No. 77
7 December 1861
With reference to my despatch No 76 of the 30th November I have the honor to forward herewith copy of a Resolution passed at a meeting of the Municipal Council of New Westminster held on the 18th November 1861.
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2. I regret thus to trespass upon Your Grace's time and attention, but as the Resolution is forwarded to me by the Municipal Council for the express purpose of transmission to your Grace, I of course do not hesitate to do so.
3. The origin of the "Resolution" is shortly this. The Municipal Council prepared the Memorial to your Grace enclosed in my aforesaid despatch, and instead of sending it through the Post,theyManuscript image they entrusted it to private hands. It was not therefore delivered with other letters in ordinary course of post, but was left at the Office subsequently, and unfortunately was inadvertently overlooked for a few days.
4. The Municipal Council have prejudged the matter and treat it as one of intentional delay with the object of defeating their plans.
5. It is unnecessary for me to make any furtherobservationsManuscript image observations in refutation of allegations which are really so trifling and so out of reason.
I have the honor to be
My Lord Duke,
Your most obedient
humble Servant
James Douglas
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
See 1165.
The Memorialists appear disposed to impute to the Official Authorities a desire to delay or intercept the transmission to the Secy of State of their application for a postal subsidy, but I cannot think that they make out their case for any thing more than an accidental delay in the Post Office. It wd have been more satisfactory if the Governor had called upon the Post MasterManuscript image for a written explanation, & had sent it home.
ABd 3 Feby
The Memorialists show a very unnecessary sensitiveness; the real source of feeling being perhaps a anxiety to get the Govt to reside in their City.
I shd acknowledge, and say that the Duke of Newcastle is quite satisfied that the Governor had not intentionally delayed the transmission of the Memorial, nor acted with any indifference to the important object which it advocated.
TFE 3 Feby
N 4
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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"Copy of resolution passed unanimously at a meeting of the Municipal Council of New Westminster, held on the 18th November 1861," disputing the explanation of the governor with regard to a memorial previously forwarded and mislaid in Vancouver Island, and expressing dissatisfaction with the absentee government in the colony.
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W.E. Cormack, Chairman, Municipal Council of New Westminster, to Douglas, 23 October 1861, forwarding a memorial asking the imperial government to subsidize a direct steam communication to the colony.
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V. Hall, Clerk of Municipal Council, to W.A.G. Young, Colonial Secretary, 7 November 1861, advising that a memorial had been previously forwarded to the governor, and asking whether it had been received and forwarded to the secretary of state.
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Young to Municipal Council, 12 November 1861, asking on behalf of the governor when and how the memorial was forwarded.
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Hall to Young, 14 November 1861, advising the memorial was forwarded on 23 October in the care of Captain Mouat who placed the communication in the Victoria Post Office.
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Young to Municipal Council, 19 November 1861, stating the governor had not received the memorial, and requesting that a second copy be prepared and sent.
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John Ramage, President, Municipal Council, to Young, 26 November 1861, doubting that the post office had mislaid the communication, and endorsing the resolution passed by the council on 18 November as noted above.
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Newcastle to Douglas, No. 101, 14 February 1862, acknowledging no intention on Douglas's part to delay council correspondence.