Mr Elliot
I
shd suggest that one of the Agents General and the
Chief Clerk of this Office should be the Trustees.
As to the investment of the Sinking Fund I think we had
better ask the Treasury what will be the best security for the money.
Instruct the Governor to remit funds for the payment of
the 1/2 yearly interest and sinking fund—& remind him that
he is at this date in debt to the Agents to the amount of £1080.
I agree with
Mr Blackwood. I should forward a copy of this
letter to the Treasury, and request to be favored with their
Lordship's opinion on the proper investment of the Sinking
Fund of the
B. Columbia Loan, and also to be informed whether
they see any objection to naming one of the Agents General
and the Chief Clerk of this Office to be the Trustees.
The Governor should of course be instructed to remit funds
with the utmost punctuality for the payment of the half yearly
interest and of the Sinking Fund. The opportunity should be
taken of drawing attention to the statement of
Mr Sargeaunt
in the present letter that the debt of
British Columbia to the
Agents General now amounts to £1080; and with reference to
the peremptory instructions given to him in the recent despatch
N
o 15 of the
14th of March to keep the Agents duly provided
with funds for the execution of the services required by the
Colony in this Country, I should repeat the same directions to
him, and should warn him that after he has had sufficient time
to receive the despatches on this subject no requisition
whatever from him, however urgent it may be, will be attended
to unless the money required for it's execution is actually
in the hands of the Agents General.
With reference also to another recent despatch N
o 17 of
the
31st of March in which he was ordered to leave the new
loan to be effected
by the Colonial Agents in the money market
of this Country, I should apprize him that immediately upon
raising the money procured by that operation, the Agents General
would be instructed to begin by reimbursing themselves in the
whole amount due to them which may not have been discharged by
any remittances received in the meantime from the Colony. The
Governor will only be able to draw upon them for the balance
of the proceeds of the loan; and any Bills exceeding that amount
will be refused, leaving the consequences to fall upon the
Colonial Treasury.