Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Correspondence (private letter)
Finnis, Thomas Q. to Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes 22 August 1862, CO 60:14, no. 8373, 380.
Abstract
Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (3), Other documents (1).
Finnis writes Newcastle on behalf of travellers stranded by the British Columbia Overland
Transit Company. Rogers replies that the government is not able to offer assistance.
Finnis to Secretary of State
Guildhall Justice Room
August 22nd 1862
My Lord Duke
A charge of Fraud is now pending before me as the sitting
Alderman of this Justice Room against the Secretary of the
British Columbia Overland Transit Company.
It appears that 33 persons were induced from an Advertisement
which appeared in the Times to pay to the Secretary £42 each for a
passage from England to British Columbia. They sailed from
Glasgow on the 31st of May last and having arrived at Quebec
were forwarded to St Pauls in the United States. On arriving at
that place on the 27th of June no arrangements whatever had
been made to forward them to their destination although assurances
were held out that sucharrange
arrangements were completed. Eight of the
persons who arrived at St Pauls have returned to this Country—during
the investigation of the charge and from information I have obtained I
am assured that the 25 men who have been left at St Pauls are unable
from want of means either to return to England or to proceed on
their passage and that those persons are now in the greatest
distress and should no assistance be afforded them before the
Winter season their state must necessarily be most deplorable.
arrangements were completed. Eight of the
persons who arrived at St Pauls have returned to this Country—during
the investigation of the charge and from information I have obtained I
am assured that the 25 men who have been left at St Pauls are unable
from want of means either to return to England or to proceed on
their passage and that those persons are now in the greatest
distress and should no assistance be afforded them before the
Winter season their state must necessarily be most deplorable.
It was stated during the investigation before me that a
person who is said to be Col: Sleigh of St John's Woods acted
as the Manager of the Company and that he received the whole of the
money paid by the 33 passengers and that he has since sold his
furniture
and gone to Spain out of the jurisdiction of the
Criminal Courts.
and gone to Spain out of the jurisdiction of the
Criminal Courts.
My object in soliciting your Lordships attention to the
painful circumstances of this case is to enquire whether your
Lordship can allow any assistance for relieving these poor persons
who are detained at St Pauls either by causing them to be
forwarded to British Columbia or to enable them to return to England.
To Her Majestys Principal Secretary of State
for the Colonial Department
for the Colonial Department
Minutes by CO staff
Duke of Newcastle
Answer that Y.G. regrets much that these persons should be exposed to suffering—but that it wd be quite impossible for HMG to undertake the duty of extricating persons who had embarked in impracticable enterprises, & had allowed themselves to be imposed upon by designing persons from the consequence of their imprudence.
Answer that Y.G. regrets much that these persons should be exposed to suffering—but that it wd be quite impossible for HMG to undertake the duty of extricating persons who had embarked in impracticable enterprises, & had allowed themselves to be imposed upon by designing persons from the consequence of their imprudence.
FR
23/8
As this letter comes from the Magistrate who tried the case I
think I would add that I warned the Compy by letter of the danger of the scheme, and as I neither knew the names or
circumstances of those who were deceived by it I took the only
opportunity afforded me of offering them a caution in the House of
Lords.
N
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