Wolley to Under-Secretary of State
Admiralty
13th June 1870
Sir,
With reference to my letter of the 4 January 1869, in regard to a detachment of marines having been furnished as a guard for service at Government House Victoria, which would however be withdrawn as soon as the unsettled state of affairs in British Columbia had subsided; I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to request you will inform the Secretary of State for the Colonies that a despatch has been received from the Naval Commander in chief on the Pacific Station stating that he was inclined to coincide in the opinionexpressedManuscript image expressed by His Excellency the Governor in a letter dated 1st January (copy enclosed) to the Senior Naval Officer at Esquimalt as to the desirability of the services of the guard being retained, and that consequently the removal of the men had been deferred until the receipt of further instructions.
2. My Lords will have no objection, if Earl Granville considers it expedient, to leave the question of the withdrawal or retention of the guard to the discretion of the Naval Commander in Chief.
I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant
Thos Wolley
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Herbert
See from Gov: 100 & previous from Admiralty 155, 156.
The detachment is a very small one—1 Corporal & 7 Privates. It appears to me that the reason given by Govr Musgrave for wishing to retain them is hardly sufficient to enable Lord Granville to request that they may be retained for the present. Mr Musgrave has communicated with the Naval Comr in Chief on the subject, & says he shd not refer home unless he was backed up by that officer.
I should say therefore thatManuscript image the decision as to withdrawal might as proposed by the Admiralty be left to the Naval Officer in Command.
CC 14/6
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I think so.
RGWH June 14/70
WM 15/6
G 17/6
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Musgrave to Captain Lyons, HMS Charybdis, 1 January 1870, further discussing the question of an armed guard for Government House.
Other documents included in the file
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Herbert to Secretary to the Admiralty, 18 June 1870, advising that Granville was prepared to leave the question in the hands of the Naval Commander.
Wolley, Thomas to Monsell, William 13 June 1870, CO 60:42, no. 6376, 22. 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/B705AD05.html.

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