Ramage to Newcastle
29 November 1861
My Lord Duke
The Municipal Council of New Westminster, British ColumbiabyManuscript image by a resolution passed at a large public meeting, held here on the 14th of October, were requested to forward to Your Grace, A Memorial adopted by that meeting, praying Her Majesty's Government, to consent to the grant of a subsidy, out of the revenue of the Colony of British Columbia, as an aid, to establish an Ocean Line of Mail Steam communication with this Colony.
The Memorial was forwarded to His Excellency the Governor for transmission to Your Grace on the 25 of October, and a copy of the Memorial, was at the same time forwarded by Express, which no doubt Your Grace will receive.
There being no reply, from His Excellency theGovernorManuscript image Governor, of the Memorial having been forwarded to Your Grace, the enclosed correspondence ensued relative thereto, to which the Municipal Council beg most respectfully to call the attention of Your Grace, shewing as itdoes,Manuscript image does, some of the difficulties that often occur, in not having a resident Governor; by whom the feelings of the people, and the interests of the Colony, would be properly understood, and fairly represented to Her Majesty's Government.
On behalf of the Municipal Council
I have etc.
John Ramage,
President
Municipal Council,
New Westminster
Minutes by CO staff
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Already recd.
ABd 3 Feby
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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John Ramage, President, Municipal Council of New Westminster, to Newcastle, 18 November 1861, forwarding copy of resolution 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 of Municipal Council, 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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Ramage to Young, 23 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.