No. 96
9 February 1859
Sir,
I beg to submit to you herewith the Copy of a Paper I have received from the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works in British Columbia, containing some notes made by him upon various subjects connected with his Department, and the employment of the detachment ofManuscript imageof Royal Engineers to carry out the duties of that Department.
2. I forward this Document to you, as I deem it may be of interest, and it will serve to convey to you the exact position in which we are placed with regard to the Surveying and other important operations which it is so desirable should be prosecuted with the utmost vigour to expedite the development of the Country, so that the advantages which must result therefrom may be reaped at the earliest period practicable.
3. I would desire to request yourManuscript imageyour attention to the following points which are brought to my notice by Colonel Moody.
4. He states that the Surveying Party of his Detachment, drawn from the Ordinance Survey Department in England, and specially spared for the service, though few in number would, with the addition of a first rate draughtsman, be very capable, and would be valuable for laying out Towns, and in surveying lines of communication throughout the Country, determining trigonometrical points for the general survey, and more particularly for checking the accuracy of Civil Surveyors, whom itManuscript imageit will be necessary to employ to lay out the rural allotments; for the Survey Party are too few in number to execute the last description of work, and indeed their peculiar training for more scientific and careful work would be thrown away were they employed on such duty. The remainder of the Detachment, are principally Artificers and will be found a most useful body of men in executing the Public Works of the Colony, although from the necessarily numerous pressing requirements of a new Colony in this particular, this body is too small to meet all demandsManuscript imagedemands, and much must consequently be done by Contract in Civil labour.
5. Colonel Moody represents the necessity which exists for the services of a Clerk of the Works, and submits that Sir John Burgoyne should be solicited to select and to send out such a person. I beg to add my own approval of this proposition, and I trust you may see fit to adopt it.
The Colony must pay.
6. Colonel Moody also requests that he may be furnished with the services of a gentleman to act as an Accountant, and to take charge of the correspondence of the Department.
No objection I shd imagine if the apptment is really necessary, & the Colony can pay.
To prevent confusionManuscript imageconfusion and to check and regulate expenditure by a lucid and well kept up system of Accounts are matters of the highest importance to the Department in particular and to the Colony in general. I have therefore acceeded to Colonel Moody's request and have nominated Mr John Miles for the office in question. Mr Miles is the gentleman referred to in your Despatch of the 25th October 1858, No 33 upon the subject of the grant of a certain gold quartz vein in British Columbia; he is well fitted by previous training for an appointment of the nature described, andManuscript imageand he is on the spot desirous of obtaining Government employment.
I have etc.
James Douglas
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Merivale
It seems to me that if the Colony can afford to pay for these additional appointments it wd be advisable that they sd be made. I would not sanction them otherwise. If Sir Edward Lytton took this view of the application the Governor might be so told. The Engineers are undoubtedly an excellent Force, & being accustomed to do their work in a first-rate manner they naturally wish to have in Columbia the means of keeping up their reputation. But this can be accomplished only by two modes—By this Country paying for such assistance, or else the Colony having to do so. And, all things considered, I should prefer the latter alternative.
ABd 29/3
HM Mh 30
C Mch 31
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Carnarvon (in the absence of Lytton) to Douglas, No. 51, 12 April 1859.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Moody, "Notes on the Departments of Lands and Works," 31 January 1859, reviewing the qualifications of his men and requesting further assistance.
Douglas, Sir James to Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer 9 February 1859, CO 60:4, no. 3269, 145. The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.0, ed. James Hendrickson and the Colonial Despatches project. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/B59096.html.

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