No. 2
Downing Street
20th June 1855
Sir
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 49 of the 1st of February last representing the defenceless state of Vancouver's Island.
I transmit for your information the copy of a letter with its enclosures addressed by the Earl of Clarendon to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty relative to the arrangemententeredManuscript image entered into with the Russian American Company for the reciprocal neutrality of the two Nations as regards the Possesion and Ships of the Hudson's Bay Company and the Russian American Company on the North West Coast of America, and from these papers Her Majesty's Government are induced to hope that there is no reason to apprehend any danger of attack on Vancouver's Island.
The Lords Commissioners of theManuscript image Admiralty have however been requested to instruct the senior Naval Officer on the Station to cause the Island to be more frequently visited by one of Her Majesty's Ships of War.
I have the honor to be Sir,
Your most obedient humble Servant
J. Russell

Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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1. Clarendon, Foreign Office, to Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 22 March 1854, requesting that the Royal Navy not commit hostilities on Russian territory on the coast of North America.
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1.1 Colvile, Hudson's Bay Company, to Clarendon, 28 February 1854, enclosing a letter from the Russian American Company regarding neutrality.
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1.1.1 W. [Politseowisey?], President, and N. Konsow, Count Etholin, and Baron Wrangel, Russian American Company, to the Hudson's Bay Company, 14 February 1854 (in French), suggesting a state of neutrality be observed between the HBC and RAC.
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2. Clarendon to Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 29 April 1854, enclosing 2.1 below, with subenclosures.
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2.1. Colvile to Clarendon, 25 April 1854, enclosing originals of 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 below.
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2.1.1 W. Politseowisey, L. Khipffell, Etholin, and Wrangell to Directors of the Hudson's Bay Company, 17 April 1854 (in French), enclosing an authenticated copy of 2.1.1.1 below.
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2.1.1.1 Leon Seniavine, l'adjoint de le Minist`ere ImpĀ±eriale, to Politkvioski, no date, contained in ? Clarendon to Directors of the HBC, 22 March 1854. The letter is duly sealed and authenticated by Etholin.