34 Hunter Street
Brunswick Square
March 7/62
My Lord Duke,
In consequence of a former application of mine for
information respecting
British Columbia, your Grace directed a copy of a Proclamation regulating the disposal of Crown-land
there
to be
forwarded to me for my perusal, and which I duly returned.
I am encouraged to enquire, whether, by your Grace's
directions, I can be furnished with, or allowed access to, any
information bearing on the
agricultural conditions of
British Columbia; which I am
anxious to obtain.
I may remark, with regard to the nature of the information I seek, that it is given
very fully respecting
VanCouver Island in a report of an
official survey of land around the
Nanaimo River, and in the
Cowichan Valley in that Island, which was published in
October '59 by the Emigration Commissioners, by direction of the
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
I will not plead as my excuse for making this request, the
great public interest felt in
British Columbia, for I am
individually interested in the colony, and am, moreover,
collecting information for publication respecting it. I may further plead the opinion
so frequently expressed by
Governor
Douglas in his published Despatches of the necessity which exists
for an emigration of agriculturists to the colony; which would of
course be likely to be forwarded by the publiation of information
bearing on the subject.
I have the honour to be,
with much respect,
Your Grace's obed
t Servant
H.R. Townsend
Minutes by CO staff
Answer that the only reliable information which this Office
possesses on the subject of the Agricultural Capabilities of
B. Columbia is contained in the Papers presented or to be shortly
presented to Parl
t respecting that Colony.
Other documents included in the file
Fortescue to
Townsend,
12 March 1862, advising that the
required information would soon be available.