No. 34, Financial
28 July 1862
I have had the honor to receive Your Grace's Despatch No 123 of the 13th May, upon the financial condition of the Colony of British Columbia.
2. I trust Your Grace will accept my very sincereacknowledgmentsManuscript image acknowledgments for your kind endeavours to assist me in the embarrassing position in which I am placed for want of funds to carry on the work of opening the communications of the Country.
3. My Despatches of the 13th May, Nos 25 and 26, and 29th May, marked Separate, detail and discuss very fully the measures in progress towards this most important end and represent the precisestateManuscript image state of affairs, in a pecuniary point of view, and the extent to which I had pledged my Government upon the strength of obtaining a Loan in England under the "Roads Loan Act 1861". I therefore need not occupy Your Grace's time by a repetition of these matters in this Despatch. I will only say that I have according to Your Grace's suggestion, passed an Act to raise a Loan of £50,000,whichManuscript image (which Act I forward for Her Majesty's confirmation in another Despatch of this date) and Your Grace may depend upon me with confidence to regulate my proceedings to the best of my ability in accordance with the scheme sketched in Your Despatch.
4. Upon the subject of the expenses of the Royal Engineers serving in British Columbia, I propose to address Your Grace in a separate Despatch, andIManuscript image I trust then to be able to remove the impression which I regret to find is entertained, that I have appropriated British Money to the use of the Colony without leave, by drawing unauthorized Bills upon the Imperial Treasury.
I have the honor to be
My Lord Duke
Your Grace's most obedient
and humble Servant
James Douglas
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Elliot
See 8837.
ABd 8 Sepr
I should send this to the Treasury for their information.
TFE 9 Sep
Douglas, Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 28 July 1862, CO 60:13, no. 8836, 351. 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/B62034.html.

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