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 13 November 1858, CO 60:1, no. 550, 423.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (3), Enclosures (untranscribed) (1), Other documents (3).
Douglas requests William A.G. Young be appointed Colonial Secretary.
The minutes note that Douglas neglected to state a salary proposed. Lytton approves the appointment.
Enclosed is Merivale to Hammond forwarding a copy of the despatch and asking that Young be allowed to quit the service of the Foreign Office; Merivale to the Secretary to the Admiralty forwarding a copy of the despatch and asking if
they would permit Young to accept the office of Colonial Secretary; a testimonial to Young by Fred T. Pelham; and a draft reply from Lytton to Douglas approving the appointment.
No. 31[a]
With reference to my Despatch of the 8th Instant No
25
1
upon the subject of the appointment of Officers to civil situations in
the Colony of British Columbia, I would beg to state to you that I should
much desire, if it could be arranged, that Mr William A.G. Young, ofthe
the Royal Navy, should be appointed to the office of Colonial Secretary.
the Royal Navy, should be appointed to the office of Colonial Secretary.
2. Mr Young is on the spot, and is at present filling the office
of Secretary to the Commission for ascertaining the boundary between
Vancouver's Island and the Territories of the United States on the
Continent of North America, and as Mr Young was selected for this
service by the Admiralty, and appointed thereto by the Foreign Office,
the consent of their Lordships and of the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs must necessarily be obtained before he could be removed from it.
Mr
3. Mr Young has belonged to the Royal Navy for nearly Eighteen
Years, and he has served as Secretary to several Flag Officers upon
different Foreign Stations. His last appointment as Naval Secretary was
with the "Captain of the Fleet" in the Baltic, and I forward to you
herewith a Copy of a Testimonial shewing the appreciation entertained of
his Services by that Officer. The whole of Mr Young's Testimonials
throughout his entire service are of the highest order, but I think
it unnecessary to trouble you with more than the one I enclose.
Mr
4. Mr Young has already rendered me some assistance, and I
consider him to be qualified both by ability and character for the Office
of Colonial Secretary, and I trust you may be pleased to appoint him to
it, and also to obtain the necessary permission from the Departments I
have mentioned to enable him to enter upon it, as without such permission
it would not be possible for him to accept the appointment.
Other documents included in the file
Merivale to E. Hammond, Foreign Office, 14 February 1859,
forwarding copy of the despatch and asking that Young be allowed to
quit the service of the Foreign Office.
Minutes by CO staff
I am informed that the salary for the Office of Colonial
Secty is to be placed on the Estimate for B. Columbia.
I conclude it was so determined after Sir E. Lytton's minute on
544059.
2
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Testimonial to W.A.G. Young by Fred. T. Pelham,
Commodore 1st Class and Captain of the Fleet.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
The Govr suggests the appointment of Mr Young R.N. to the office of Colonial Secretary, but he does not state the Salary he proposes to attach to the office.
The Govr suggests the appointment of Mr Young R.N. to the office of Colonial Secretary, but he does not state the Salary he proposes to attach to the office.
VJ
19 Jan
Footnotes
- = Douglas to Lytton, 8 November 1858, No. 25, 544, CO 60/1, p. 379, W.A.G Young. For information about Young, see entry in Appendix A.
- Douglas to Lytton, 8 November 1858, No. 25, 544, CO 60/1, p. 379.
- The reference is probably to Douglas to Lytton, 8 November 1858, No. 25, 544, CO 60/1, p. 379, but Lytton's minutes to this despatch are missing.