Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, James to Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes 2 February 1863, CO 60:15, no. 3136, 66.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (2), Enclosures (untranscribed) (1), Other documents (1).
No. 9, Miscellaneous
2 February 1863
I have much pleasure in forwarding herewith copy of a Report lately received from
Mr Begbie the Judge of British Columbia, embodying many valuable observations on the Roads and Mines of the Colony.Especially
Especially would I call attention to his remarks on the character and yield of the
Mines at Williams Creek, as containing views both original and entertaining.
Especially would I call attention to his remarks on the character and yield of the
Mines at Williams Creek, as containing views both original and entertaining.Minutes by CO staff
Sir F. Rogers
I send you this despatch at once, thinking that Mr Begbie's recital of his peregrinations up the Country will be useful to you in the consideration of the means by which the Duke of Newcastle's "outline" for a Constitution for B. Columbia can be worked out.
I send you this despatch at once, thinking that Mr Begbie's recital of his peregrinations up the Country will be useful to you in the consideration of the means by which the Duke of Newcastle's "outline" for a Constitution for B. Columbia can be worked out.
B. Columbia—or rather a knot of persons at New Westminster—has
been calling out loudly for the establishment of a separate
Govt. In order toaccomplish
accomplish this design it is proposed to give the Colony a Governor to itself, and
a partly nominated, and partly
elective Leg: Council. But this Council must, of necessity,
be in the first instance, and probably for some few years to come
limited in its numbers, and drawn from a circumscribed radius. For
the Magistrates have enough to do in keeping order among the miners
without having to repair once or twice a year to New Westminster to
attend the deliberations of the Council—omitting all mention of
the difficulty, and expense of such journies—and as for the
miners they are only fit for digging and washing for gold. It will
be impossible to make Leg. Councillors out of the mining class.
The result is that the members of the Council must be drawn, as
before observed, from such materials as can be found in and near
New Westminster, Douglas, Hope, Lytton, and such other places as
contain persons of respectability. I should suggest that this office
content itself with an announcement of the change contemplated
with respect to this Govt, with the selection of a suitable
Governor who should be instructed to report to the Duke of Newcastle,
as soon as he could
after his arrival, how large this L.C. ought
to be, and who are the persons, and whence they can be drawn, who
shd compose it.
accomplish this design it is proposed to give the Colony a Governor to itself, and
a partly nominated, and partly
elective Leg: Council. But this Council must, of necessity,
be in the first instance, and probably for some few years to come
limited in its numbers, and drawn from a circumscribed radius. For
the Magistrates have enough to do in keeping order among the miners
without having to repair once or twice a year to New Westminster to
attend the deliberations of the Council—omitting all mention of
the difficulty, and expense of such journies—and as for the
miners they are only fit for digging and washing for gold. It will
be impossible to make Leg. Councillors out of the mining class.
The result is that the members of the Council must be drawn, as
before observed, from such materials as can be found in and near
New Westminster, Douglas, Hope, Lytton, and such other places as
contain persons of respectability. I should suggest that this office
content itself with an announcement of the change contemplated
with respect to this Govt, with the selection of a suitable
Governor who should be instructed to report to the Duke of Newcastle,
as soon as he could
after his arrival, how large this L.C. ought
to be, and who are the persons, and whence they can be drawn, who
shd compose it.
ABd
1 Apl
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
M.B. Begbie to Colonial Secretary, 19 January 1863, reporting
as per despatch (32 pages).
