Colonial Despatches

1. I have the honor of transmitting herewith for your information the several Returns herein referred to, which have been lately received from Mr Anderson Her Majesty's Collector of the Customs at Victoria, relative to the trade of this Port, for the quarter ending with the 31st day ofof December last.

2. I beg to explain with reference to those returns that Victoria still continues to be the Port of Entry for British Columbia, there being as yet no Custom House in Fraser's River and that Mr Anderson has hitherto acted as Collector of the Customs for that Colony, as well as for Vancouver's Island, and will continue to attend to those duties, until Mr Hamley's arrival in this country, a circumstance which will account for the collective Returns herewith forwarded.

3. The following are the resultsresults shewn by those Returns.


Imports for quarter ending
with the 31st of December last . . . . . . £82.220.10.6

Number of vessels Inwards
British . . . . . 53
Foreign . . . . . 137
and Outwards
British . . . . . 62
Foreign . . . . . 140

Receipts of shipping Fees
on account of Vancouver's Island . . . £ 609. 0.11
Receipts of Custom's duties
on account of British Columbia . . . . £ 3317.12.9
The total Receipts of Customs from
the 28th of August last when the
Customs duty was first imposed
including the preceding amount . . . . £ 4350. 2.6
Imports into British Columbia
for the same period . . . . . . . . . £44.806. 4.9
Expenses of Customs Establishments
at Victoria for the same period . . . 442. 2.7 1/2

4. Those returns shew a large decrease of trade as compared with the preceding quarter, but it is probable that there will be a revival of business as spring advances.

5. Several cargoes of British goods direct from the Port of London, have I am happy to say arrived here since the beginning of the present month. Much importance is attached to the increase of that trade, which will be alike desirable for the Mother Country, and for the Colonies.