Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Seymour, Frederick to Cardwell, Edward 8 September 1864, CO 60:19, no. 10599, 138.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (5), Enclosures (untranscribed) (1), Other documents (2).
Seymour forwards a requisition for stores from the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works.
He also relays Trutch’s request to have
permission to purchase certain Drawings and Works on Engineeringand asks if the Crown Agents can give Trutch £200 to do this. The Colonial Office minutes their decision not to loan the money but to ask for a detailed list of the required materials for their consideration.
No. 35
8th September 1864
Sir,
I have the honor to forward herewith a Requisition from the
Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for certain Stores required
for his Department, and to request you will be good enough to
instruct the Crown Agents to procure the Articles in question and
to ship them to this Colony with all convenient speed.
2. As the Chief Commissionerof
of Lands and Works, Mr J.W.
Trutch is now on his way to England he has asked permission
to purchase certain Drawings and Works on Engineering which are
required for his Department, I have therefore the honor to request
you will at the same time authorize the Crown Agents to advance
Mr Trutch a sum of Two hundred pounds (£200) for this purpose.
of Lands and Works, Mr J.W.
Trutch is now on his way to England he has asked permission
to purchase certain Drawings and Works on Engineering which are
required for his Department, I have therefore the honor to request
you will at the same time authorize the Crown Agents to advance
Mr Trutch a sum of Two hundred pounds (£200) for this purpose.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
With regard to the Stores for the Land & Works Dept instruct the Agents to procure & send them out: but to authorize the payment of £200 to Mr Trutch for the purchase of Works &c on engineering would appear to be somewhat irregular—the better course would be for Mr Trutch to furnish in the first instance a list of the Drawings & books he requires, specifying their cost?
With regard to the Stores for the Land & Works Dept instruct the Agents to procure & send them out: but to authorize the payment of £200 to Mr Trutch for the purchase of Works &c on engineering would appear to be somewhat irregular—the better course would be for Mr Trutch to furnish in the first instance a list of the Drawings & books he requires, specifying their cost?
VJ
18 N
See 10598: please return this with it.
TFE
18/11
See Minute on 10598.
VJ
19
I thoroughly agree with Mr Jadis as to the inexpediency
of putting a sum of money into the hands of Officers home on
leave, in order that they may purchase articles which they
say that they want for their Departments. If we were to
deal in this way with "smart" men coming home from half-Yankee
Colonies, it would be our own fault if we soon
discovered gross jobbing, not to say worse. Of course I
say this without intending any reflection on the gentleman
concerned in this particular instance: I merely object to
an obviously faulty practice.
I think that we should indeceive Mr Trutch immediately
lest he should begin making purchases on the strength of
this irregular scheme.
I
I also think that the sum is extravagant, and that we
should refuse at first to authorize so much for books. If he has
any good pleas to offer for it, we shall hear them.
I further think that we should make Governor Seymour
aware that the project in this case is objectionable in principle.
As to the small requisition for drawing materials &c,
it might be inconvenient and vexations to defer it, and I
prepared a draft authorizing the Agents to prepare the supply.
TFE
19 Decr
P.S. Mr Cardwell has approved the draft to Mr Trutch, and
the other draft on drawing materials is to be copied for Sigre.
The rest can wait till we receive Mr Trutch's answer.
TFE
19/12
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Requisition for stores for the lands and works department,
showing a total expense of £50.6.10.
Other documents included in the file
Elliot to Crown Agents, 20 December 1864, forwarding copy of the
requisition and authorizing purchase of the goods.
Elliot to J.W. Trutch, 20 December 1864, advising that the £200
could not be authorized but that he should submit a list of the
required materials for consideration.