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.Manuscript image 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. IManuscript image
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
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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 takeManuscript image 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 ratherManuscript image late to deal with them.
But I believe the Finances of B. Columbia are under consideration.
CC 9/12
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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
Manuscript image 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.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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H.P.P. Crease, Attorney General, to Seymour, 17 May 1867, reporting on the ordinance as per despatch.
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Robert Ker, Auditor General, 22 June 1867, remarking on the estimates for 1867.
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Printed copy of colonial estimates for British Columbia, 1867.