Hamilton to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Treasury Chambers
19 March 1859
I am desired by the Lords Commissoners of Her Majesty's Treasury to transmit for the information of Sir EB Lytton, with reference to your letter of the 14th Ulto the enclosed copy of a Report and of it's enclosure from the Postmaster General, on the offer of Mr Stamp to Establish Mail Packet communication between San Francisco and British British Manuscript imageColumbia, and I am to request that you will move the Secretary of State to cause My Lords to be favored with any observations on the subject which he may wish to offer.
I am etc.
Geo. A. Hamilton
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Merivale
It seems clear I think that we should ansr that it will be proper to wait until the P.M. General shall have recd answers to the references made by him to the United States, & to Lord Malmesbury, before deciding upon any scheme of post office commn with B. Columbia. And in order that the T-y & G.P. Office may know what is going on on this subject in our Dt forward to them copies of the Manuscript imageAdmiralty Letter 2062/21 Feb. suggesting, or rather announcing their intention to employ the B. Consul at Panama in forwarding their Letters, together with a copy of our answer. And also send the T-y copy of Mr Chapples' tender in Mr Lindsay's Letter of 16 instant 2809.
ABd 23/3/59
HM Mh 25
Annex draft accordingly.
C Mch 26
Other documents included in the file
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Draft, Merivale to Hamilton, 4 April 1859, further discussing the question of mail service to Vancouver Island, and enclosing Colonial Office correspondence on the subject.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Colchester, General Post Office, to Treasury, 5 March 1859, reporting on mail service to Vancouver Island and British Columbia, with specific reference to a proposal by Edward Stamp, with enclosure.
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Memorandum amending the original terms and conditions proposed regarding a contract for the conveyance of mail from San Francisco to Victoria and Langley, dated 2 March 1859, signed by Edward Stamp.