No. 25
17th March 1871
My Lord,
I have the honor to forward for Your Lordship's consideration a Memorial submitted to me by Mr Alexander Caulfield Anderson on the subject of a debt duefromManuscript image from him to the Government in respect of certain lands purchased by him in 1859, and a claim which he urges to compensation for the advantages which the local government derived from a Map of British Columbia and notes of Explorations which had been prepared by him.
2.Manuscript image 2. The original debt due by him Anderson is Eight hundred and Seventeen Dollars,
£170.4.2.
but the amount has been nearly doubled by accumulations of interest. Mr Anderson had hoped that his Map, and the information which had been derived from the Notes of his explorations of which use had been made in the early days of the ColonywouldManuscript image would be accepted as an acquittance of his liability.
3. Some correspondence passed between my Predecessor and Mr Anderson upon this subject in 1867 and 1868, and Governor Seymour gave authority for allowing the amount of Two hundred and fifty Dollars
£52.1.8
to Mr AndersonforManuscript image for the Map, but this remuneration he considered inadequate and the matter has remained in abeyance until Mr Anderson was recently again called upon to pay the amount due to the Crown Fund.
4. I confess that in my opinion if the Map prepared by Mr Anderson and theinformationManuscript image information and assistance afforded to the Government when very little was known of the interior of the Colony were worth anything at all, the sum of Fifty pounds was not such compensation as he might reasonably expect. And that the information furnished by Mr Anderson who was anearlyManuscript image early explorer has been valuable, and may still be so in opening the communication between this Colony and Canada, I am satisfied from the papers which have been under my notice.
5. I would therefore recommend Mr Anderson's case to Your Lordship's favorable consideration. If you shouldnotManuscript image not think it proper to remit the whole of Mr Anderson's liability, as I should be disposed to do, I would submit that he might at least as an act of favor in consideration of his services, be discharged from the interest which has accrued on his purchase money, and also be allowed the amountofManuscript image of Two hundred and fifty Dollars which Mr Seymour had authorized to be paid to him.
I have the honor to be,
My Lord,
Your most obedient
Humble Servant
A. Musgrave
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Mr Herbert
Mr Anderson is indebted to the Colony some $1600 for unpaid instalments on Land bought in 1849—$817 original purchase & about a like amount for interest. On the other hand he has a sort of a claim on the Govt for a Map prepared some time ago, which it appears he undertook in the hope of paying his debt for it, & for which it appears the late Govr offered him £50Manuscript image for its usefulness to the Public.
Mr Anderson now appeals for mercy.
Mr Musgrave says he is disposed to let Mr Anderson off, setting the Map agst the debt, or at least to remit the interest on the debt & give him the $250 Dollars offered by the late Governor for the Map, still leaving him a Debtor of $817—£250.
CC 26 April
Refer to Land Board—asking them whether if the Governor's second proposal is accepted the account could not be closed by the Government resuming possession of a proportionate amount of land, in the event of Mr AndersonnotManuscript image not being prepared to close it by immediate payment of the cash balance. The system should not be allowed to run on indefinitely after the Government has made a considerable abatement of its claim.
RGWH Ap 27/71
At once.
FR 27/4
Answd Ld Bd/4372 May 3, 1871.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
A.C. Anderson, 12 December 1870, memorandum relating the circumstances of his debt and appealing for leniency.
Manuscript image
Anderson to Musgrave, 16 December 1870, amplifying upon the above memorandum and expressing the hope that Musgrave will recommend the remission of his whole liability.
Musgrave, Sir Anthony to Wodehouse, First Earl of Kimberley John 17 March 1871, CO 60:43, no. 4070, 263. 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/B71025.html.

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