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 6 November 1858, CO 60:1, no. 542, 377.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (1).
Douglas informs the CO that he will announce the Queen’s Revocation of the Crown Grant to
the Hudson’s Bay Company in a few days.
Three Colonial officials sign off on this in the minutes.
No. 23
In acknowledging receipt of your Despatch of the
2nd September 1858, No 3, transmitting to me the
Queens Revocation of the Crown Grant of the 30th May
1838, to the Hudson's Bay Company, in so far as relates
to the Territories comprized within the Colony of
BritishColumbia
Columbia, I beg to acquaint you that the
necessary Proclamation upon this subject will be made
in the course of a few
days.
1
Columbia, I beg to acquaint you that the
necessary Proclamation upon this subject will be made
in the course of a few
days.
1
Minutes by CO staff
Footnotes
- = revocation of HBC license
For Lytton's despatch, see Lytton to Douglas, No. 3,
CO 398/1, p. 55, 2 September 1858. Douglas had already proclaimed
the revocation on 3 November (citation needed; or ref to Gazette??)
but may have felt some uncertainty about his legal position (see B027
below) it so he proclaimed it again on 19 November. Cf. also
Douglas to Lytton, 26 October 1858, No. 6 , 12724, CO 60/1, p. 245, and Douglas to Lytton, 27 November 1858, No. 34 , 1050, CO 60/1, p. 437. Note that in Douglas to Lytton, 8 November 1858, No. 27 , 546, CO 60/1, p. 392 Douglas states
that the HBC
no longer possess rights or enjoy any privilege that is not equally shared by all Her Majesty's subjects in those Colonies.