Confidential
18 February 1863
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Despatch of the 8th December last marked "Separate" calling my attention to Article 71 of the Colonial Rules and Regulations, and requiring in accordance with that Article, Confidential Reports on thecharactersManuscript image characters and qualifications of public servants and candidates for employment within my Government.
2. I thank your Grace for pointing out to me more clearly the intention of the Article in question, as I had previously viewed it as scarcely yet applicable to the circumstances of this Colony. I therefore forward herewith for your Graces information a Confidential Report on the characters and qualifications of the principal Officers of my Government, and of the different heads of the Departments throughout the Colony, founded upon my closepersonalManuscript image personal and general official experience of those gentlemen during a period in most cases of more than four years.
So far as candidates for employment are concerned I am unable to make any Report, as although I have a long list of persons desiring employment in the Public Service yet I have no actual experience of any of them, and can only be guided when vacancies occur, to the selection of the most fitting by the testimonials which they may produce, and by their apparent personal fitness for the particularofficeManuscript image office vacant.
Trusting that Your Grace's requirements may be fulfilled by the enclosed.
I have the honor to be
My Lord Duke,
Your Graces most obedient
and humble Servant
James Douglas
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Elliot
The Private Secy usually keeps these reports.
ABd 15 Apl
The enclosure is a curious document and worth glancing at. The remarks are cleverly expressed, certainly most entirely free from reserve, and convey the impression of being the work of a shrewd and observing man.
The views conveyed both ofManuscript image Colonel Moody and of Capt. Gosset are not flattering, but I am bound to say that they are quite in accord with the result of my observations. I do not think that the officers of the Royal Engineers employed in B. Columbia have done themselves credit. They have shown much too great a disposition to employ their time in agitation, and in attempts to show that they could manage matters better than the Governor, than which nothing could be more remote than the truth.
TFE 17 April
Mr Blackwood
This may be put by upstairs.
TFE 18 April
N 18
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
" British Columbia, 1863: Confidential Report upon the characters and qualifications of Public Servants." (ten pages).
Douglas, Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 18 February 1863, CO 60:15, no. 3746, 142. 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/B63012CO.html.

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