Colonial Despatches

I have received your Despatch of the 6th last March, No 2, reporting upon the complaint of Mr Robert Swanston as to the conduct of the Collector of Customs at Port Victoria in refusing to grant a permit for his Vessel theWilliam "William Allen" to proceed to other Harbors of Vancouver's Island. It having been deemed expedient to refer the correspondence on this subject to the Commissioners of Customs for their observations, I have now to transmit to you a copy of the report they have addressed to the Board of Treasury with respect to it, and I am glad to learn thereupon that they are of opinion that the proceedings of the Collector appear to have been justified, and that Mr Swanston'scomplaint complaint is fully and satisfactorily answered. In forwarding to you this report of the Commissioners of Customs I have to instruct you to direct the special attention of the Collector at Port Victoria to the advice they have offered as to the course he should pursue in future in all disputes or applications for relief of a nature similar to the present; and I would observe to yourself, that, although in this case you have assigned reasonableground ground for omitting to forward Mr Swanston's complaint to this Department, the proper course for you to pursue is always to send home Memorials or representations addressed to the Secretary of State by any inhabitant of Vancouver's Island. It will of course be desirable that it be made known by public notice or otherwise in the Colony, that the Secretary of State for the Colonies will not entertain complaints in cases wherethe the parties have not, in the first instance, sought redress from the local Authorities.