Julyan to Elliot (Assistant Under-Secretary)
Offices of the Crown Agents for the Colonies,
Spring Gardens, London, S.W.
16 March 1867
Sir,
I have the honor to transmit to you, in reply to your letter of the 13th instant, a statement showing the present position of the accounts of the Governments of British Columbia and Vancouver Island with this Department.
I also enclose, for the information of the Duke of Buckingham & Chandos, a copy of a letter addressed by me to the Colonial Secretary of British Columbia on the 22nd ultimo.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
P.G. Julyan
Minutes by CO staff
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ABd 18 March
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I felt satisfied that the Duke of Buckingham would desire to have some authentic statement of the present position of the Accounts in England of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, and therefore called on the Agents for the one furnished in the present letter.
Three times in succession B. ColumbiahasManuscript image has failed to provide funds to pay it's public creditors. Once we obtained the means from the Treasury, and on the two next occasions the Crown Agents paid the money out of their general balance, in other words out of the money of other Colonies. This, it is plain, cannot be allowed to continue.
I submit for consideration a draft to the Governor. He has already been told in former Despatches that he must not fail to remit money for the interest of the debt. The present account seems to require a more general instruction. The passage about salaries is a suggestion of my own for consideration. It may seem strong, but where exhortation has been unavailing, may it not be better to insist upon some practical measure which will rouse all the Authorities in the Colony to the necessity of exertion about their finances?
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What makes the matter so very serious, it seems to me, is the danger to the character and value of all Colonial Securities if this unlucky Colony defaults.
TFE 19 March
CBA 20/3
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Statement of the assets and liabilities of British Columbia and Vancouver Island on account with the Crown Agents, 15 March 1867.
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W.C. Sargeaunt to Colonial Secretary of British Columbia, 22 February 1867, advising of the financial position of the colony with the Crown Agents.
Other documents included in the file
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Elliot to Crown Agents, 13 March 1867, requesting statement of accounts of British Columbia and Vancouver Island.
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Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, No. 8, 21 March 1867 regarding the financial situation of the united colony and informing Seymour that action is required on the colony’s debt.