Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Pelly, John Henry
to Grey, George 7 November 1851, CO 305:3, no. 9281, 405.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (3), Marginalia (2).
Pelly writes to Grey to answer for questions raised by Moresby's previous letter, which levels a number of charges against the HBC's practices on Vancouver Island. Pelly addresses such matters as the price for provisions, HBC reserve lands and sales, the establishment of a naval station at Esquimalt, disgruntled miners at Fort Rupert, and more.
In the minutes, Merivale discusses the price of provisions, the reservation of Esquimalt for government purposes, and the power of the Company to
impede & discourage the settlement of the island.Grey adds that neither the government nor the HBC appear prepared to incur the expense required to effectually colonize Vancouver Island.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Mr Under Secretary Hawes' letter of the 3rd Instant
2
transmitting, for any observations which the Directors of the Hudson's Bay Company may have to offer, the copy of a letter from Rear Admiral Moresby to the Board of
Admiralty containing a Report connected with Vancouver's Island.F
Respecting the price of provisions supplied or to be supplied to
Her Majesty's Ships I have nothing to remark, until I receive a reply to
a letter which I have written to the Board of Admiralty requesting to be
informed of the prices complained of as being overcharged by the
Company's Agent at Vancouver's Island. I may however observe that there
is a market price there as everywhere else, and that Admiral Moresby's
remark "that the interest of a Company with exclusive rights of Trade is
incompatible with the free and liberal reception of an
an emigrant
Community" is not applicable to the Hudson's Bay Company inasmuch as
that Company neither possesses, nor exercises, any exclusive right of
trade in Vancouver's Island.
an emigrant
Community" is not applicable to the Hudson's Bay Company inasmuch as
that Company neither possesses, nor exercises, any exclusive right of
trade in Vancouver's Island.On the subject of the Hudson's Bay Company's
Reserve of land Around
Fort Victoria, I beg to refer your Lordship to my letter of the
10th September from which it will be seen that the quantity of land reserved for the
purposes of the Fur Trade, instead of being 20 square miles, is not
likely to exceed six; and that this land was in the Companys possession
before the division of the Country by the Boundary Treaty with the
United States. Should any addition to that quantity be required the
Company will pay for it as other Settlers do.
The Puget Sound Agricultural Company, which I beg to observe is
quite distinct from the Hudson's Bay Company, require a considerable
tract of land for the pasturage of their large flocks and herds, and as
they are by the terms of the boundary treaty liable to be dispossessed
at any time of their lands at Puget Sound, they have, in order to provide against this contingency, judged it expedient to
secure lands in
Vancouver's Island.
This measure Your Lordship will
will readily percieve is not only
essentially necessary for the preservation of the Sheep and Cattle, but
is also of the first importance to the Colony, as it is from that source
alone that Settlers can be supplied with Stock for their farms, At the
same time I would observe that it is the intention of the Puget Sound
Company to relinquish (Should it be required) such parts of their
reserve as may be considered peculiarly adapted to the wants of Settlers.
will readily percieve is not only
essentially necessary for the preservation of the Sheep and Cattle, but
is also of the first importance to the Colony, as it is from that source
alone that Settlers can be supplied with Stock for their farms, At the
same time I would observe that it is the intention of the Puget Sound
Company to relinquish (Should it be required) such parts of their
reserve as may be considered peculiarly adapted to the wants of Settlers.
I have further to observe in reference to Admiral Moresby's
recommendation that a Naval Station should be formed at Esquimault
Harbour, that if any portion of the land there be required for public
purposes, it can according to the Grant be resumed by the Government at
any time; but it is highly desirable that the Company should have early
notice of the intentions of Government, as otherwise difficulties may occur from previous appropriations.
Admiral Moresby's statement in regard to the Miner's clearly
clearly shews
that his information on that subject has not been drawn from an
impartial source. He seems not to have been aware that those Miners
were not Settlers, but the Servants of the Company engaged under
Contracts in this Country. From the moment of the arrival of these men
on the Island they shewed that they had other views than those they professed. Not finding Coal
so soon as they expected they demanded 2/6
pr day each in addition to their Contract Wages.
clearly shews
that his information on that subject has not been drawn from an
impartial source. He seems not to have been aware that those Miners
were not Settlers, but the Servants of the Company engaged under
Contracts in this Country. From the moment of the arrival of these men
on the Island they shewed that they had other views than those they professed. Not finding Coal
so soon as they expected they demanded 2/6
pr day each in addition to their Contract Wages.In order that the Mining operation might not be stopped this demand
was conceded, but this did not satisfy them, and they first struck work,
excited insubordination among the Company's Servants, and then deserted
in a body (with the exception of the Superintendent). They went to the
Gold diggings in California, were not successful, and notwithstanding
the ill usage they complain of, returned to Vancouver's Island and
demanded payment
payment of their Wages for the time they had been away. In the
meantime the Company had to send out other Miners in their place at
great expence.
payment of their Wages for the time they had been away. In the
meantime the Company had to send out other Miners in their place at
great expence.Admiral Moresby states that 320 Acres of Land are offered by the
American Authorities to every married Couple willing to settle on the American side
of the Strait, and that such offers must greatly impede
the Colonization of Vancouver's Island.
On this Subject there can be but one opinion, but I do not agree
with him when he infers that the Settlers in Vancouver's Island are dependent on the Hudson's Bay Company, as purchasers of Land there are perfectly independent.
I was not aware that Coal had been found in the locality mentioned
by the Admiral. The Hudsons Bay Company have had the Country near the
mouth of Frasers River about 75 miles north of the river Sinahomis examined by a practical miner, but though the Strata are of the
carboniferous order no coal was found.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Peel
1 It seems from this that Sir J. Pelly is already in communication with the Admiralty as to the price of provisions at Vancouver's Island, being the only point which immediately interests the latter office: apparently therefore there is no occasion for further correspondence with the Admiralty.
1 It seems from this that Sir J. Pelly is already in communication with the Admiralty as to the price of provisions at Vancouver's Island, being the only point which immediately interests the latter office: apparently therefore there is no occasion for further correspondence with the Admiralty.
2. The reservation of Port Esquimault by Government for a naval station is a question for Lord Grey's consideration. Sir J. Pelly only observes that it is desirable the Company should have early notice before any
Government reserve is formed.
3. The rest of the letter relates to subjects already often
considered. There can be no doubt of the power of the Company to impede
& discourage the settlement of the island, if they are determined to do so. Whether their servants do in fact discourage it,
or whether the
want of progress there is owing to the natural deficiencies of the island as compared with more favoured regions, to the attractions of
California, or (as here suggested) in part to the efforts making by the
Amn Government to attract colonists to Oregon — are questions of fact
which I fear we have no means of satisfactorily solving.
HM
N. 10.
The truth is that without incurring a large expence for wh neither the Govt nor the Hudson's bay Company are prepared it is impossible effectually to colonize
this distant Island. Put by.
G.
11
Footnotes
- This addressee information appears at the foot of the first page of the despatch.
- The following marginilia appears to reference an underlined section of text; see image scan.
- The following marginilia appears to reference, with a dagger symbol, an underlined and curly-braced section of text; see image scan.