Colonial Despatches

Sir F. Rogers
In the interest of the Colony, & I hope of the men themselves, I think it wd be advisable by all means to accede to this request & sanction the grants of Land asked for. If the Duke of Newcastle approves, acquaint the War Office, & authorize the Govr accordingly—pointing out that residence & military service, when required are indispensable conditions.

I agree (and then to Ld Board for infn).

They ought to be a valuable acquisition.

Sir F. Rogers
Wd you have the goodness, before we send off the despatch to the Governor and the answer to the War Office letter (9615) to look at the draft despatch to Govr Douglas of the 15 June last in which he is told that the "proceeds" of the Crown Lands in B. Columbia will be held at the disposal of the Legislative Council, and satisfy yrself that the step proposed of giving away a few acres of Land to the retired Soldiers of the Royal Engineers is strictly & legally correct. I had no doubt at the time of making my minute on 9615, but I have since felt a misgiving, & have thought it best to have recourse to you.

The Governor has not yet ansd the despatch of the 15 June—and no Law, so far as we know, has been passed by the Leg. C. that is to be on the subject of any Civil List arrangement for B.C.

I have altered the drafts a little. It will come to the same point.

Colonial Office to Under-Secretary of State for War, 15 October 1863, advising that the governor would be asked to put to his council the proposal of making free grants of land to the Royal Engineers in question.

Draft reply, Newcastle to Douglas, No. 57, 9 October 1863.

Referring to your letters of the 14th August & 11 Septr 1861 I am directed by the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief to enclose herewith a letter from Colonel Hawkins R.E. recommending that each of those men of the Corps employed with the North American Boundary Commission who purchased their discharge with a view to settle in B Columbia or Vancouvers Island may be allowed30 30 acres of land in either of those Colonies, which indulgence was accorded to their comrades who were granted free discharges on the return of the Commission to England.

As the services of these men as Settlers could be made valuable to the Colonists, HRH requests you will submit for the favorable consideration of the Secy of State for War that the Secy for the Colonies may be applied to to sanction the grant to eachman man under such conditions of residence or Mily Service as may be considered expedient.

A List of the men above alluded to is enclosed.

In my letter to you dated Colville Decr 23, 1861 I stated that on 22 Novr I had addressed the S of S for War in letter No 106 suggestive that modified or proportionate indulgences might be offered to the younger soldiers of the detachment of Rl Engineers attached to the North American Boundary Commission who might wish to be discharged for the purpose of settling in the Colonies of British Columbia or Vancouver Island—but who were not included in the List of men to whom I was authorized to grant free discharges and who would be entitled to grant of 30 acres of Land under certain conditions wh. accompanied yr letterof of 21 Sept: 1861.

It has recently come incidentally to my knowledge that some of the men alluded to who were discharged on the ordinary terms of the Pension Warrant as reported to you, in Letter of 17 June 1862 have made enquiries of Colonel Moody whether any such indulgences have been extended to them. On enquiring at your and the War Offices I learn that the question lapsed on the removal of the commission from the colonies which would have prevented my acting upon or even receiving any instructions on the subject. I have now the honor to request that the Secretary for War may be moved to consider and decide upon it, that an authoritative reply may be given to future enquirers.

As the men wished to remain in the Colonies, and elected to purchase their discharges on the chance of any further indulgence being accorded to them, & as so long a time has elapsed since they left the service, I am not now prepared to recommend the remission of any part of the purchase money. Indeed I should not have done so at any time, or have suggested that the men should be discharged on any other terms than those of the Pension warrant, but that I wished them to receive similar advantages to those already promised to the British Columbian detachment.

With regard however to grants of land as in a letter from the Colonial Office to the War dept: of the 7th Augt 1861 His Grace the S of State for the Colonies shewed the utmost willingness to meet the views of the S of S for War on this point. I have great hopes that if Earl de Grey should see fit to recommend such grants to the men in question—lists of whom accompanied my letter to you No 21 and to the Secy of State for War No 122 of 17 June 1862—the recommendation would be at once acceded to. Certain conditions as to residence and military service wd probably be attached to the confirmation of the grants, and such settlers cannot be but valuable in new and distant Colonies to wh. the beneficial occupation of even small portions of the vast extent of waste land must be of considerable importance.

Regimentl Rank Names Service in Service in
No. Corps Colony prior
to discharge


2130 Sapper John McTernan 7 5/12 3 10/12
2850 " Robert Semple 7 2/12 3 10/12
3289 " Thomas Forgie 6 9/12 3 10/12
3259 " John Brenton 7 3 10/12
4147 " Samual Passmore 6 2/12 3 8/12
4073 " Timothy Smith 6 3/12 3 8/12
3815 " William Bentley 3 3/12 2 10/12
4593 " John Grieve 5 6/12 3 9/12
4709 " Thomas Johnstone 5 3/12 3 10/12
4561 " Roger Moore 5 7/12 3 10/12
4884 " Thomas H. Butcher 4 8/12 3 10/12
4943 " Thomas Avery 4 7/12 3 10/12
4918 " William Dingle 4 6/12 3 10/12
4925 " Edward Grove 4 6/12 3 10/12
5853 " George Bruce 3 5/12 2 6/12
5917 " David Downie 3 3/12 2 6/12
5896 " Samuel Howes 3 2/12 2 6/12
5925 " James Metcalfe 3 2/12 2 6/12