Coutts to Lytton
Torquay
April 2/59
An article upon British Columbia in Yesterdays Times has greatly excited my attention—and although you may think that after the Vote in the House of Commons I ought not to trouble you, yet I should (at your leisure), like to have your opinion, upon the points, (I am about to submit to you) for my private guidance.
I have very good hope Manuscript imagethat the strictly spiritual welfare of the Colony, will be well cared for. The Bishop has so far been successful in his appeal for assistance & sympathy—& his personal character guarantees his selecting efficient Men both as Pastors and Administrators which will be needful that the Clergy should be for some time—but to form a really English Colony (such a one as the Mother Country may be proud of) many social arrangements will be needed to assist the Bishop's [one word off file].
One of amongst these will Manuscript imagebe a well considered Emigration. Lord Lyttleton took great pains about the Emigration to New Zealand and I thought of writing to him and asking him if he would organise a Columbian Emigration Society. I was about to write & ask you whether you thought Govt would give any & what sort of assistance to Settlers—and supposing Gentlemen would emigrate, taking with them a certain number of workpeople, would any facilities be afforded for the purchase of Land in Columbia to Manuscript imagesuch persons. Would you give the assistance of your name if any Committee for these purposes were formed—after this I also wished to ask if Govt would give any help towards civilising & settling the Native population. Suppose Church schools on the plan of Moravian Schools were established could any assistance be reasonably expected from any Govt. Excuse my troubling but I am so anxious for some hint how to proceed in the objects I have so much at Heart.
I am,
Ys Sincly
A. B.Coutts
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
[To be] specially considered.
EBL Ap 6/59
Other documents included in the file
Manuscript image
Lytton to Coutts, 14 April 1859, responding to her various enquiries regarding emigration schemes for British Columbia.
Minutes by CO staff
This is merely a sketch of an ansr founded on our ordinary office views—which I have prepared, as a more convenient mode of explaining the objections to a compliance with Miss Coutt's wishes.
Ld Carnarvon
I cannot but agree in the views Mr Blackwood has so well stated?
Burdett-Coutts, Angela Georgina to Lytton, Sir Edward George Earle Bulwer 2 April 1859, CO 60:6, no. 3705, 393. 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/B596C06.html.

Last modified: 2020-03-30 13:22:16 -0700 (Mon, 30 Mar 2020) (SVN revision: 4193)