Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Kennedy, Arthur to Cardwell, Edward 11 September 1866, CO 305:29, no. 10232, 323.
Abstract
Kennedy, Arthur to Cardwell, Edward 11 September 1866, CO 305:29, no. 10232, 323.
Despatch to London.
Minutes (3), Enclosures (untranscribed) (2).
No. 74, Financial
11th September 1866
Sir,
Referring to my Despatch No 73 dated 8th September 1866, I have the
honor to enclose the Report of a Board of Officers consisting of the
Colonial Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Auditor to whom I referred
the consideration of the probable condition of the finances of this
Colony at the close of the year 1866.
It
It appears from this Report that the Board anticipate that the
current payments will exceed the receipts during the remainder of
this year by $15,878 (£3273).
In addition $77,824 (£16,045) are due to the Bank of British North
America besides a present debt of about $20,000 (£4123) to the Crown
Fund and the liability of the Colony to the Imperial Government on
account of the erection of Lighthouses. On the other hand the sums
which have beenclaimed
claimed from the Colony of British Columbia on
account of the conveyance of Mails and maintenance of Lighthouses are
also left out of consideration.
claimed from the Colony of British Columbia on
account of the conveyance of Mails and maintenance of Lighthouses are
also left out of consideration.
Foreseeing that the Ways and Means would not meet the expenditure I
had, prior to the receipt of this report, effected certain reductions
of expenditure, and I trust by further reductions to be able to bring
the payments for the remainder of the year within the receipts.
I
I should have been prepared to enter upon these reductions at a much
earlier period of the year had the financial proceedings of the
Legislative Assembly (which extended over the
first eight months of the year) been sooner brought to a close.
Minutes by CO staff
Ack. rect and express confidence in the judgment exercised by Govr
Kennedy in this emergency. I do not see that we can do any more.
Govr Seymour will necessarily and naturally take the subject of the
finances of the United Colonies into his earliest Consideration. And
therefore to direct his attention to the financial condition of
V.C.I. wd seem an act of supererogation on the part of the C.O.
ABd
30 Oct
Mr Blackwood
I do not exactly understand all this. The desph
No 73 shews that
in August 1866 the Assembly & Council between them failed to pass an
Appropriation Act for
that year.
I do not exactly understand all this. The desph
No 73 shews that
in August 1866 the Assembly & Council between them failed to pass an
Appropriation Act for
that year.
But has Govr Kennedy been spending money all this time on his own
authority & in anticipation of such an Appropriation Act. And does
the present despatch tacitly imply that he intends to go on doing
this?
The last paragraph in No 73 (10231) appears to supply the answer to
Sir F. Rogers enquiry. If it is necessary to legalize the
expenditure of 1866—does it not follow that the Govr has incurred
an unauthorized expenditure? No 73 has just been returned to the
Dept which will account for the delay in sending this Desp: forward.
Lord Carnarvon has not seen it.
VJ
12 N
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
W.A.G. Young, Alexander Watson and Henry Wakeford to Kennedy, 11
September 1866, forwarding their report on the "actual and probable
liabilities of the Colony for the remainder of the current year,
together with the probable assets that will be forthcoming during the
same period."
Statement showing the receipts and payments of the colony for
1866 as noted above.