Sargeaunt to Elliot (Assistant Under-Secretary)
Crown Colonies Office
6 Adelphi Terrace, W.C.
9 March 1863
Sir,
In answer to your letter of the 26th Ultimo, I have to state for the information of the Duke of Newcastle, that British Columbia has been indebted to the Agents General since the 12th July 1862, at which date the overpayment amounted to the sum of £172.2.6.
No remittance has been received since January 1862, but the Colony has been credited since that date with the sum of £77.11.8, the proceeds of the sale of certain Gold Dollars sent to this Country for theInternationalManuscript image International Exhibition of last year, as well as with the small sum of £4.12, received from the War Department.
At the present date the Agents General have advanced for British Columbia the sum of £486.15/- and have incurred by orders of the Secretary of State liabilities amounting to £289.10.5.
To place the Agents General in a proper position, as regards funds the Governor should remit
1st An amount to repay the Agents General £486.15
2nd To defray liabilities already incurred £289.10.5
]3rd Funds to meet current orders (say) £200.14.7
Total £977. 0.0
TheManuscript image
The local Government has been furnished regularly on the termination of each Quarter with a copy of their Account, but no special application for remittances has been made.
As regards Vancouvers Island it will be doubtless sufficient to state that the Agents General have a large balance in hand in favor of that Colony amounting to the sum of £30,576, part of which (£26,000) has been deposited at interest at the London Joint Stock Bank in accordance with the arrangement sanctioned by His Grace in your letter of the 27th Ultimo.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most Obedient,
Humble Servant,
W.C. Sargeaunt
Agent General
Minutes by CO staff
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MrElliot
In apprizing the Governor, in ansr to 436, that the Assay Stores have been ordered to be sent out to him, as requested, some peremptory instructions will have to be conveyed to him to keep the Agents in funds as well as for repaying them the advances they have made.
ABd 11/3
See minute annexed.
[TFE]
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Mr Fortescue
I quite agree with Mr Blackwood. With reference to the Governor's despatch of the 18 Novr, I should inform him that the Duke of Newcastle had authorized the Agents to supply the articles required by the Assay Department. Although His Grace had taken it upon himself to sanction that course, I should state that he must take the opportunity of strongly calling the Governor's attention to the large amount in which the Colony of British Columbia has now become indebted to the Colonial Agents General. I should enclose a copy of their letter containing a report which His Grace had deemed it necessary to demand from them of the state of their account with the Colony. I should instruct him forthwith to remit the sum of £776.5 in which the Colony is already indebted to them, together with an additional amount of about £200 to meet current or future orders. I should say that the Duke of Newcastle must insist onpromptManuscript image prompt attention to this requisition as he cannot permit the Colonial Agents General to have to draw upon the fund of other Colonies in order to perform the services of British Columbia or of any other Colony which does not provide money for it's own wants, and I should warn him that unless he keeps the good faith of his Govt by discharging without delay the debt incurred for complying with it's requisitions, the Duke of Newcastle will be compelled to refuse to allow the Agents General to comply with any further requisitions from him, however urgent may be the services for which they are made.
TFE 11 March
I agree.
CF 12
N 13
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Newcastle to Douglas, No. 15, 14 March 1863, informing Douglas that Newcastle has "authorized the Agents General of Crown Colonies to procure [the] articles and forward them to British Columbia" and bidding that Douglas attend to British Columbia's dept with the "Agents General."
Minutes by CO staff
The Mail will be despatched on Monday the 16th.
As the Mail is going so soon, and the Duke has approved the language of this draft in the minutes from which it is taken, prepare for signature.
TFE 14/3