Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Tennent, James Emerson to Fortescue, Chichester 12 July 1859, CO 305:12, no. 7034, 82.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (2), Other documents (2).
Tennent, on behalf of
the Committee of Privy Council for Trade,responds to Douglas's previous correspondence on
a proposal to declare the Port of Victoria a free Port,and requests that Douglas be directed to issue
a Proclamation declaring Victoria a free Port of Entry and clearance for Ships and Goods.Tennent requests that
enquiry should be made through the Foreign Office from the British Consulsto confirm whether or not a
bonding systemexists in
the California Ports.Blackwood minutes that
if the two Coloniesof Vancouver Island and British Columbia
should be separated, in practice, it may then be a question whether a free port on the main land may not be demanded.
Tennent to Fortescue (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade
Whitehall
12 July 1859
Whitehall
I am directed by the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for
Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th June
transmitting with reference to previous correspondence for their
consideration a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Vancouvers
Island reporting on a proposal to declare the Port of Victoria a free
Port.
It appears from this despatch that
that the Port of Victoria including
Esquimault Harbour has been always maintained on the footing of a
free Port, inasmuch as no duties on Imports or Exports have been
levied; it is open to the trade of all Nations, and vessels are not
subject to any charges except a small entrance and clearance fee, on
their arrival and departure from Port.
that the Port of Victoria including
Esquimault Harbour has been always maintained on the footing of a
free Port, inasmuch as no duties on Imports or Exports have been
levied; it is open to the trade of all Nations, and vessels are not
subject to any charges except a small entrance and clearance fee, on
their arrival and departure from Port.
It further appears that no duties on Imports have up to the present
time been levied at any other Port of Vancouver's Island and that
this system of free imports into the Colony is the
the result of a policy
having for its object to encourage trade and render Victoria an
entrepot for the North West Coast of America.
the result of a policy
having for its object to encourage trade and render Victoria an
entrepot for the North West Coast of America.
My Lords are desirous to express their concurrence in this
policy—but they think at the same time that it is important with a
view to the attainment of the object aimed at that the Governor of
Vancouvers Island should be advised to issue a Proclamation declaring
Victoria a free Port of Entry and clearance for Ships and Goods.
I am directed however to request that you will call the attention of
the Duke
Duke of Newcastle to the possibility that at some future time it
may become either expedient or necessary to impose Customs Duties for
the purpose of Revenue in the Colony of Vancouvers Island and
therefore that in issuing such a proclamation, it should be done in such
a manner as not by implication to preclude the adoption of such
duties hereafter should they be deemed necessary.
Duke of Newcastle to the possibility that at some future time it
may become either expedient or necessary to impose Customs Duties for
the purpose of Revenue in the Colony of Vancouvers Island and
therefore that in issuing such a proclamation, it should be done in such
a manner as not by implication to preclude the adoption of such
duties hereafter should they be deemed necessary.
If however this necessity should hereafter arise I am to state that
it appears to My Lords that the important object of commanding a
re-export
re-export trade to neighbouring places may be secured by the
establishment of a well regulated bonding system.
re-export trade to neighbouring places may be secured by the
establishment of a well regulated bonding system.
With reference to the remarks of Governor Douglas upon the commercial
dependence of the British Possessions on the North West Coast of
America upon the Californian Ports, I am to observe that it is
assumed that all the Goods imported into those possessions from such
Ports, are burdened with Customs Duties charged on articles imported
for consumption in California by the general Tariff of the United
States.
This assumption implies that the
the bonding system does not exist in the
Californian Ports a fact (if this be so) of which My Lords were not
aware, but with regard to which they think it very desirable that
enquiry should be made through the Foreign Office from the British
Consuls at the Ports in question.
the bonding system does not exist in the
Californian Ports a fact (if this be so) of which My Lords were not
aware, but with regard to which they think it very desirable that
enquiry should be made through the Foreign Office from the British
Consuls at the Ports in question.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
The mode in which Victoria came to be a Free Port is explained in a Letter which, as we could find nothing on the subject in our correspondence, Mr Berens has been so good as to write to me. I annex it, having shewn it privately, at the Bd of Trade.
The mode in which Victoria came to be a Free Port is explained in a Letter which, as we could find nothing on the subject in our correspondence, Mr Berens has been so good as to write to me. I annex it, having shewn it privately, at the Bd of Trade.
You will not fail to notice that whilst Victoria is a free port 
and
will thereby draw to itself in time considerable trade from the
States, S. America, Australia, China, Japan & the Islands in the
Archipelago, New Westminster—the Capital of B. Columbia—is not a
Free Port. Victoria may therefore become an entrepôt
for the main land, as Hong Kong is for our trade with China;
Singapore for other places in the East; and St Thomas, for the Danes
in the W. Indies, and may end by having a great trade. I scarcely
suppose that except for its harbors, & Coal it will otherwise have
materials of internal wealth. B. Columbia on the other hand will
derive it's wealth from it's gold, its rich lands, it's forests of
valuable timber, & resources hitherto undeveloped. At present a free
port in B. Columbia is not demanded, &, as we want A Custom's revenue
there, would not be convenient to establish. But, if the two
Colonies should be separated, in practice, it may
then be a question whether a free port on the main land may not
be demanded. This, however, is a matter of remoter consideration & I
presume that for the present 
all that is required to be done is to
send a copy of this Letter to the Governor of VanC. Isd & to write
to the For: Office for the information as to bonding in the
Californian ports.
and
will thereby draw to itself in time considerable trade from the
States, S. America, Australia, China, Japan & the Islands in the
Archipelago, New Westminster—the Capital of B. Columbia—is not a
Free Port. Victoria may therefore become an entrepôt
for the main land, as Hong Kong is for our trade with China;
Singapore for other places in the East; and St Thomas, for the Danes
in the W. Indies, and may end by having a great trade. I scarcely
suppose that except for its harbors, & Coal it will otherwise have
materials of internal wealth. B. Columbia on the other hand will
derive it's wealth from it's gold, its rich lands, it's forests of
valuable timber, & resources hitherto undeveloped. At present a free
port in B. Columbia is not demanded, &, as we want A Custom's revenue
there, would not be convenient to establish. But, if the two
Colonies should be separated, in practice, it may
then be a question whether a free port on the main land may not
be demanded. This, however, is a matter of remoter consideration & I
presume that for the present 
all that is required to be done is to
send a copy of this Letter to the Governor of VanC. Isd & to write
to the For: Office for the information as to bonding in the
Californian ports.
ABd
13 July
Mr Fortescue
It was no doubt a very longheaded proceeding to make Victoria a free port, particularly for those servants of the HBC & others who invested in "town lots" there—the chief practical inconvenience now would seem to be, that it may interpose obstacles in the way of the union of the two colonies, which is for some reasons much to be desired. Proceed as suggested?
It was no doubt a very longheaded proceeding to make Victoria a free port, particularly for those servants of the HBC & others who invested in "town lots" there—the chief practical inconvenience now would seem to be, that it may interpose obstacles in the way of the union of the two colonies, which is for some reasons much to be desired. Proceed as suggested?
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Merivale to E. Hammond, Foreign Office, 24 July 1859, asking
that inquiries be made to ascertain whether the bonding system exists
in California.
H.H. Berens, Governor, Hudson's Bay Company, to Blackwood,
8 July 1859, explaining how Victoria came to be a free port.
[Note: This letter was misfiled and appears in CO
305/13, p. 110].