No. 48, Legislative
30th July 1864
Sir
1. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatches named in the margin relative to certain Bills passing or passed by the Legislatures of British Columbia and Vancouver Island granting certain exclusive privileges to an American Telegraph company who are about to construct a line from San Francisco.
2. InManuscript image
2. In reply thereto I have now the honor to transmit copies of two Acts passed by the Legislature of this Colony bearing upon this subject.
3. The former of these you will observe received the Assent of my Predecessor and was transmitted a few days previous to my arrival in this colony, and the latter
Not recd at this date.
ABd 19 Sepr/64
which was assented to by me prior to the receipt of your Despatches, does not contain any clause of the objectionable nature to which you direct myattentionManuscript image attention.
4. I will immediately communicate with the President of the California State Telegraph Company and inform him that it is not probable that the exclusive privileges granted to the Company in the 5th section of the Act (a copy of which I now enclose) will receive Her Majesty's confirmation, this Act having been passed, not only in ignorance, but in violation of the policy of the Imperial Government which is opposed to the grant ofanyManuscript image any monopoly of telegraphic communication.
5. I will also bring this Act under the notice of the Legislative Assembly of this Colony at an early period with a view to its repeal or modification.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your very obedient Servant
A.E. Kennedy
Governor
Minutes by CO staff
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ABd 19 Sepr
Ackne.
It is satisfactory that the Govr makes no difficulties about amending the Electric Telegraph Act—giving exclusive privileges to the Californian Company.
The other Act may be considered when it comes properly authenticated.
FR 19/5
Governor Kennedy shd be informed that theManuscript image Act which he supposes we have received, & Mr Blackwood says we have not, has not been transmitted to us: care being taken that we are accurate & that the receipt has not been overlooked.
EC 25
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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"An Act to grant the right to construct a Telegraph Line connecting Victoria with the Telegraph System of the United States, and for other purposes," passed by the Legislative Assembly 10 March 1864, and by the Legislative Council 12 March 1864, on which date it also received Douglas's assent.
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"An Act for the regulation of Electric Telegraphs within the Colony of Vancouver Island and to secure secrecy and fidelity in the transmission of Telegraphic messages," passed by the Legislative Assembly 24 March 1864, by the Legislative Council 15 June 1864, and given Kennedy's assent 7 July 1864.
Minutes by CO staff
Authenticated Act not yet recd.
[ABd] 19 Sep/64
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Cardwell to Kennedy, No. 39, 29 September 1864.