Seymour to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)
London
28 April 1866
Sir,
I have had the honor to receive your letter of today requiring my opinion upon the petition of Messrs Clark & Skinner for compensation for the non fu[l]filment on the part of the Government of the contract to receive from them supplies for the troops in British Columbia for one year; the troops having been withdrawn from the Colony at the end of eight months.
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I am of opinion that the claim of Messrs Clark and Skinner is well founded. Not as regards compensation for the embargo laid by the United States Government upon the importation of cattle, but simply because the agreement between them and Her Majesty's Government was to have lasted twelve months, and that it was abruptly broken off, by no fault of theirs, at the end of eight.
The mode of ascertaining the amount of compensation to which Messrs Clark and Skinner are entitled, suggestedManuscript image by General Moody seems fair.
I think that as the withdrawal of the troops was an Act of the Imperial Government, the Colonial Treasury should not be called upon to make provision for any contingencies arising out of it.
I have the honor to return the papers which were forwarded to me.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient
humble Servant
Frederick Seymour

Minutes by CO staff
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ABd 30 April
There seems no doubt that there is an equitable claim and that the materials suggested by General Moody for assessing it's value ought to be collected. For this purpose therefore I annex a draft to go by the mail which is about inmediately to depart.
The source from which indemnity should be found would not admit of such prompt determination, but by postponing this for future consideration the collection of the facts can be ordered, as above proposed, by the outgoing mail.
TFE 30 April
Seymour, Governor Frederick to Rogers, Baron Blachford Frederic 28 April 1866, CO 60:26, no. 4118, 386. 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/B666S05.html.

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