Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
FitzGerald, James Edward
to Merivale, Herman 18 August 1858, CO 305:9, no. 8408, 383.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (4), Enclosures (untranscribed) (6), Other documents (1).
Fitzgerald forwards to the CO correspondence regarding Douglas’s loan to the Governor of Washington Territory and reports that American authorities will not privilege the repayment of this debt
over other creditors.
The minutes speculate if Douglas has not been honest about his role in the transactions but decide to ask the government
if Douglas should suffer because of the American government’s prevarications.
Enclosed is a draft from Merivale to Fitzgerald explaining the situation and asking that further representation be made to the American
government; as well as six documents of correspondence between American and British
officials concerning the repayment of Douglas’s loan.
Fitzgerald to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Foreign Office
August 18, 1858
Sir,
With reference to your Letter of the 20th ultimo, I am
directed by the Earl of Malmesbury to transmit to you, to be
laid before Secretary Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Copies of a
Despatch and of it's inclosures from Her Majesty's Minister at
Washington reporting the refusal of the United States'
Government togive
give any preference over those of ordinary
Creditors of that Government to the claim of Governor Douglas
for the expense of certain Military Stores which he furnished in
the year 1856 to the Authorities of Washington Territory.
give any preference over those of ordinary
Creditors of that Government to the claim of Governor Douglas
for the expense of certain Military Stores which he furnished in
the year 1856 to the Authorities of Washington Territory.
H. Merivale Esqre
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
The representations made to us on this subject state positively that he lent this money to Governor Stevens for the purchase of supplies. Those supplies doubtless came from the H. Bay Co's stores—Douglas being the Factor of the Company. But to pretend that they were purchased of him, the governor, and thence to deduce that he is an ordinary trade creditor, is, to my mind, at least, a mean evasion. If this view is thought the correct one the For: Office might be ansd in this sense with a view to a communication being made to Lord Napier.
And when the correspce is complete send copy thereof to Govr Douglas.
See 7189/56 & 5814/56.
The representations made to us on this subject state positively that he lent this money to Governor Stevens for the purchase of supplies. Those supplies doubtless came from the H. Bay Co's stores—Douglas being the Factor of the Company. But to pretend that they were purchased of him, the governor, and thence to deduce that he is an ordinary trade creditor, is, to my mind, at least, a mean evasion. If this view is thought the correct one the For: Office might be ansd in this sense with a view to a communication being made to Lord Napier.
And when the correspce is complete send copy thereof to Govr Douglas.
See 7189/56 & 5814/56.
ABd
20 Augt.
This seems to me a very shabby business indeed. If Govr Douglas advanced this out of his private means—or even if it
was really advanced by the Company—I am inclined to think our
government ought to see them harmless, without waiting for "next session."
HM
Augt 20
It is simple repudiation of the most approved & discreditable
manner among Americans. Lord Napier having forwarded the
correspondence to Govr Douglas I suppose we shall hear from him
before long on the subject either direct or through the F.O. I
agree with Mr Merivale that it is for the consideration of the
Govt whether Govr Douglas sd be allowed to suffer by this
conduct of the Federal Govt.
C
Aug 21
Let me see a draft to F.O. in the sense of Mr Blackwoods minute.
EBL
Aug 21, 1858
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Merivale to Fitzgerald, 26 August 1858, explaining the situation and asking that further
representations be made to the American government.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Napier, British Minister at Washington, to Malmesbury, 31 July 1858,
explaining the position
of the American government in their refusal to treat Douglas's
claim as deserving of special attention, with enclosures.
John Floyd, U.S. Secretary of War, to Napier, 8 May 1858,
advising that as the claim was not for borrowed money, but
rather for goods supplied, such claim would be paid in accordance
with the terms given to all suppliers of goods to the American
government.
People in this document
Fitzgerald, Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey