Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Lugard, Edward to Rogers, Frederic 27 January 1864, CO 60:20, no. 776, 266.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (2), Other documents (1).
Lugard reports that he has transmitted to the Secretary of State for War a letter with enclosures
concerning McColl’s request for remission of charges to transport McColl’s wife and children to British Columbia. Lugard clarifies, however, that the decision to approve this remission lies with the Duke of Newcastle and the Treasury. Elliot minutes to send the letter to the Treasury along with a statement of McColl’s
good character,informing the Treasury that
it was by misfortune and not by any fault of [McColl’s] own that he was deprived.
Lugard to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)
I have laid before the Secretary of State for War your
letter of the 15 Instant with its enclosures from the Governor
of British Columbia relative to an application from Serjeant
McColl of the Royal Engineers
for the remission of the whole
or part of the Sum (£105) charged for the conveyance of his
wife and children from this country to that Colony.
for the remission of the whole
or part of the Sum (£105) charged for the conveyance of his
wife and children from this country to that Colony.
In reply I am to request that you will remind the Duke
of Newcastle that when the detachment of Royal Engineers
first proceeded to the Colony in 1858, accom
modation was,
at the instance of the Secretary of State for the Colonies,
provided in the Transport for 35 women with their children,
being considerably in excess of the regulated number. It
may be true, as urged by Serjeant McColl, that had it not been
[for] the state of his wife's health at the time, she would have
accompanied
him. But this in itself affords no sufficient
ground for a compliance with the present request; for had
Mrs McColl and her children been taken out free, it
could only have been to the exclusion of the family of some other man.
modation was,
at the instance of the Secretary of State for the Colonies,
provided in the Transport for 35 women with their children,
being considerably in excess of the regulated number. It
may be true, as urged by Serjeant McColl, that had it not been
[for] the state of his wife's health at the time, she would have
accompanied
him. But this in itself affords no sufficient
ground for a compliance with the present request; for had
Mrs McColl and her children been taken out free, it
could only have been to the exclusion of the family of some other man.
It appears however that the expenses of the passage of
Mrs McColl and her children
and the two other women
who accompanied them were paid over to the Emigration
Commissioners, by whom the service was conducted, by the
Paymaster General acting, not on behalf of this department,
but on behalf of the Treasury.
and the two other women
who accompanied them were paid over to the Emigration
Commissioners, by whom the service was conducted, by the
Paymaster General acting, not on behalf of this department,
but on behalf of the Treasury.
The remission of the balance of the debt due by
Serjeant McColl is therefore rather a
matter for the
consideration of the Duke of Newcastle in concert with
the Lords Commissoners of the Treasury.
matter for the
consideration of the Duke of Newcastle in concert with
the Lords Commissoners of the Treasury.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
I reserve this for you as you have minuted the other papers relating to this case.
I reserve this for you as you have minuted the other papers relating to this case.
ABd
28 Jany
I think that we may send the Treasury a copy of the
Governor's despatch No 64. We may give them an outline
of the case and state the circumstances which make in favor
of Serjeant McColl, very much
founded on the model of our
letter to the War Office.
founded on the model of our
letter to the War Office.
I should then say that the passage of Mrs McColl
and her children was defrayed out of the money transferred
to the Emigration Commrs by the Paymaster General
(specifying the Treasury letter at the time) and adverting
to Serjeant McColl's good character and to the fact that it
was by misfortune and not by any fault of his own that he
was deprived &c. I should submit to their Lordships that
as he has now ceased to be in the receipt of pay and has
already repaid one half of the cost of the passage of his
wife and family, it may be a reasonable indulgence to remit
to him the remainder of the debt which must fall heavily
on a man in humble circumstances who ceased to derive any
income from public sources.
TFE
20 Jany
Other documents included in the file
Elliot to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 2 February 1864, forwarding
correspondence on the subject and supporting McColl's application
for remission of the whole or part of the cost of passage for his
wife and children.