Bishop of Columbia to Secretary of State
23 Upper Berkeley St Portman Sqre
Oct: 4 1859
My Lord,
I beg leave to apply for a Government Order for myself & party proceeding to B. Columbia by the W. India Mail Steamer on the 17th of November next.
My party consists of three persons myself & two Servants. The latter a man & wife are named Samuel & Jane Bridgman.
I have the honor to be My Lord,
Your very obed sert
G. Columbia

The Rt Hon The Sec: of State
for the Colonies
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
Request the Admiralty to comply with this application. The Bishop means, I conclude, a "contract" passage—he paying the difference.
ABd 5 Oct
Mr Blackwood
Does the correspondence with the Bishop or with the founder of the Bishoprick shew whether any question may have been raised of his receiving a free passage to B. Columbia.
TFE 6 Oct
Mr Blackwood
The correspondences does not show.
Mr Elliot
The Bishop finds his own way to B. Columbia. We contribute nothing to that object, or to his support. But he is an Official & as such he thinks himself, I suppose, entitled to ask for the advantage—which other officials get on certain lines—of a Contract passage. My own opinion is that he may properly ask for this indulgence.
ABd 7 Oct
Order the passage at the Contract rate, and inform the Bishop, but acquaint him that it will be necessary that he should pay the cost of the passages of this reduced rate to the West India Mail Company before his departure? Say in the letter to the Admiralty that the Bishop has been requested to make the payment to the Company.
TFE 8 Oct
N 11
Other documents included in the file
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Draft, Merivale to Bishop of Columbia, 25 October 1859, advising that his contract passage had been arranged, and that he should remit the reduced rate to the steam company before departure.
Minutes by CO staff
I observe that while in this letter the D. of Newcastle is made to address the Bishop direct, in another which has passed to day (to the Bishop of Jamaica) the form "I am directed" is used.
The truth is, no Secy of State has ever laid down the rule, so far as I remember, which course is to be followed, as to Colonial bishops when in this country. If to be regarded as Peers in all respects, then the direct address is proper. But as Governors themselves, when absent from their governments, are only addressed indirectly, I should think, on the whole, this was the more correct line as to Bishops also.
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I think that a greater degree of consideration should not be shewn to a Coll Bishop when absent from his Diocese than to a Governor when absent from his governt & therefore the same form of address should be adopted. They cannot be regarded as Peers.
N
Other documents included in the file
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Draft, Elliot to Secretary to the Admiralty, 18 October 1859, asking that a contract passage be arranged for the bishop and his party.