds a mining claim, is yielding more gold
than at any former time. The receipts of the companies who supply
supply
water for sluicing, amount to 1,200 dollars a week, and four men
took out of one mining claim the large amount of 4,000 dollars
worth of gold dust in six consecutive working days. Prince
Albert's Flat, yields from 5 to 12 dollars a day to the man.
Emory's Bar was nearly deserted, in consequence of the rush of
miners to the upper country. Texas and Victoria Bars are yielding
fair wages, and even as far down, and below Fort Hope, the miners
are doing remarkably well, for the season. The Bars are now
generally deserted for bank diggings, above the highest level of
the River, and Mr Perrier is satisfied that all the
the table lands
between Forts Yale and Hope in the valley of Fraser's River are
auriferous, and will yield large wages to the industrious miner.
Those diggings are yet but imperfectly prospected, and little known,
but wherever explorations have been made, a highly auriferous
stratum, varying from 3 to 4 feet in thickness, has been discovered,
about 8 feet below the surface, and my informant further adds that
the surface mould itself contains enough of gold to cover all the
expenses of its washing and removal.
supply
water for sluicing, amount to 1,200 dollars a week, and four men
took out of one mining claim the large amount of 4,000 dollars
worth of gold dust in six consecutive working days. Prince
Albert's Flat, yields from 5 to 12 dollars a day to the man.
Emory's Bar was nearly deserted, in consequence of the rush of
miners to the upper country. Texas and Victoria Bars are yielding
fair wages, and even as far down, and below Fort Hope, the miners
are doing remarkably well, for the season. The Bars are now
generally deserted for bank diggings, above the highest level of
the River, and Mr Perrier is satisfied that all the
the table lands
between Forts Yale and Hope in the valley of Fraser's River are
auriferous, and will yield large wages to the industrious miner.
Those diggings are yet but imperfectly prospected, and little known,
but wherever explorations have been made, a highly auriferous
stratum, varying from 3 to 4 feet in thickness, has been discovered,
about 8 feet below the surface, and my informant further adds that
the surface mould itself contains enough of gold to cover all the
expenses of its washing and removal.
6. The Royal Engineers and
and Royal Marines have been all safely
landed at Queensborough, where they are now stationed, and Colonel
Moody is also at that place, making arrangements for their
comfortable accommodation and directing the Surveys of Public Land,
and other affairs connected with his department.
and Royal Marines have been all safely
landed at Queensborough, where they are now stationed, and Colonel
Moody is also at that place, making arrangements for their
comfortable accommodation and directing the Surveys of Public Land,
and other affairs connected with his department.
Several numbers of the Victoria Gazette, as per margin
herewith forwarded for your information.
14, 16, 19, 21, and 23 April 1859.
Minutes by CO staff
With these very favorable accounts of the gold producing
powers of the Colony might not some earnest instruction be
conveyed to the Governor to adopt such measures for raising
a revenue as shall suffice for the exigencies of the Colony
and comprize, in some measure, the charge for the Engineers.
An Export duty was suggested to him more than once—which,
if it had been acted upon, would probably have added
considerably to the local Exchequer, & been a relief to us.
If any such communication is made to the Govr we must look
carefully over what has been written that we may not fall
into any inconsistencies.
ABd
10 June
Lord Carnarvon
I am afraid the opinion of those best acquainted with the colony is that there is little chance of raising an export duty. The Governor as we know, thinks an assay office a necessary
preliminary. And the reason is obvious. You
cannot make miners pay an export duty on gold they may carry
off with them. The only way is to make it worth their while,
1. by facilities of conveyance, 2. by a mint, 3. by facilities
of assaying.
I am afraid the opinion of those best acquainted with the colony is that there is little chance of raising an export duty. The Governor as we know, thinks an assay office a necessary
preliminary. And the reason is obvious. You
cannot make miners pay an export duty on gold they may carry
off with them. The only way is to make it worth their while,
1. by facilities of conveyance, 2. by a mint, 3. by facilities
of assaying.
HM
June 11
That is entirely my own view: but any recommendation to the
Govr on this desp. will be best decided on by the incoming
Govt.
C
June 11
I annex, for the satisfaction of the Duke of Newcastle a
despatch from the Governor of British Columbia, dated 8 April
last (5439) containing an account of the revenue & expendre
of the Colony from its establishment to the 23rd Feby
last. As the receipts 
were obtained in the winter Season, when gold
hunting is stopped there is reason to hope & believe that the
next returns will be more satisfactory. Perhaps also as we
are pressing the Treasury to sanction the establishment of an
Assay Office it will be better to defer stimulating the Governor
with any such recommendation as I proposed in my first minute,
but wait for the improvement in the revenue which it is so much
to the interest of the Colony that the Governor should devise
means for effecting.
were obtained in the winter Season, when gold
hunting is stopped there is reason to hope & believe that the
next returns will be more satisfactory. Perhaps also as we
are pressing the Treasury to sanction the establishment of an
Assay Office it will be better to defer stimulating the Governor
with any such recommendation as I proposed in my first minute,
but wait for the improvement in the revenue which it is so much
to the interest of the Colony that the Governor should devise
means for effecting.
In a Minute I wrote this morning on the question of making
Victoria a Free Port I assumed that the Govr had been
informed that this new Colony must raise a sufficient income
for its requirements. I should almost infer 
from Mr
Blackwood's Minute that this is not the case. If no such
intimation has been given it should certainly form part of
any answer to this Despatch.
from Mr
Blackwood's Minute that this is not the case. If no such
intimation has been given it should certainly form part of
any answer to this Despatch.
I have some misgivings as to the proposed export duty,
but have no doubt that an Assay Office is a necessary
preliminary to any attempt to impose it and even if the
attempt fails will be very beneficial to the Colony.
Write therefore to the Treasury—with reference to
this despatch and that of the 8th April—and recommend the
establishment of an Assay Office.
N
21-6
My minute has unintentionally misled His Grace. We have
over and over again enjoined upon the Governor the duty of
raising an adequate revenue, & suggested an export duty as one
means of procuring it. It was my anxiety to see an improvement
effected in that revenue, which led me to suggest a stimulating
desph to the Governor. Such despatch is now unnecessary as by
the last Mail he reports his intention to substitute an export
duty and a tax on the Miners for the license tax.
ABd
13 July 1859