No. 140
19 April 1859
Sir,
Referring to my Despatch of the 16th Instant, communicating the requisition made upon me by Colonel Moody for the sum of Three Thousand pounds (£3000) to defray expenses incurred on Military Account, I have the honor to forward to you herewith the copy of a letter addressed to me by the Colonial TreasurerManuscript imageTreasurer, representing the impracticability of obtaining Coin for Bills drawn at 30 Days sight. I have therefore been compelled to instruct the Treasurer to depart so far from established regulations, as to draw the Bills at Seven Days sight in cases where it is absolutely necessary to do so; and I trust that this proceeding will not cause any inconvenience to the Department of Her Majesty's Paymaster General, as the whole account drawn is comparatively insignificant, and from the number of men of War nowManuscript imagenow at and about Vancouver's Island, the Market is so plentifully supplied with Navy Bills at Seven Days sight, that it is difficult to obtain Cash even on any terms at short notice in exchange for Bills, and those upon less favorable terms than the Navy Bills are unhesitatingly rejected.
I have etc.
James Douglas
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Merivale
£10,000 for 2 months is very like £60,000 a year. I think the Treasury will require us soon to make some different arrangement in respect to the drafts of this Colony on the Imperial Exchequer.
At present the Treasury advances "on account" the money wanted, though out of what fund I do not know. Copy to Treasury with 5890.
ABd 10/6
HM June 11
C June 11
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
W. Driscoll Gosset, Treasurer, to W.A.G. Young, Acting Colonial Secretary, 18 April 1859, requesting that bills from the home government be payable at seven instead of thirty days sight.
Douglas, Sir James to Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer 19 April 1859, CO 60:4, no. 5889, 317. 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/B59140.html.

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