Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Correspondence (private letter)
Imrie and Tomlinson to
Graves, Esquire Samuel Roberts 2 September 1858, CO 60:3, no. 9422, 186.
Abstract
Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (1).
Imrie and Tomlinson inform S.R. Graves, Chairman of the the Liverpool Ship Owners Association, that they are sending a new
screw steamer the “Firwood” to British Columbia for transporting passengers from San Francisco to Victoria and up the Fraser River. They express their concern over competing with American ships on British waters
and hope Graves can help make arrangements to protect the interests of their steamer.
The minutes recognize the importance of the reciprocity treaty on coastal trade; the
CO assured the Liverpool Shipping Association that they will carefully consider the
matter but it is a question for “three departments of state at the least,” which are
the CO, FO and the Board of the Treasury.
Imrie and Tomlinson to S.R. Graves
Liverpool
2 Septr 1858
Dear Sir,
We were very much surprised to observe by the last accounts from
Vancouver Island that American vessels were employed on the
internal trade up Fraser River, contrary we believe to Law.
We are just despatching a new Screw Steamer the "Firwood" for the
express purpose of taking passengers & trading from San Francisco
to Victoria & thence up Fraser River & other Colonial waters. It
is surely a great injustice to British shipping that they will have
to
Compete with American ships on our own rivers while they are
prevented from taking goods & passengers at the intermediate ports,
of Humbolt Port Oxford [Orford], Crescent City, Umpqua
& Columbia River all in the American territory.
Compete with American ships on our own rivers while they are
prevented from taking goods & passengers at the intermediate ports,
of Humbolt Port Oxford [Orford], Crescent City, Umpqua
& Columbia River all in the American territory.
We shall be much obliged if you will bring this subject before the
ship owners association and try to induce Government to make such
arrangements as will protect the interests of the Steamer when she
gets to Vancouver Island.
Minutes by CO staff
This Letter was placed in my hands by the Liverpool Shipping
Association who were sent to me from the Bd of Trade by Mr Henley. Their object is to obtain for English ships on the
American sea-board a reciprocity in the Coasting trade: wh will now that B. Columbia is growing so rapidly become of importance.
I assured them the subject wd be carefully considered but pointed out that it was a question [for] three departments
of state at the least—F.O. Bd of T. and C.O.
C
Sep 7