Colonial Despatches

I have had the honor to receive Your Grace's despatches No. 20 of 29th April and No. 47 of 19th July, directing the payment of the sum of six hundred and seventy five pounds, two shillings and four pence (£675.2.4)claimed claimed by the War Department for certain arms handed over to the Colony by Colonel Moody on his departure.

2. We have been making large remittances to the Crown Agents lately and of course Your Grace can order the payment should you think fit, but I would venture to make one or two observations for Your consideration.

3. In the first place the Military Stores of far greatervalue value in the possession of Vancouver Island were an absolutely free gift from the Home Government and I cannot see why the Mainland should be treated with less favour, particularly as the arms presented to Vancouver Island had never been used. All the Indian fighting on the Island has been done by Her Majesty's ships of war at the expense of the Mother Country. On the Mainland, however, thearms arms, lent or given, have been used effectively against the native tribes, and an Indian insurrection suppressed at an expense to the Colony of from seventeen to eighteen thousand pounds. The Mother Country bearing no share in the struggle.

4. Our republican neighbours are now sending military garrisons to the territory recently purchased from Russia and I can assure Your Gracethat that the Colonists are beginning to contrast not over favorably the manner which they are treated by the Imperial Government with that accorded by the Authorities at Washington to the remotest citizens of the United States.