Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Colvile, Andrew Wedderburn to
Grey, Right Honorable, Second Baronet, Sir George
28 December 1854, CO 305:5, no. 11321, 259.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (2), Other documents (1).
Colvile writes to Grey to request that Vancouver Island be included in the reciprocity treaty with the Unites States.
The minutes ask that the HBC be sent "the substance or a Copy of" correspondence,
on the treaty, sent to Douglas previously, and that the treaty be discussed again with the Foreign Office.
Colvile to Grey
Hudson's Bay House
28th December 1854
Sir,
Mr Douglas the Governor of Vancouver Island mentioned in a
letter to the Governor and Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company
that he had made an enquiry of you whether that Colony would be
entitled to benefit by the provisions of the Reciprocity Treaty
with the United States of America, and had represented that, as
Vancouver Island was a "free port," and had no Import duties whatever
at present, it had a fair claim to participate in that arrangement.
I
I understand that the Reciprocity Treaty is limited to the
British Colonies of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and
Prince Edward Island. Vancouver Island is in many points
similarly situated towards the United States of America, but
though the produce and manufactures of the United States may be
freely imported into that Island, and without duty, yet all
produce and manufactures imported from thence into the United
States are subjected to very high duties. I have therefore on
the part of the Governor and Committee of the Hudson's Bay
Company to whose charge the interests of Vancouver Island Colony
have been entrusted, to call your attention to this subject andto
to suggest that an application should be made to the Government
of the United States to extend the provisions of the Reciprocity
Treaty to Vancouver Island Colony.
to suggest that an application should be made to the Government
of the United States to extend the provisions of the Reciprocity
Treaty to Vancouver Island Colony.
If this should be attained, the working of the Coal Mines, and
the general prosperity of the Colony would be much promoted.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
Communicate I presume to the Company the substance or a Copy of the despatch to the Govr on the subject of including Van Couver's Island in the Reciprocity Treaty?
Communicate I presume to the Company the substance or a Copy of the despatch to the Govr on the subject of including Van Couver's Island in the Reciprocity Treaty?
VJ
29 Decr
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Colonial Office to Colvile, 6 January 1855, forwarding copy
of a despatch sent to Douglas regarding the inclusion of Vancouver
Island in the reciprocity treaty.