Secret
Victoria
5 June 1868
My Lord Duke,
I would venture to request that Your Grace will not appoint Mr William A.G. Young to the permanent office of Colonial Secretary without some further communication with me. I find Mr Young clever and energetic, but he is so mixed up in the affairsManuscript image of Victoria, that I cannot give him the entire confidence which a Governor should repose in his Colonial Secretary.
Mr Young knows nothing of the interior of the main land portion of British Columbia.
I have the honor to be,
My Lord Duke
Your Grace's
most obedient humble Servant
Frederick Seymour
Minutes by CO staff
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Sir F. Rogers
I believe Lord Carnarvon left to Govr Seymour to appoint a Colonial Secretary when Mr Birch gave up the apptt. See Mr Seymour's despatch 11764 reporting the arrangements he had made when Mr Birch left the Colony, & see also concluding paragraph of the D. of Buckinghams's despatch to Mr Seymour of 7 Oct. No 68, attached to 8566.
CC 16 July
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I do not think that anything that passed betn Ld Carnarvon & Mr Seymour on this subject need be considered now. The circumstances of that time are gone by—& this Mr Seymour plainly understands.
If Mr Young has any claim to the apptmt & is excluded from it on a representation of Mr Seymour's, it ought, I shd say to be on a public not "secret" representation.
CBA 17/7
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I conclude Govr Seymour intends this to be considered a confidential report—with [several words cut off microfilm].
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See Minute Paper attached.
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Duke of Buckingham
As the discretion left to Govr Seymour by Lord Carnarvon has lapsed it remains with your Grace—the Capital question being decided—to decide how this Colonial Secretaryship is to be filled up. At the same time I think that, in the face of Govr Seymour's despatch of the 28 Sept. last (11764) in which he reported that he had appointed Mr Young toManuscript image act during Mr Birch's absence on leave & proposed to pay him full Salary—£600 whilst at Victoria, £800 whilst at New Westminster—(which arrangement was sanctioned)—it would be questionable whether without some official communication from Govr Seymour Your Grace should fill it up by a direct apptt.
Govr Seymour only asks you not to appoint Mr Young without hearing fromManuscript image him.
CC 22 July
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Reply acknowledging & stating that relying on the Govr's opinion I shall endeavour to select some other well qualified person for Colonial Sec—as it is of course important that the Govr shd be able to repose entire confidence in an officer holding that position.
B&C 23/7
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, Confidential, 28 July 1868 advising Seymour that Buckingham will endeavour to select a candidate for colonial secretary other than Young.
Minutes by CO staff
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To Mr Bryant.
HSB 7/8
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Mr Cox
His Grace has appointed Mr Philip J. Hankin, R.N., Colonial Secretary of Sierre Leone, to be Colonial Secretary of British Columbia.
Will you, please, inform the Governor at once.
H.S. Bryant

Stowe
5 Oct. 1868
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, No. 85, 6 October 1868 informing Seymour that Hankin, Sierra Leone’s colonial secretary, was appointed “Colonial Secretary of British Columbia.”
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Elliot to Hankin, 10 October 1868, advising of his appointment, and stating the terms and conditions attached thereto.
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
The despatch announcing this appt to the Govr has gone on.
WR 7/10
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, Confidential, 28 November 1868 informing Seymour that the decision to replace Young as colonial secretary cannot be delayed or stopped.
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Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, No. 87, 20 October 1868 transmitting “the Queen's Warrant for the appointment of Lieutenant Philip James Hankin R.N. to be Colonial Secretary for the Colony of British Columbia.”