Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Seymour, Frederick to Carnarvon, Earl 16 January 1867, CO 60:27, no. 2736, 199.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (3), Other documents (1).
Seymour discusses his views on Trutch holding public office, given Trutch’s
private interests in the Public Works of the Colony,and recommends waiting until 1868 to give Trutch time to sell his
private interests.Elliot minutes his agreement with Seymour’s recommendation, and Buckingham’s minute asks for reports from Seymour on Trutch’s progress of
finding a purchaser.
No. 29
16th January 1867
My Lord,
I have had the honor to receive Your Lordship's despatch
No. 11 of the 1st October, directing me to report officially
my opinion as to whether Mr Trutch should be allowed to hold
the officeof
of Surveyor General of this Colony while in possession
of considerable interests in a bridge and road.
of Surveyor General of this Colony while in possession
of considerable interests in a bridge and road.
2. Mr Trutch, I have already reported, to be a good and
useful public servant. I have therefore discussed the question
again with him. He informs me that he will positively be able
to dispose of all his private interests in the Public Works of
the Colony early next year. Under thesecircumstances
circumstances I am
disposed to recommend, that the question should be allowed to rest
as it is for another year. If Mr Trutch were confirmed it might
possibly be difficult to secure the sale of his property. As
matters now are the case will come again under Your Lordship's
consideration in 1868, and may then, I think, be finally disposed of.
circumstances I am
disposed to recommend, that the question should be allowed to rest
as it is for another year. If Mr Trutch were confirmed it might
possibly be difficult to secure the sale of his property. As
matters now are the case will come again under Your Lordship's
consideration in 1868, and may then, I think, be finally disposed of.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Trutch is well adapted to his work in B. Columbia and it
is often found very difficult to get men well suited to the
functions of Surveyor General & Chief Engineer in a new Colony.
Acknowledge and express general concurrence in the
Governor's recommendation that the case should stand over for a time.
But that it will be desirable that the Governor
should report in the course of the present year what progress
Mr Trutch has been able to make towards finding a purchaser
for the bridge &c as it is not desirable that the arrangement
or rather omission of all definite arrangement as to the
discharge of the duties Surveyor General shd continue long.
B&C
21/3
Other documents included in the file
Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, No. 15, 30 March 1867 agreeing with Seymour to have Trutch remain as Surveyor General, while “holding on to his private interests, until 1868,
but requesting progress reports regarding Trutch relinquishing “his private holdings.”