I am directed by Secretary
Sir John Pakington, to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter dated
1st Instant, requesting to be
furnished with information with regard to a claim of £675.2.4 for
stores supplied by the War Department for the service of the Government
of
British Columbia; and in reply I am to acquaint you for the
information of the
Duke of Buckinghamand and Chandos that when the Royal
Engineers employed on the Boundary Survey in
British Columbia under
the command of
Colonel Moody left that Colony in
1863, the Arms,
Accoutrements and Ammunition with which the party was equipped,
were handed over to the Colonial Authorities of
British Columbia by
that Officer. An application was afterwards received from the
Colonial
Officer Officer requesting that the Colony might be allowed to
retain the stores, on the usual terms, for service of the Volunteers
of that territory viz
Rifles and appurtenances on loan
Accoutrements and Ammunition on payment
which was acceded to. A subsequent representation was however made
by the Colony that only sixty sets of the Accoutrements
out out of the
133 sets were in such a state as to be made available.
Sir John
Pakington, under the circumstances, had sanctioned their retention by
the Colonial Authorities, free of charge. The claim has therefore been
made for the value of the Ammunition and the Colt's and Deane's
revolvers &c &c referred to in the enclosures which accompanied
your letter of the
2d January 1867.