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Public Offices document
Hammond, Edmund to Merivale, Herman 5 August 1854, CO 305:5, no. 6812, 154.

Abstract
Public Offices document. Minutes (6), Enclosures (untranscribed) (1), Other documents (2), Marginalia (1).
Hammond writes to Merivale to forward a copy of Crampton’s despatch, which reports Marcy’s promise to advise “the President” to work with Britain to “determine the Boundary” between “Vancouvers Island and the American Continent.”
The minutes acknowledge the “serious character” of the “boundary question,” and ask that Douglas and the HBC be notified of “the intentions of the two [governments]” to address the matter.
The first of the three documents included in the file is a cancelled draft reply from Grey to Douglas, which advises that “measures are in progress” between US and British governments to solve the boundary question; the second is a draft letter, cancelled, from the Colonial Office to Colvile, which sends the same information as the first, but to the HBC; the third is a copy Crampton’s letter to Clarendon, which reports on the progress made, through Marcy, on the boundary question.
Hammond to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Foreign Office
August 5th 1854 [Marginal note: This is not intended as an ansr to our Letter of the preceding day. ABd]
Sir,
With reference to your Letters of the 11th of April 1853, and the 20th of February and 20th of May last, relative to the Question of the Line of Boundary between Vancouvers Island and the American Continent, I am directed by the Earl of Clarendon to transmit to you, for the Information of Secretary Sir George Grey, a Copy of a Despatch from Mr Crampton, Her Majesty's Minister at Washington, statingthatManuscript image that the United States' Secretary of State had promised to take steps in order that the President might be empowered to make the necessary arrangements for proceeding in concert with Her Majesty's Government to determine the Boundary in question.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient humble Servant,
E. Hammond

H. Merivale Esq.
&c &c &c
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Inform the Governor accordingly. As there is no object in
preserving secrecy on this subject, and the Hudson's Bay Company are so deeply interested in the welfare of VanCouver's Island I should myself think it advisable to apprize them of the intentions of the two Govts in respect to this boundary question.
ABd 7 Augt
Manuscript image
By the latest accounts recd from Mr Douglas and which I presume
although not acknowledged in this letter have been sent to the F.O. [marginal note: Yes. ABd], this question of disputed Boundary has become one of a serious character. The U.S. Customs offices having forcibly entered upon one of our Islands to which the U.S. have set up their pretended claim.
Send as proposed to the Govr & H.B.C. though other means of settling the matter may have to be taken than are here reported.
FP 7
GG 8
Other documents included in the file
Manuscript image
Draft reply, Grey to Douglas, no date, apparently cancelled, advising that “measures are in progress,” between US and British governments, to solve the boundary question.
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Qy. Cancel in consequence of F.O. Lr of this date?
ABd 1 Sep. /7690
Resubmitted in consequence of the addition proposed by Mr Peel on 7373.
ABd
Other documents included in the file
*
Manuscript image
Draft, Colonial Office to A. Colvile, Hudson's Bay Company, no date, apparently cancelled.
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
Cancel in consequence of the F.O. Letter of this date?
ABd 1 Sepr /7690
Resubmitted in consequence of the addition proposed by Mr Peel on 7373.
ABd
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
John F. Crampton to Clarendon, 10 July 1854, reporting his correspondence with W.L. Marcy, U.S. Secretary of State, who would seek to obtain an appropriation to appoint a commissioner to settle the boundary question.
Hammond, Edmund to Merivale, Herman 5 August 1854, CO 305:5, no. 6812, 154. 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/V545FO03.html.

Last modified: 2020-03-30 13:22:16 -0700 (Mon, 30 Mar 2020) (SVN revision: 4193)