Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Pelly, John Henry
to Grey, George 12 June 1851, CO 305:3, no. 5122, 378.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (4), Other documents (1), Marginalia (1).
This document contains mentions of Indigenous Peoples. The authors of these documents
often perpetuate a negative perspective of Indigenous Peoples and it is important
to look critically at these mentions. They sometimes use terminology that is now considered
hurtful and offensive. To learn more about modern terminology pertaining to Indigenous
Peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and decolonization, please refer to the Glossary of terms.
Pelly writes to Grey on the subject of
the goods paid to the Indians to extinguish their titles to land,an process which Pelly believes requires no explanation to the governor, now resigned, as it is HBC business.
In the minutes, Merivale's lengthy note reiterates the terms of the HBC grant, with respect to the disclosure of colonization and land sales, and more; he
adds that
vouchers and sumsexpended by the HBC
cannot be taken by the Government as authentic & binding.Hawes observes that the government is
now apparently in the hands of the H.B.C. entirely.
Included in the file is a letter from the Colonial Office to Pelly, which states that, in fact, Blanshard had acted properly in scrutinizing the HBC's Vancouver Island accounts, as they require the governor's signature of approval.
I have to acknowledge the receipt of Mr Under Secretary Hawes's
letter of the 4th Inst transmitting to me for any observations which
the Hudsons Bay Company may have to offer, extracts from a Dispatch from
the Governor of Vancouvers' Island on the subject of the goods paid to the Indians to extinguish their titles to land.
Ansd 26 June/51.
Governor to inquire into the transactions between the
Company and the Natives with respect to the extinction of the Titles of
the latter to their lands.Minutes by CO staff
Mr Hawes
It seems to me that, whatever the object may have been, the grant of Vanc. Island does not contemplate, nor was apparently intended to contemplate, a continued cognisance by Government of the accounts of the H.B.C. in respect of the conduct of the settlement. After 5 years, Government may dispatch a Commissioner to enquire & certify as to the
fulfilment of the conditions of the grant respecting the
sale of land. Purchase from the natives seems to be uncontrolled.
It seems to me that, whatever the object may have been, the grant of Vanc. Island does not contemplate, nor was apparently intended to contemplate, a continued cognisance by Government of the accounts of the H.B.C. in respect of the conduct of the settlement. After 5 years, Government may dispatch a Commissioner to enquire & certify as to the
fulfilment of the conditions of the grant respecting the
sale of land. Purchase from the natives seems to be uncontrolled.But it is also quite true, as the Govr states, that the option is given to Government of repurchasing the island in 1859 paying the sums "theretofore laid out & expended by" the Company. If therefore the
Governor's agent applied to Govr Blanshard to vouch an account of the
sums expended by them, it is obvious that if he had done so without
enquiry or protest, this would have been taken as an admission by
Government that such sums had been really expended by the Company,
though in fact Government knew nothing about the matter: & this
assumption would have been all but conclusive in 1859.
Govr Blanshard therefore seems to have been quite right, & I do
not understand the tone adopted by the Co. in the present letter.
I think this should be pointed out to the Company officially,
though without entering into any unnecessary controversy, asking at the
same time for the account in question. I think this desp: also points
out a difficulty, / which
I am sorry did not occur to me earlier, as to
the appointment of a Governor who is a servant of the Company. It is
plain that his vouchers of sums expended by the Company cannot be taken
by Government as authentic & binding.
I am sorry did not occur to me earlier, as to
the appointment of a Governor who is a servant of the Company. It is
plain that his vouchers of sums expended by the Company cannot be taken
by Government as authentic & binding.HM
June 16.
J 17
It is all the more necessary to come now to a clear understanding &
a strict one. We are now apparently in the hands of the H.B.C. entirely
Write as suggested by Mr Merivale.
G.
18
Other documents included in the file
Colonial Office to Pelly, 26 June 1851, indicating Blanshard had
acted properly in checking the HBC's account because of his need to
authenticate it with his signature.
Footnotes
- This addressee information appears at the foot of the first page of the despatch.