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 10 February 1859, CO 60:4, no. 4102, 156.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (2), Other documents (1).
Douglas laments that his position as Governor of British Columbia does not pay enough and he must “draw largely and frequently upon [his] private resources”
in order to afford “a style of living suitable to [his] rank and position.”
Private
I received last evening your private Despatch of the 16th
December, 1858, in reply to mine of the 4th October, upon the
subject of my accepting the office of Governor of British Columbia,
under certain specified conditions.
The perusal of your Despatch has caused me much sincere
pleasure from the kind and gratifying manner, in which you the
Chief Minister of the Crown, for the Colonial Department, are pleased
to express your opinion of my humble services in endeavouring to
maintain, with slender means, the honor and dignity of Her Majesty's
Government in this country; at the same time I will not conceal from
you that it has given rise to deep and anxious thought because I fear
being guilty of an injustice to my family if I abandon a certain
competence for the slender salary, which you represent you will alone
be able, at the present moment to accord to me.
Believe me sir that I deeply appreciate the frank and courteous
courteous
manner in which you have done me the honor to address me, and I assure
you most earnestly that in appealing to you upon the matter of salary
I do so from no sordid motive, but solely in order that I may support
the dignity of my office in a manner becoming the country which I
represent, without despoiling my family by making inroads on my
private means, to sustain the credit of my office, and of my
government. Indeed I feel confident that such a course could neither
be contemplated nor desired by Her Majesty's Government, for it
would, in fact, be placing me in the position of holding office, under
the sufferance of contributing a certain yearly sum to its due support.
courteous
manner in which you have done me the honor to address me, and I assure
you most earnestly that in appealing to you upon the matter of salary
I do so from no sordid motive, but solely in order that I may support
the dignity of my office in a manner becoming the country which I
represent, without despoiling my family by making inroads on my
private means, to sustain the credit of my office, and of my
government. Indeed I feel confident that such a course could neither
be contemplated nor desired by Her Majesty's Government, for it
would, in fact, be placing me in the position of holding office, under
the sufferance of contributing a certain yearly sum to its due support.
I am induced by the kind manner in which you have now addressed
me, to place the entire case of my circumstances and position before
you, with the hope that you will bestow consideration upon it from my
point of view as well as from that in which it presents itself to you.
It will be admitted that men filling high public stations are
expected to maintain a style of living suitable to their rank and
position
position, and moreover that their influence as public men is
increased and extended in all countries, by a decorous attention to
external appearances. That observation applies with peculiar force
to a country like this where gold is the pervading subject of every
ones calculations and of every ones thoughts, and where money is so
plentiful and prices so high, that no European standard can be applied
with either force or reason.
position, and moreover that their influence as public men is
increased and extended in all countries, by a decorous attention to
external appearances. That observation applies with peculiar force
to a country like this where gold is the pervading subject of every
ones calculations and of every ones thoughts, and where money is so
plentiful and prices so high, that no European standard can be applied
with either force or reason.
Such being the case you will I am sure Sir admit that as
Governor of a Colony which now claims so much attention and subject
to all those influences, I cannot restrict my expenses as I may
desire. I cannot retire into seclusion, I must as I do now strive
to maintain the high position I am entrusted with in a creditable
and befitting manner. To do this upon the salary offered to me I
draw largely and frequently upon my private resources. I am willing
to make any personal sacrifice; but when with this is involved the
impoverishment of those dependant upon me for support, the question
becomes so serious that it must be treated wholly by itself, and
without reference to other considerations
considerations, and it therefore now
much perplexes and distresses me. I must indeed frankly state that
I have in consequence of that feeling assumed the position of
Governor of British Columbia with reluctance upon the conditions
required of me while the salary, proposed is so wholly inadequate
to defray my probable nay certain expenses.
considerations, and it therefore now
much perplexes and distresses me. I must indeed frankly state that
I have in consequence of that feeling assumed the position of
Governor of British Columbia with reluctance upon the conditions
required of me while the salary, proposed is so wholly inadequate
to defray my probable nay certain expenses.
I observe the prospect you hold out of a large increase being
accorded, provided the revenues of the Colony will justify it. I
feel confident in my own mind that those revenues will justify it;
but at present it is rendering me dependent upon a contingency, and
not upon a certainty, and you will pardon me Sir, if I candidly
express my opinion, that this is hardly just to me, after requiring
that I should abandon a more lucrative income, and at the same time,
relinquish a most desirable investment for my capital.
I now unreservedly place before you in as summary a manner
as possible, an exact synopsis of my case.
On the one hand, my connection with the Hudson's Bay
Company, as its principal Officer, in this part of the world affords
me, including a free House, servants, table
table expenses etc, the full
equivalent of a salary of £2000 per annum, and an amount of interest
for my invested capital which I can obtain no where else, with the
same security.
table expenses etc, the full
equivalent of a salary of £2000 per annum, and an amount of interest
for my invested capital which I can obtain no where else, with the
same security.
I have toiled for many years; and now, continuing my interest
in the Company, I am able if I wish, to retire into private life,
and to pass the remainder of my days in peace upon an income in
every way sufficent to my wants.
On the other hand I am required wholly to relinquish all
these advantages, and I am offered in return the Governorship
of a Colony just emerged into the world, requiring in this its
earliest infancy the exertion of every faculty for the proper
administration of its affairs, and consequently, entailing a life
of unceasing toil and anxiety, and I am to struggle to maintain
my own dignity, the credit of my office and the character of my
country upon a salary which is scarce sufficient to enable me to
continue to support myself and family in even the modest manner
to which we have been accustomed.
I am sure Sir, you cannot fail to be forcibly struck with the
glaring contrast of these two positions, and they cannot I must
confidently submit be regarded as just
just to myself. I emphatically
repeat I desire no accruing advantages. I simply desire to be
secured from loss.
just to myself. I emphatically
repeat I desire no accruing advantages. I simply desire to be
secured from loss.
I deeply esteem the honor that has been done me, I deeply feel
your own valuable personal estimation of my sevices, and I
appreciate to the full the proud and high distinction of being
selected to administer the Government of a Colony where more than
usual prudence is required, and more than usual exertion demanded
to successfully prosecute the conduct of affairs; and I am you may
rest well assured, Sir, in no way ignorant that such distinction is
far removed from any pecuniary valuation, and I trust you will not,
for one moment, misunderstand the object of this appeal to you,
but will believe that the weighty reasons I have given do alone
induce me to make it.
I leave my case with confidence in your hands, I trust in
all that I have said you will not find anything to lead you to
imagine that I am attempting to make terms. Nothing can be further
from my intentions. I have merely endeavoured to represent as
clearly as possible how inadequate the salary offered
offered me is to the
position in which I am placed. That I must have the means of
subsistence, and that the emoluments of my office ought to furnish
them, cannot be controverted; and therefore if, after the
representation I have made, you still regard yourself as not in
position to ask from Parliament a larger salary, and pardon
me if I venture the opinion that the consideration of
what I relinquish, would most justly warrant such an application,
I trust you will authorize some compensation, either as table allowance
or otherwise, to be made until the prospective enlargement of the
actual salary may be accomplished, and so that my private fortune
may not be compelled to suffer for no advantage of my own.
offered me is to the
position in which I am placed. That I must have the means of
subsistence, and that the emoluments of my office ought to furnish
them, cannot be controverted; and therefore if, after the
representation I have made, you still regard yourself as not in
position to ask from Parliament a larger salary, and pardon
me if I venture the opinion that the consideration of
what I relinquish, would most justly warrant such an application,
I trust you will authorize some compensation, either as table allowance
or otherwise, to be made until the prospective enlargement of the
actual salary may be accomplished, and so that my private fortune
may not be compelled to suffer for no advantage of my own.
Minutes by CO staff
Governor Douglas places his case very well and very strongly
before this Office—which can scarcely expect him to undertake
most grave duties and responsibilities for less remuneration
than he received whilst in service of the H.B.Co. The
records do not enable us to say why Sir Edwd Lytton fixed
upon £1800 per ann: for the Governor's salary in a place
where one man servant costs £200 per ann:, mutton 15d per lb,
milk 8s/ a gallon—eggs 6s/ a doz:, whilst a brawny miner earns
from 25s/ to £l0 a day for rocking a Cradle—literally a golden
one. It has always been my opinion that it is an error of
policy to underpay officials anywhere, and especially in
B. Columbia; for, as the Americans only take office for the
purpose of speculation, it will be difficult to persuade
the American population in that Colony that our officers are
not similarly corrupt, when publicity is given to the low
salary (£800) of the Judge, for instance. Our officers
should be above suspicion, and not retire from office, like
every Californian Governor, a rich man. I fear, however,
that if an increase be sanctioned in Douglas' salary, whether
as Table allowance, or in any other shape we shall be
inundated with applications from every public officer 
who has
been sent to the Colony. Perhaps the ansr to them is
that they need not have taken the situations if they were
dissatisfied with the incomes attached to those places. But
I doubt that ansr being quite a satisfactory one; inasmuch
as we demand the most effective services from these men whilst
we remunerate them disproportionately. Taking Governor
Douglas' case, with that of other public Officers, I incline
myself to the opinion that we should at present stand firm
to the salaries assigned to him, & to the others; but that
we should unhesitatingly avow that all their
salaries are too low, and that they shall be 
raised as soon
as the Colonial revenue will admit of it—and that the
Governor, & all the officials shall receive an addition to
their income of 10 or 20 per cent—chargeable from the date
of their arrival in the Colony (the Governor's commencing on
apptment) whenever the means of the Colony will enable the
Governor to make the payment. You may say that the
Authorities will by this plan think of themselves in
preference to other, and possibly, urgent wants. I don't
deny the force of such a remark. But what then is to be
done? A statement has, within the last fortnight, been laid
before Parlt & published, of the scale of
salaries for the Officers in B. Columbia. Can you so soon
confess yr mistake that those Salaries were fixed too
low, by now augmenting them? And would Sir Edward approve
of any proposition to the Treasury, & ultimately to
Parlt to that effect? My impression is that he would
disapprove. But how then are you to do justice to men
who are underpaid, & whose dissatisfaction, though at present
confined to private Letters, will, before long, assume the
shape of formal remonstrances? I see no other ansr to such
an enquiry than by promises, as above suggested, that 
they
shall have additions to their salaries of 10, 15, or 20 per
cent, as may be thought proper, chargeable from their arrival
in the Colony, as soon as the local resources will justify it.
To enable the S. of State to determine when that time has
come the Governor must send him half yearly accounts of the
Revenue & Expenditure of the Colony. He has a Treasurer.
Let us have some results as to figures.
who has
been sent to the Colony. Perhaps the ansr to them is
that they need not have taken the situations if they were
dissatisfied with the incomes attached to those places. But
I doubt that ansr being quite a satisfactory one; inasmuch
as we demand the most effective services from these men whilst
we remunerate them disproportionately. Taking Governor
Douglas' case, with that of other public Officers, I incline
myself to the opinion that we should at present stand firm
to the salaries assigned to him, & to the others; but that
we should unhesitatingly avow that all their
salaries are too low, and that they shall be 
raised as soon
as the Colonial revenue will admit of it—and that the
Governor, & all the officials shall receive an addition to
their income of 10 or 20 per cent—chargeable from the date
of their arrival in the Colony (the Governor's commencing on
apptment) whenever the means of the Colony will enable the
Governor to make the payment. You may say that the
Authorities will by this plan think of themselves in
preference to other, and possibly, urgent wants. I don't
deny the force of such a remark. But what then is to be
done? A statement has, within the last fortnight, been laid
before Parlt & published, of the scale of
salaries for the Officers in B. Columbia. Can you so soon
confess yr mistake that those Salaries were fixed too
low, by now augmenting them? And would Sir Edward approve
of any proposition to the Treasury, & ultimately to
Parlt to that effect? My impression is that he would
disapprove. But how then are you to do justice to men
who are underpaid, & whose dissatisfaction, though at present
confined to private Letters, will, before long, assume the
shape of formal remonstrances? I see no other ansr to such
an enquiry than by promises, as above suggested, that 
they
shall have additions to their salaries of 10, 15, or 20 per
cent, as may be thought proper, chargeable from their arrival
in the Colony, as soon as the local resources will justify it.
To enable the S. of State to determine when that time has
come the Governor must send him half yearly accounts of the
Revenue & Expenditure of the Colony. He has a Treasurer.
Let us have some results as to figures.
ABd
16 April /59
I have considered very carefully this question & am much
obliged to Mr Blackwood for his very full minute on it.
I entirely agree with him both as to the difficulties of
assenting to and of depriving Govr Douglas' request.
As a matter of fact the salary is far below what it should be;
and unless 
some mode of augmenting it is possible it is certain
that he (or any other Govr) will find means of indemnifying
himself for the loss of income in a way which will prove far
more prejudicial to Public interest than wd be the mere
increase of payment.
some mode of augmenting it is possible it is certain
that he (or any other Govr) will find means of indemnifying
himself for the loss of income in a way which will prove far
more prejudicial to Public interest than wd be the mere
increase of payment.
On the other hand we must be consistent to the principle wh
Sir E. Lytton has laid down that recourse is not to be had
to Imperial funds for such objects.
The only course wh is therefore open is to write to the
Govr, acknowledging that the Salary is too low, restating Sir E. Lytton's views as to the sources whence Colonial charges are to
be defrayed; but adding that he will be willing to allow him to
appropriate £1200 out of the Colonial Revenue of the current
year, provided that that Revenue amounts in the 
aggregate to not
less than £50,000.
aggregate to not
less than £50,000.
I have spoken to Mr Blackwood on this subject & perhaps he
will be good enough to see to the drafting of this desp.
C
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