Peel to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Treasury Chambers
11th July 1864
Sir,
I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to transmit to you herewith, for the information of Mr Secretary Cardwell, a copy of a Report, No 217, from the Commissioners of Audit dated 23rd Ultimo, with copy of the reply which My Lords have addressed to the Commissioners relating to expenditure on Roads in British Columbia, andtoManuscript image to the money borrowed by Debentures and Road Bonds to cover that expenditure during the year 1862.
I am, at the same time, to transmit to you the enclosed statement of payments not provided for in the estimates for the year, and to request that you will move Mr Secretary Cardwell to inform My Lords whether he sees any objection to the admission of the charges enumerated in that statement;MyManuscript image My Lords would suggest that the Governor of British Columbia should be instructed to prepare at the end of each year, Supplementary Estimates of all expenditure not covered by the original Estimate of the year, and to submit the same, as soon as convenient at the commencement of the following year, to the Legislative Council with an Ordinance to authorize the appropriation of the amount requiredtoManuscript image to cover the excess over the original estimates.
I am, Sir,
your obedient Servant,
F. Peel
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Elliot
The Treasury sanction the expenditure on roads, & the issue of Road bonds.
2. With regard to allowing the charges enumerated in the statement I think that though they may ultimately be sanctioned it wd only be right, since they amount to a total of £3653, that an explanation shd be requested from the Governor. The explanation will probably be sufficient, but nevertheless it wd, I think, be well to let the local Authorities feel that excesses of expenditure do not pass at home as a matter of course.
The supplementary Estimate, suggested by the T-y seems to me a very proper proceeding. In Ceylon an Estimate of this sort is if I remember right always prepared & sent home for approval.
ABd 16 July
Manuscript image
We have reason to believe that Governor Seymour is going to look closely into the state of the public service in British Columbia, and we may hope that he will put his accounts on a sound footing.
In the meantime, seeing the great inconvenience which follows from keeping public accounts indefinitely open and looking at the analysis, which Mr Ebden has furnished of the items composing the excess of expenditure, I would recommend in this case that we furnish the Treasury with the Secretary of State's opinion that the charges may be admitted. It is evident on the face of them that they are charges of a public nature. The Auditors cannot pass any excess of expenditure without authority from the Treasury, and the Treasury cannot give it without an opinion from hence, but they are always perfectly willing to receive and act upon such an opinion. I should transmit the papers to the Governor: I should say that Mr Cardwell feels confidence in his using his best endeavours to bring the accounts of the Colony into a satisfactory condition: with regard to supplementary Estimates, I should repeat in the body of the despatch the substance of the instructions required by the Treasury.
TFE 18 July
Mr Ebden
Prepare draft to Govr & Treasury, modified as I have explained to you that Mr Cardwell has directed.
TFE 19 July
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
Statement of excess of expenditures over the estimates for 1862, British Columbia (rough calculations).
Manuscript image
Edward Romilly and R. Vaughan Davis, Audit Office, to Treasury, 23 June 1864, reporting on the state of the British Columbia accounts for 1862, with enclosed statement.
Manuscript image
Peel to Commissioners of Audit, 9 July 1864, advising that the British Columbia Loan Act 1862, had been confirmed.
Manuscript image
"Statement of payments claimed on the accounts for 1862, that are not provided for in Estimates, or are in excess of the sums voted in the Estimates," 23 June 1864, submitted with the report of the Commissioners of Audit.
Other documents included in the file
Manuscript image
Draft reply, Cardwell to Seymour, No. 25, 19 July 1864.
Manuscript image
Rogers to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 22 July 1864, advising that copy of his letter providing procedural instructions with regard to submission of estimates would be forwarded to the governor.