5639. Vancouver's Island

Immediate
see within
G.
Hudson's Bay House
June 26. 1849
My Lord
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of the 20th Instant, acquainting me that the Queen has been pleased to approve of the appointment of Mr Richard Blanchard to the
2Ansd 28 June/49.
office of Governor of Vancouvers Island.
As one of the Hudson's Bay Company's ships will be dispatched for that Island in a short time I beg to be informed when Mr Blanchard may have the honour of waiting on Your Lordship to receive his Commission and Instructions.
In reply to the last paragraph of your Lordship's letter, I beg to assure you that it was not intendedManuscript image to make any claim on H.M. Government; but on the other hand it is expected that H.M. Government will make no claim on the Hudson's Bay Company either in the shape of fees or any other payment, as in the event of such claim being made, I should feel it my duty to protect against it, in order that it might not be drawn into a precedent.
I have the honor to be
My Lord
Your Lordships Obedient
humble Servant
J H Pelly
1The Right Honourable
The Earl Grey
&c &c &c
Minutes by CO staff
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Lord Grey will be able to ascertain from Lord Lansdowne when it is likely that there may be a Council.
It is out of my power to state the probable amount of the fees on Mr Blanchards Commissn without consulting the several offices. But I should think that 250 £ would cover the whole charges.
PS 27 June
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Mr Hawes
The ship which is to convey Mr Blanshard is to be ready to sail, as I understand from Sir J. Pelly, on the 20th July. It would be desirable if possible that the Commn & Instructions should receive the sanction of the Law Advisers, containing as they do provisions of some novelty? If therefore there is any Council so near the 20th July as to admit of such a reference taking place first — the law advisers being warned of the reason for wanting an immediate answer — the reference should be made accordingly?
Sir J. Pelly is ambiguous about the fees: I hardly know whether he means to object to paying them, or only to enter a protest against the precedent: I cannot well suppose the former?
HM June 27
Immediate — As there is a council to be held tomorrow a letter must be written at once to Sir J. Pelly telling him that it is out of my power to relieve the Co from the whole of the fees payable on passing a Commissn under the Gt Seal, but that I will recommend to the Try that all charges which can be remitted shd be so on this occasn. —
G. 28/
Other documents included in the file
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Draft, Colonial Office to Pelly, 20 June 1849, reporting the Queen had approved the appointment of Blanshard as governor, and that his salary, passage allowance, and the fees incurred in the preparation of his commission must be borne by the company.
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Draft, Colonial Office to Pelly, 28 June 1849, advising the Treasury would be asked to remit as large a portion of the fees on Blanshard's commission "as can legally be remitted."
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Draft, Colonial Office to Attorney General and Solicitor General, 30 June 1849, forwarding drafts of Blanshard's commission and instructions for approval.
Footnotes
  1. This addressee information appears at the foot of the first page of the despatch.
  2. This text runs perpendicular to main body text; see image scan.
People in this document

Blanshard, Richard

Grey, George

Grey, Henry George

Hawes, Benjamin

Merivale, Herman

Pelly, John Henry

Petty-Fitzmaurice, Henry

Smith, Peter

Victoria, Alexandrina

Organizations in this document

Colonial Office

Hudson's Bay Company

Treasury

Places in this document

Vancouver Island