Seymour, Governor Frederick to Grenville, Richard 27 September 1867, CO 60:29, no. 11760, 251.

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Despatch to London
Seymour, Frederick to Grenville, Richard 27 September 1867, CO 60:29, no. 11760, 251.

Abstract

Despatch to London. Minutes (2), Enclosures (untranscribed) (3).

Seymour forwards No. 13. An Ordinance to appropriate the sum of five hundred and sixty six thousand six hundred and fifty eight dollars and thirty cents out of the General Revenue of the Colony for the contingent Service of the year 1867 and reports from the Attorney General and Auditor. Minutes by Cox and Rogers discuss the finances of British Columbia, which Seymour’s forwarded ordinance describes. Rogers further minutes that the despatch should be retained at the Colonial Office for the time being.

No. 130

Victoria

27th September 1867

My Lord Duke,

I have the honor to forward an authenticated and two plain copies of an Ordinance of the recent Session of the Legislature of this Colony, entitled;No. 13.

No. 13. An Ordinance to appropriate the sum of five hundred and sixty six thousand six hundred and fifty eight dollars and thirty cents out of the General Revenue of the Colony for the contingent Service of the year 1867.

2. The amount herein voted is considerably less than has hitherto been supplied for the Mainland Colony alone.

3. I

3. I enclose the reports of the Attorney General and of the Auditor.

I have the honor to be,
My Lord Duke,
Your most obedient,
humble Servant
Frederick Seymour

Minutes by CO staff

Sir F. Rogers
Governor Seymour here sends home his Estimates & Appropriation Ordinance for 1867—the latter having passed as far back as March last. The 3 Dec is rather late to receive the Estimates for the year, & tho' the union of the two Colonies at so late a period of last year no doubt prevented an earlier passing of the Estimates, it need not have been necessary that it should take

so many months to send them home when passed—especially with the very meagre information supplied.

It appears that the Estimated Revenue for 1867 is $675,350, against $592,459 the revenue of 1865—it further appears that the estimated Expenditure for 1867 is $701,710—against $1,096,036 for the two Colonies in 1865.

The Auditor Generals memo shews in what respects the Estimate of Expenditure differs from previous Expenditure.

I see nothing calling for special observation in the Items—& it is now rather

late to deal with them.

But I believe the Finances of B. Columbia are under consideration.

CC 9/12

Mr Adderley
There can be no doubt—considering the state of the Finances of B.C. that this statement shd have reached England long ago. Now, I think, that having been delayed from March to September, the Govr ought to have accompanied [it] by a Statement informing the Secretary of State how far the estimate has been borne out by the experience of the 2 or 3 first quarters of the year.

The main point is the comparison of Totals

	Revenue	$	Exp
1865	592,459	1,096,036
1867	675,350	701,710
excess	82,891	394,326	decrease
			82,891
			477,217

shewing a difference of 477,217 dollars and this, as I understand does not shew the full reduction of expenditures, because the estimates of 1867 include $170,000 in repayment of Temporary Loans, while nothing of the kind is included in the expenditure of 1865.

The great reduction is of course in public works—where the difference of the two Estimates is about $300,000.

This of course will have to go to Treasury eventually. But the information which it gives should first be embodied in the statement wh is now being prepared respecting B.C. finance. I wd therefore request that it may be retained for this purpose.