Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch from London
Molesworth, Sir William
to
Douglas, Sir James 5 September 1855, LAC :, 273.
Abstract
Despatch from London.
Enclosures (untranscribed) (6).
Molesworth writes to Douglas on the subject of Swanston's "Collector of Customs" conflict at "Port Victoria." Molesworth forwards a report, from the "Commissioners of Customs," that justifies the Collector's
actions to bar the William Allen from the Island's other ports, and requests that all future "Memorials" addressed to the Secretary
of State be forwarded to the Colonial Office.
No. 3
Downing Street,
5th September, 1855,
Sir,
I have received your Despatch of the 6th last March, No 2,
reporting upon the complaint of Mr Robert Swanston as to the conduct
of the Collector of Customs at Port Victoria in refusing to grant a
permit for his Vessel theWilliam
"William Allen" to proceed to other Harbors of
Vancouver's Island. It having been deemed expedient to refer the
correspondence on this subject to the Commissioners of Customs for their
observations, I have now to transmit to you a copy of the report they
have addressed to the Board of Treasury with respect to it, and I am
glad to learn thereupon that they are of opinion that the proceedings of
the Collector appear to have been justified, and that Mr Swanston'scomplaint
complaint is fully and satisfactorily answered. In forwarding to you
this report of the Commissioners of Customs I have to instruct you to
direct the special attention of the Collector at Port Victoria to the
advice they have offered as to the course he should pursue in future in
all disputes or applications for relief of a nature similar to the
present; and I would observe to yourself, that, although in this case
you have assigned reasonableground
ground for omitting to forward Mr
Swanston's complaint to this Department, the proper course for you to
pursue is always to send home Memorials or representations addressed to
the Secretary of State by any inhabitant of Vancouver's Island. It will
of course be desirable that it be made known by public notice or
otherwise in the Colony, that the Secretary of State for the Colonies
will not entertain complaints in cases wherethe
the parties have not, in
the first instance, sought redress from the local Authorities.
"William Allen" to proceed to other Harbors of
Vancouver's Island. It having been deemed expedient to refer the
correspondence on this subject to the Commissioners of Customs for their
observations, I have now to transmit to you a copy of the report they
have addressed to the Board of Treasury with respect to it, and I am
glad to learn thereupon that they are of opinion that the proceedings of
the Collector appear to have been justified, and that Mr Swanston'scomplaint
complaint is fully and satisfactorily answered. In forwarding to you
this report of the Commissioners of Customs I have to instruct you to
direct the special attention of the Collector at Port Victoria to the
advice they have offered as to the course he should pursue in future in
all disputes or applications for relief of a nature similar to the
present; and I would observe to yourself, that, although in this case
you have assigned reasonableground
ground for omitting to forward Mr
Swanston's complaint to this Department, the proper course for you to
pursue is always to send home Memorials or representations addressed to
the Secretary of State by any inhabitant of Vancouver's Island. It will
of course be desirable that it be made known by public notice or
otherwise in the Colony, that the Secretary of State for the Colonies
will not entertain complaints in cases wherethe
the parties have not, in
the first instance, sought redress from the local Authorities.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
1. G.R. Dawson and J. Goulburn to Treasury, 11 August 1855,
upholding Sangster's conduct and requesting copies of the information for
future reference.
6. Edward E. Langford, J.P., 18 April 1854, certifying document on
annexed sheet (not found) is a correct copy of the same.