Sargeaunt to Sandford (Assistant Under-Secretary)
Offices of the Crown Agents for the Colonies
Spring Gardens, London, S.W.
29 July 1869
Sir,
With reference to your letter of the 24th instant, and to a despatch from the Officer Administering the Government of British Columbia No 13 of the 21st ultimo, I have the honor to state, for Earl Granville's information that the Crown Agents have received in due course the remittances mentioned in the 3rd paragraph of that despatch to the extent of £13150, not £13160.
2. If it had been the custom of the local Government to remit a sum of £2000 on the 1st of each month, with an extra sum of £1000 in the month of June in each year, and to make due provision for any other expenditure incurred at its request, the British ColumbiaaccountManuscript image account at this Office would not have been the subject of so much correspondence.
3. The sum required annually at this Office for interest and sinking funds on the British Columbia and Vancouver Island loans is £24,750, and as the year commenced with outstanding claims amounting to £2125, the sum of £26875 would be sufficient to meet liabilities in respect to loans during the current year.
4. From Mr Julyan's letter of the 8th and mine of the 21st Decr last
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Agents/13558-68, Agents/13989-68.
it will be seen that the Colony as against that liability commenced the year with £4110, which with the amounts remitted during the six monthsendingManuscript image ending with June last and the sums promised would show a balance on the 31st December next of about £3000 in favor of the Colony.
5. Promised remittances are not however very tangible assets, and the local authorities appear to lose sight altogether of the fact that money paid away on General account is not still available; the enclosed statement shows that the payments of that nature during the current year amount already to £1267.19.8.
6. If then no further payments on General account are required during this year, and the promised remittances are made, the Crown Agents' accountwillManuscript image will on the 1st January next, commence with a balance of about £2000, but the liabilities for interest and sinking funds accruing in January next will amount to £8250.
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£3000
1267
£1733
7. Under these circumstances I need scarcely add that the arrangements proposed by the Officer Administering the Government will not furnish sufficient funds to meet the regular and incidental liabilities of the Colony.
8. By the proposed arrangement the amount due at this Office in January next would be remitted from BritishColumbiaManuscript image Columbia in instalments in that and the three following months, so that the Colony would not provide the funds due here in January till the month of May when the April remittance might be expected to reach this Office.
9. That the financial position of the Government of British Columbia at this Office is very imperfectly understood by the local Authorities is only too clear from the despatch I am now reporting on by Lord Granville's directions, but that it is so cannot be attributed to the want of explanations furnished from this Office with peculiar frequency.
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10. If the arrangements proposed in my letter of the 22nd instant meet with Lord Granville's approval,
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Asking for authority for paying the Bishop £400 for Female Emigration.
the amounts due to Sinking Funds up to 15th January last, except £800 due to the Vancouver Island Sinking Fund, will have been paid and all interest up to date, so that in addition to the money already remitted and acknowledged the following amounts ought to be sent in time to be available on the dates mentioned:
£ 800 due to Trustees of Sinking Fund on 1st Jany last.
1125  "  "     "     "     "      "   "   1  April   ".
4050  "  "     "     "     "      "   " 1st & 15th July instant.
4125 interest and sinking fund due 1st Oct next.
8250     "     "     "      "  due in Jany next.
£18350
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11. In place of the promised remittances during the last six months of this year, amounting to £12,800, the Crown Agents ought to be furnished with funds available before January next amounting to £18350.
12. The arrears due to the Sinking Funds at present amount to £5975; if this debt was cleared off future remittances ought to be made annually from the Colony to be available at this Office on the following dates:
On 1st October £ 4125
   1st & 15 Jany 8250
   1 April 4125
   1 & 15 July 8250
£24750
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant
W.C. Sargeaunt
Minutes by CO staff
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Sir F. Sandford
Ackn: receipt of the despatch 8145 & send a copy of this to the Govr which will shew him that the remittances contemplated in that despatch will not be sufficient to meet the liabilities of the Colony as they fall due—& also at what times the remittances must be made.
CC 30/7
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At once.
FRS 31/7
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Statement of miscellaneous payments made by Crown Agents on account of British Columbia during the six months ended 30 June 1869.
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Granville to Musgrave, No. 78, 4 August 1869.