No. 70
13 November 1863
Adverting to your despatch No 34 of the 10th July last, relative to the withdrawal of the Royal Engineers from British Columbia and to my reply thereto of the 14 September No 56, relative to arrangements to be made forcarryingManuscript image carrying on the civil duties heretofore conducted by Colonel Moody as Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, and certain of the Officers and men under his command, I have now the honor to report to your Grace that I have retained in the service of the Colony, certain of the discharged Sappers who were employed in Colonel Moody'sofficeManuscript image Office, and who are acquainted with the various matters of detail passing through it from the first. Fearing however to conflict with any arrangements your Grace might make, I have refrained from even provisionally appointing any professional Head to the Department, but have merely placed the Department and the Stores belonging to it under the temporary charge and supervisionofManuscript image of Mr Brew the Acting Treasurer. To a certain extent therefore the operations of the Department are brought to a stand still, but as the winter season is now fast approaching, it is the period when the least inconvenience will be experienced therefrom. As I had recommended Captain Luard to your Grace as Colonel Moody's successor, I considereditManuscript image it would be to the interest of the public service if his departure from the Colony were deferred until I could hear from your Grace. Such a course would prevent any check taking place in the operations of the Department, and should your Grace appoint Captain Luard, would save the cost of his return journey; while on theotherManuscript image other hand, should your Grace not appoint him, it would cause no additional expense to the public, but would simply delay Captain Luard's departure from the Colony for a month or so, an arrangement which I venture to think would not have been antagonistic to the ordersofManuscript image of the War Department, which contemplated the withdrawal of the Detachment at the end of the year. I consequently represented these particulars to Colonel Moody and requested him, so, provisionally, to leave Captain Luard behind, but I regret to say Colonel Moody has acquainted me that he does not feel himself justified to permit Captain Luard to defer his departure.
I have the honor to be
My Lord Duke
Your Grace's most obedient
humble Servant
James Douglas
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Sir F. Rogers
A letter from Colonel Moody on the subject of Captain Luard's appointment was sent forward today.
VJ 31 Decr
This despatch shows that the temporary want of a Head to the Survey Department will be less felt at this season, being winter, than at any other time. Coll Moody has himself reported his reasons for not leaving Capt. Luard behind in 12465, which see. If those reasons appear sufficient, as they do to me, I suppose that in acknowledging this despatch, a brief intimation to that effect should be added?
TFE 5 Jany
See 12465.
N 7
Douglas, Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 13 November 1863, CO 60:16, no. 12535, 277. 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/B63070.html.

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