Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 7 February 1861, CO 60:10, no. 3009, 87.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (3), Enclosures (untranscribed) (4), Other documents (2), Marginalia (1).
Douglas writes to Newcastle on the subjects of “Revenue and Expenditure of the Colony” and wage increases the
for the “principal Officers of this Government.” Douglas sites several reasons for civil officers' wage increases, which include increased
gold revenues, population growth, the geographic scale of the “Territory included
within the Colony,” and the need to maintain law within it. To bolster his deferential
requests, Douglas points to salary disparities between British Columbia and other colonies.
In the minutes, Elliot suggests that Douglas's remunerative requests “ought to be acceded to,” as “Offices of the same class in
several other Colonies” are indeed paid more; Fortescue agrees, and Newcastle asks the matter to be brought before the Treasury.
The first of the six documents included in the file is a list of enclosures that do
not appear in the file; the second is entitled "Statement shewing the present Salary
of the Principal Civil Officers in British Columbia, and the increase of Salary Recommended by the Governor;" the third is entitled "Statement
shewing the Salaries of the undermention Officers in Canada, South Australia, Tasmania
and Natal;" the fourth is a draft letter from Elliot to Hamilton, Treasury, which recommends the salaries of public servants in BC be amended; fifth is a draft letter Rogers to Hamilton, which agrees to amend the salary for the combined office of colonial secretary
and auditor; and the sixth is draft reply from Newcastle to Douglas, which approves of Douglas's financial reports, and of increased salaries for certain colonial offices.
No. 12, Financial
7 February 1861
With reference to my despatch No 7 of the 26th Ultimo
I have now the honor to forward to your Grace herewith the
detailed Estimates of the Revenue and Expenditureof
of the Colony
of British Columbia for the year 1861, prepared in as complete and formal a manner as the present infant state of the Colony
will admit.
of the Colony
of British Columbia for the year 1861, prepared in as complete and formal a manner as the present infant state of the Colony
will admit.
2. My despatch above alluded to contains most of the
explanatory remarks pertinent to these Estimates, and it is
therefore unnecessary for me to encumber this despatch with a
repetition, but there is one point inparticular
particular which I will
now take the liberty of bringing to your Grace's attention.
particular which I will
now take the liberty of bringing to your Grace's attention.
3. In previous correspondence I have asked your Grace for
a reconsideration of the Salaries fixed by Her Majesty's
Government for the principal Officers of this Government, and
your Grace although at that time unable to sanction any increase,
has kindly held out the hope that when I was able tofurnish
furnish
more definite information as to the Revenue of the Colony, the
subject would again be taken up. The information I have
conveyed in my despatch of the 26th January will exhibit to
your Grace the very satisfactory condition in which the Revenue
of the Colony at present stands, and will shew that not only
has the Colony not applied one sixpence of Imperial Funds
towards liquidatingthe
the Civil expenditure within the Colony,
but that she has, in addition to defraying from the first every
farthing of such expenditure, been enabled in 1860 to apply the sum of Thirty six thousand pounds (£36,000)
towards public works indispensable
to her progress and development; and thus to make an investment which has undoubtedly
proportionately increased her Revenue,and
and materially promoted her advancement and stability.
furnish
more definite information as to the Revenue of the Colony, the
subject would again be taken up. The information I have
conveyed in my despatch of the 26th January will exhibit to
your Grace the very satisfactory condition in which the Revenue
of the Colony at present stands, and will shew that not only
has the Colony not applied one sixpence of Imperial Funds
towards liquidatingthe
the Civil expenditure within the Colony,
but that she has, in addition to defraying from the first every
farthing of such expenditure, been enabled in 1860 to apply the sum of Thirty six thousand pounds (£36,000)
towards public works indispensable
Notice—reckoning no part of the cost of the R. Engineers as civil
expenditure.
and materially promoted her advancement and stability.
4. The character of the Colony as a gold producing Country
is now so far established that there is but little fear of any
decrease in the present population; on the contrary the
population would seem to be steadily increasing just in
proportion as we can open up roads, and, reducingthereby
thereby
the cost of provisions, make the less profitable diggings
remunerative, and day by day is the work of advancement slowly
but no less surely progressing.
thereby
the cost of provisions, make the less profitable diggings
remunerative, and day by day is the work of advancement slowly
but no less surely progressing.
5. I think therefore that your Grace need be under no
apprehension of the Mother Country being called upon to defray
any part of the Civil Expenditure of the Colony, and that the
time has come whenI
I may confidently ask that the salaries
which I have inserted in the Estimates for the superior Civil
Officers may be confirmed.
I may confidently ask that the salaries
which I have inserted in the Estimates for the superior Civil
Officers may be confirmed.
6. The entire Civil Expenditure of the Colony may perhaps
appear large to your Grace, but your Grace is well aware of
the vast extent of Territory included within the Colony, and
of the necessity, for the preservation of law and order, and
for the interests of the Revenue,to
to establish a Government
Agent at every spot where the miners may congregate and form
a settlement; and to prove not only the expediency but the
correctness of this policy, I would merely advert to the
remarkable tranquillity, and almost total absence of crime
within the Colony, and I would further observe that these
outstations are not only in nearly every case self supporting,
but in somecases
cases add a considerable amount to the general
Revenue. The salaries of some of the Magistrates at the distant
outstations may appear large in comparison with the salaries
asked for the principal Officers of the Government, but in
both cases I would assure your Grace that no more has been
inserted than is sufficient to procure a bare subsistence, and
that thesalaries
salaries now placed on the Estimates for the superior
Civil Officers are not at all commensurate to their position,
nor approximate to the salaries paid by the Mercantile
Community; for I am informed on good authority that the Actuary
of the Bank established here, whose labours are insignificant
as compared with those of the Treasurer, received a salary of£2000
£2000 per annum, while his two Clerks receive the salaries
of £800 and £600 respectively, and that from £400 to £600
per annum is the usual sum paid by Heads of Firms to their
Clerks and Assistants. Compare this with the present salaries
of the Colonial Secretary, Treasurer, and Collector of Customs,
Gentlemen of position, education,and
and ability, who by their
very position and education are incapable of availing themselves
of those advantages which their ability would secure to them.
to establish a Government
Agent at every spot where the miners may congregate and form
a settlement; and to prove not only the expediency but the
correctness of this policy, I would merely advert to the
remarkable tranquillity, and almost total absence of crime
within the Colony, and I would further observe that these
outstations are not only in nearly every case self supporting,
but in somecases
cases add a considerable amount to the general
Revenue. The salaries of some of the Magistrates at the distant
outstations may appear large in comparison with the salaries
asked for the principal Officers of the Government, but in
both cases I would assure your Grace that no more has been
inserted than is sufficient to procure a bare subsistence, and
that thesalaries
salaries now placed on the Estimates for the superior
Civil Officers are not at all commensurate to their position,
nor approximate to the salaries paid by the Mercantile
Community; for I am informed on good authority that the Actuary
of the Bank established here, whose labours are insignificant
as compared with those of the Treasurer, received a salary of£2000
£2000 per annum, while his two Clerks receive the salaries
of £800 and £600 respectively, and that from £400 to £600
per annum is the usual sum paid by Heads of Firms to their
Clerks and Assistants. Compare this with the present salaries
of the Colonial Secretary, Treasurer, and Collector of Customs,
Gentlemen of position, education,and
and ability, who by their
very position and education are incapable of availing themselves
of those advantages which their ability would secure to them.
7. I trust your Grace will not think I am unduly pressing
this matter upon your attention, but I know many of the officers
cannot live upon their salaries, unless indeed, as some are
obliged to do, they havecourse
recourse to the expedient of taking
their meals at a Restaurant and sleeping in their Office. I
have merely related these few facts for your Grace's information,
for I feel satisfied it would be your desire as soon as the
Colony can afford it to relieve the Officers of the Government
from this embarrassing position.
recourse to the expedient of taking
their meals at a Restaurant and sleeping in their Office. I
have merely related these few facts for your Grace's information,
for I feel satisfied it would be your desire as soon as the
Colony can afford it to relieve the Officers of the Government
from this embarrassing position.
8. With reference to the sum inserted in theEstimates
Estimates to
be expended under the head of "Roads, Streets and Bridges", I
trust I may in this early stage of the Colony be permitted to
depart from customary rule, and be left free to expend upon the
important public work of extending the communications of the
country—all the Revenue that may become disposable.
Estimates to
be expended under the head of "Roads, Streets and Bridges", I
trust I may in this early stage of the Colony be permitted to
depart from customary rule, and be left free to expend upon the
important public work of extending the communications of the
country—all the Revenue that may become disposable.
9. The accounts of the Colony for 1860 are in an almost
complete state,only
only requiring certain distant district accounts
to render them perfect, and they will I hope be forwarded to
England within the prescribed period. The accounts for 1859
are also nearly complete but they have been delayed until now,
in consequence of the difficulties attendant upon their entire
reconstruction, and the references that were necessary in
connectionwith
with the Military Expenditure, and other expenditures
during the early stage of the Colony, and before a regularly
organized system was established.
only requiring certain distant district accounts
to render them perfect, and they will I hope be forwarded to
England within the prescribed period. The accounts for 1859
are also nearly complete but they have been delayed until now,
in consequence of the difficulties attendant upon their entire
reconstruction, and the references that were necessary in
connectionwith
with the Military Expenditure, and other expenditures
during the early stage of the Colony, and before a regularly
organized system was established.
10. As bearing upon the subject of this despatch I take
the opportunity of enclosing a Return of all the Appointments
made by me to Offices in British Columbia up to the 31stDecember
December 1860.
December 1860.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Fortescue
Annexed you will find a useful statement which has been prepared for me in the Division upstairs, showing the exact particulars of the Governor's recommendations and also the remuneration of Offices of the same class in several other Colonies. The result is in my opinion to shew that the Governor's recommendations are moderate and ought to be acceded to. If this view be adopted it could be requisite to apply forthe
the concurrence of the Treasury, expressing
to them an opinion that the time has come when the principal
Officers in British Columbia ought to receive an accession
to their incomes and that the amounts proposed by the
Governor appear to the Secretary of State to be moderate,
both with reference to the scale of remuneration in other
Colonies and to the high cost of living in a Country
situated as British Columbia.
Annexed you will find a useful statement which has been prepared for me in the Division upstairs, showing the exact particulars of the Governor's recommendations and also the remuneration of Offices of the same class in several other Colonies. The result is in my opinion to shew that the Governor's recommendations are moderate and ought to be acceded to. If this view be adopted it could be requisite to apply forthe
the concurrence of the Treasury, expressing
to them an opinion that the time has come when the principal
Officers in British Columbia ought to receive an accession
to their incomes and that the amounts proposed by the
Governor appear to the Secretary of State to be moderate,
both with reference to the scale of remuneration in other
Colonies and to the high cost of living in a Country
situated as British Columbia.
TFE
15 April
I agree.
CF
16
Apply to Treasury.
N
20
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
List of two enclcosures; however, the enclosures to not appear in file.
"Statement shewing the present Salary of the Principal Civil
Officers in British Columbia, and the increase of Salary Recommended by the Governor."
"Statement shewing the Salaries of the undermention Officers in Canada, South Australia,
Tasmania and Natal."
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Elliot to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 7 May 1861, forwarding
copy of the despatch and recommending the salaries of public
servants in British Columbia be amended.
