Colonial Despatches

In the Duke of Newcastle's despatch of the 5th of May, No 22, copy of a correspondence with the Office of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury respecting the adjustment of advances on account of the Royal Engineers in British Columbia was transmitted to you accompanied by instructions from His Grace in regard to the system to be followed in accounting for the Revenue and Expenditure of that Colony. I am now directed by the Secretary of State to forward to you the sequel to that correspondence and to desire that the course indicated in the accompanying Treasury letter and its enclosures may be carefully followed.

I take this opportunity of requesting you to be most regular in furnishing to this Office the quarterly and annual returns of the Revenue and Expenditure of British Columbia as already directed by the Duke of Newcastle. Without this information the knowledge of the financial condition of the Colony, which it is so essential for the Secretary of State to possess, is imperfect and occasions considerable inconvenience, both when the Estimate for British Columbia has to be prepared for Parliament and when, ultimately, the Commissioners of Audit have to examine the accounts.