Hamilton to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Treasury Chambers
19 August 1859
Sir
With reference to your Letter of the 14th Ultimo, I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you for the information of the Duke of Newcastle, that Their Lordships have informed Mr Edward Stamp, and Messrs Benson & Co, the Agents of the North West Navigation Company of Canada, that having regard to the present state of the Postal Communication with the Colony of British Columbia, and to the very small amount of Postage derived from it, and considering also the position of the general question of the Packet Service, with reference to the inquiry which is still pending in Parliament, Their Lordships are of opinion, that the time has not arrived whenManuscript imagewhen They could entertain the proposals of subsidizing a new line of postal communication to B. Columbia either overland, or via San Francisco.
I am at the same time to transmit to you Copy of a Letter from the Postmaster General dated 4th Instant, and to state that Their Lordships concur with the Duke of Newcastle that Governor Douglas should be instructed to make the best arrangements he can for the performance of the Service at present.
I am etc.
Geo. A. Hamilton
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Merivale
The despatches to the Governors of Canada and B. Columbia which have been kept back till the receipt of this letter may now proceed. I have added a paragraph to Gov. Douglas conveying the information in the last sentence of the letter from the Post Office.
HT Irving 22 Augt
HM A 22
This seems to settle the question for the present.
N 25
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Elgin and Kincardine, General Post Office, to Treasury, 4 August 1859, discussing the delivery of mail in British North America.