Cadell to Palmerston (Treasury)
August 1, 1861 To The Right Honble Lord Palmerston

May it please Your Lordship,
With reference to the Comn which I took the liberty of addressing Your Lordship last year (May, 60) which was duly acknowledged through the Colonial Department, I beg to state my Lord that I feel highly honored for the attention in handing my Comn to the Department the more so as indicating a wish that a Grandson of "Carronpark Cadell" (a name which goes down to Posterity associated with the "Carronade" & [improved?] large [ordinance?] of the day & but a few years ago assisted in establishing the Supremacy of Her Majesty's Empire, which I now wish by any means in my power to assist in perpetuating through productive action) should obtain employment connected with the [prime moving?] Department of the productive Action of British Columbia.
There is still an entire blank in the supervision of the Colony (which eight years experience connected with the practical developement of a Gold mining Country enables me to state with that reasonable certainty due to such experience). The disposal of the Mines & Mining Grounds towards permanent production—a division of labour which would add progressively every year to the permanent population & the production of Gold, & remove that dread of inaction which is reducing the Commercial energy of the Country apparently without knowing why. Hence the reason for my soliciting that description of Government employment, as it would be in that Department, I could prove the value of aforestated experience connected with the direct supervision of productive action in a gold mining country. But my Lord His Grace the Duke of Newcastle signified through His Excellency Governor Douglas, that the Department at Downing St was unable to appoint—which under ordinary circumstances might be considered definitive not only to my prospects Individually, but to the progressive prospects of the Country as that description of supervision can only be brought into existence at Downing Street through the great progressive necessity of the day. In the event therefore of the Duke of Newcastle introducing improvements connected with British Columbian Supervision (a step now pointed out by necessity) and constitute the supervision of the disposal of the mines & mining grounds towards productive developement, a Division of Labour; instead of allowing that department (the chief source of production) to remain longer under the [mere ease?] of the magistrates who are not required to possess the requisite qualifications for the Supervision of Mineral Developement in a progressive [char?]. Hence the prospect which I still entertain of obtaining employment through His Grace The Duke of Newcastle & Governor Douglas, in a progressive view independent of the ordinary nature of Patronage.
Our great producing Colonies require a change My Lord, being now in a progressive view large manufacturing concerns in process of construction which require to be pressed into a state of completion towardsinducingManuscript image inducing a more extensive & economical permanent production through Individual enterprise to sustain our position in the great struggle of nations for Commercial Supremacy. I beg therefore to annex an Original Paper touching improvement connected with Colonial developement, which Your Lordship may either dispose of according to the liberty undernoted or retain for Government purposes, in either case my Lord any attention which your Lordship may confer in noticing this Comn will be highly returned & constitutes a Basis for more extended efforts connected with a Subject which is so much neglected Politically, Financially & Scientifically in a progressive view, being so far removed from the seat of general Government, Capital & practical Science.
Trusting that Your Lordship will excuse these liberties
I have the honor to be most respectfully
Your Lordships Most Obt Servt
P. Cadell



Treasury Department
Downing St
London
P.S.

I take a further liberty My Lord to suggest the necessity of arranging the boundary between the British & Russian North American Possessions, specifically within certain limits—as a continuation of the [Recherb?] mining section of British Columbia is now indicated as entering the Russian Possessions in the general direction of the true gold bearing Regions, the position of which may be now pointed out.

As this information is in advance of the day, My Lord a position of that Country might probably be obtained from the Emperor previous to developement.

A scheme of comprehensive underground operations for permanent mining may be now presented to the Russian Government which would be very favorably received by the Emperior as a great portion of the work could be accomplished with Indian labour on an extensive scale. The present period is therefore a favorable opportunity for arranging the subject.

I have the honor to be &c
P. Cadell
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Elliot
I do not see anything practical in this Communication—which Lord Palmerston has forwarded here. I fancy that the writer wd be glad of some Appointment in the Colony which wd enable him, as he thinks, to assist in developing its resources.
ABd 14 Octr
The man is forever writing on the public affairs of the Colony. I think that his letter ought to be put by.
TFE 14 Oct
N 15
Manuscript image
What is this about.
P 30/9-61
Other documents included in the file
Manuscript image
Downing Street
5 Octr 1861
Dear Sir,
I inclose a Letter wh Ld Palmerston has received from Vancouver's Island.
The writer sent him a commn last year wh was forwarded to you.
Yrs truly
C.J. Barrington


Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
Cadell to Palmerston, 1 August 1861, forwarding copy of an "Original Paper presented To the Right Honorable Commissioner of Her Majesty's Govt. Department of the International Exhibition," concerning the need to institute a "system of Colonial development based upon permanent progressive principles."
Manuscript image
Cadell to Palmerston, 1 August 1861, forwarding extracts of information gathered while living in the Sierra Nevada range in California further to the subject of developing mineral resources.