Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, Sir James to Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer 4 November 1858, CO 60:1, no. 534, 353.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (4), Other documents (1).
Douglas acknowledges the receipt of correspondence between the Colonial Office and the War
Office regarding the Royal Engineers stationed at British Columbia. Douglas is grateful that Moody’s appointment will relieve him of “much responsibility.”
Douglas also laments that the revenue generated by British Columbia will not be sufficient to pay the salaries of the detachment.
The minutes acknowledge that the Colonial officials “have relied or pretended to
rely” on gold revenues in sufficient quantities to pay the salary of the Governor
and the Royal Engineers. The CO hopes that at some point the colony will be self sustaining.
Enclosed is Merivale to the Treasury forwarding copy of the despatch and recommending the course suggested
for the payment of the Royal Engineers be approved.
No. 15
1. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch
No 7 of the 2nd September
last,
1
transmitting copies of a
correspondence between the Colonial Department and the War Office,
on the subject of the measures which had then been taken for sending
a detachment of the Royal Engineers under the command of aField
Field
Officer to British Columbia, and stating that . had
been appointed to the command and to the office of Chief Commissioner
of Lands and Works in British Columbia, and transmitting a copy of
the instructions which had been addressed to that officer, with
reference to the discharge of his duties in that capacity, and
specifying the amount of Regimental pay and Colonial allowances,
to which he and the Commissioned and non-Commissioned officers of
the Detachment are
entitled.
2
Field
Officer to British Columbia, and stating that . had
been appointed to the command and to the office of Chief Commissioner
of Lands and Works in British Columbia, and transmitting a copy of
the instructions which had been addressed to that officer, with
reference to the discharge of his duties in that capacity, and
specifying the amount of Regimental pay and Colonial allowances,
to which he and the Commissioned and non-Commissioned officers of
the Detachment are
entitled.
2
I further observe the arrangements made for the conveyance
of the larger portion of this Detachment by Cape Horn,and
and for
the despatch of Twenty men and an Officer by the way of
Panama.
3
and for
the despatch of Twenty men and an Officer by the way of
Panama.
3
2. I have no remark to make in reference to those arrangements
except to observe that in your instructions to Colonel Moody, and
correspondence with the War Office, every difficulty appears to
have been forseen and provided for.
3. Colonel Moody's appointment to the office of Chief Commissioner
of Lands and Works will relieve me of much responsibility, and I
look forward with satisfaction to the period of his arrival and
the commencement of those useful labours which will tend so much
to the advantage and development of the new Colony.
4. The
4. The revenues of the country will not be immediately capable
of defraying the expenses of this detachment and I shall be under
the necessity of drawing upon the Lords Commissioners of the
Treasury, according to the implied authority in Mr Merivale's
letter of instructions to Colonel Moody, until the new Colony is
in a position to meet that expenditure.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Jadis
Please explain with reference to this desp. 534, what the arrangements are under wh the Govr of B. Columbia sanctions disbursement to be defrayed out of Imperial funds. Is there nothing beyond "the implied permission" to do so conveyed in Mr Merivale's letter to the W.O. of the 18th Augt? 4 Is there no extent assigned to which the Govr is allowed to draw on the Treasury?
Please explain with reference to this desp. 534, what the arrangements are under wh the Govr of B. Columbia sanctions disbursement to be defrayed out of Imperial funds. Is there nothing beyond "the implied permission" to do so conveyed in Mr Merivale's letter to the W.O. of the 18th Augt? 4 Is there no extent assigned to which the Govr is allowed to draw on the Treasury?
C
Jany 18
Lord Carnarvon
We have relied or pretended to rely upon the gold being produced in such quantities as would be sufficient to render B. Columbia self supporting in all respects save the salary of the Governor, which Sir Edward was of opinion, should be paid out of Home Funds. In this hope we have indulged ourselves that the Colony
would also have the means of defraying the
expense of the detachment of Royal Engineers, and therefore,
the Governor having himself given us such cheering accounts of
the prospects of the place, we have never distinctly authorized
him to draw upon the British Treasury for Engineers or for any
other service. But with Colonel Moody and his men we were
obliged to adopt a different course. It was impossible to send
a portion of the B. Army to a distant settlement without a
distinct arrangement as to it's mode of payment &c. Accordingly
it was stated by us in our Letter to Colonel Moody of the 18
August
5
last that if there were no available funds in the Colony the
Treasury, on the requisition of the Governor, would, as an
advance to be recovered from the Colony, make such
payments as
might be requisite on acct of the Engineers. This I regard
as adequate authority for the Governor's announcement that as
the resources of the Country will not be "immediately" capable
of defraying the expense of the Detachment he should be under
the necessity of drawing upon the L.C. T-y. It is really no
more nor less than we have expected: and I conceive that the
course we should take now is to write to the Treasury, and send
them a copy of this despatch requesting that they would provide
in their Estimates or arrange with the War Office, if that is
the correct manner of proceeding, for this force for the
year.
It should be stated that the S. of State continues to regard
such payments only in the light of an advance, and that he
confidently hopes that the Colony will be in a position before
very long to assume this charge itself. I have offered the
preceding observations without any knowledge of Sir Edward Lytton's present intentions with respect to a vote for B. Columbia.
Perhaps he has communicated with Mr Elliot on the subject.
We have relied or pretended to rely upon the gold being produced in such quantities as would be sufficient to render B. Columbia self supporting in all respects save the salary of the Governor, which Sir Edward was of opinion, should be paid out of Home Funds. In this hope we have indulged ourselves that the Colony
would also have the means of defraying the
expense of the detachment of Royal Engineers, and therefore,
the Governor having himself given us such cheering accounts of
the prospects of the place, we have never distinctly authorized
him to draw upon the British Treasury for Engineers or for any
other service. But with Colonel Moody and his men we were
obliged to adopt a different course. It was impossible to send
a portion of the B. Army to a distant settlement without a
distinct arrangement as to it's mode of payment &c. Accordingly
it was stated by us in our Letter to Colonel Moody of the 18
August
5
last that if there were no available funds in the Colony the
Treasury, on the requisition of the Governor, would, as an
advance to be recovered from the Colony, make such
payments as
might be requisite on acct of the Engineers. This I regard
as adequate authority for the Governor's announcement that as
the resources of the Country will not be "immediately" capable
of defraying the expense of the Detachment he should be under
the necessity of drawing upon the L.C. T-y. It is really no
more nor less than we have expected: and I conceive that the
course we should take now is to write to the Treasury, and send
them a copy of this despatch requesting that they would provide
in their Estimates or arrange with the War Office, if that is
the correct manner of proceeding, for this force for the
year.
It should be stated that the S. of State continues to regard
such payments only in the light of an advance, and that he
confidently hopes that the Colony will be in a position before
very long to assume this charge itself. I have offered the
preceding observations without any knowledge of Sir Edward Lytton's present intentions with respect to a vote for B. Columbia.
Perhaps he has communicated with Mr Elliot on the subject.
ABd
25 Jany
I am much obliged to Mr Blackwood for this information. Annex
draft for Sir E. Lytton's consideration.
C
Jany 26
Other documents included in the file
Merivale to Treasury, 10 February 1859,
forwarding copy of the despatch and recommending the course suggested
for the payment of the Royal Engineers be approved.
Footnotes
- Lytton to Douglas, No. 5, 2 September 1858.
- = instructions to Moody as CCLW Check Merivale to Moody, 23 August 1858, enclosed in Lytton to Douglas, No. 7, CO 398/1, p. 58, 2 September 1858.. [NOTE (MDH): No sign of this enclosure in the current markup of B587007.scx.)] Merivale ?? to Moody, 18 August 1858 ?? FIND?? does Moody acknowledge these letters?? Lytton's instructions to Moody as CCLW are contained in Lytton to Moody, 29 October 1858, Colonial Correspondence, F. 1149, PABC. [NOTE (MDH): This document doesn't appear to be in the collection yet.] Cf Douglas to Lytton 534, CO 60/1, p. 353; received 15 January 1859 ??
- = main detachment of REs See footnote in Douglas to Stanley 10342, CO 60/1, p. 86.
- Merivale to WO, 18 August 1858. FIND ??
- CO to Moody, 18 August 1858. FIND?? Does Moody acknowledge??