Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Corry, Henry Thomas Lowry to
Carnarvon, Earl 20 April 1859, CO 305:12, no. 4250, 26.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (4), Enclosures (untranscribed) (1), Other documents (1).
The minutes “recommend” to the Treasury that these lighthouses are a matter of “national
importance & concern.”
Included in this document is a draft from Elliot to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 29 April 1859, recommending they apply to parliament "for a vote of £7000 to establish the two
lighthouses recommended by the Board of Trade”; and R.L. Baynes to Secretary of the Admiralty, 2 November 1858, urging the importance of placing lighthouses at Race Rocks and in Esquimalt Harbour, and the desirability of having one also on Bonilla Point opposite Cape Flattery.
Corry to Under-Secretary of State
Admiralty
20 April 1859
I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to forward
to you to be laid before Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for the Colonies, a copy of a Letter from Rear Admiral Baynes, C.B.,
Commander in Chief in the Pacific, pointing out the pressing
necessity for Lights on Vancouver Island—both at the Race Rocks and
at the entrance of Esquimalt Harbour, in which recommendation their
Lordships entirely concur.
Minutes by CO staff
See Memn 21 April.
3721 - B. of Trade
)
3328 - Admiralty
) 1859
3270 - Governor
)
2737 -
" )
2588 - Board of Trade )
Lord Carnarvon
Adverting to the very strong memorandum which accompanies the Letter from the Board of Trade of the 7 April, to Capn Sulivan's unofficial communication attached thereto, and to the letter of R. Admiral Baynes, which has been received from the Admiralty (4250) this morning I am reluctantly constrained to say that I think this office would be neglecting the interests of the British Men of War, and of all Commercial vessels frequenting the Ports of VanCouver Island and British Columbia if we do not recommend the
Treasury, as a matter of
national importance & concern, to ask Parlt for a vote to establish
Lights & houses in the places indicated in the correspondence. It
must be borne in mind that safety of access to a commercial
port—such as we indulge the hope that Esquimalt or Langley will
become—will encourage vessels to frequent it. But let one or two
Ship-wrecks occur and the navigation will obtain the reputation of
being dangerous—the rate of insurances will be increased, and trade
will be deterred; to say nothing of the loss of money which would
ensue from such a disaster. It is true that the proposed 
Lights are
required for the trade of these Colonies—but to whom will the
vessels constituting that trade belong? Surely, for the chief part,
to British Merchants, on whom, or on Lloyds, the losses of ships
would devolve. This Country, therefore, in the end, will suffer from
the absence of Lights, and we shall have to pay a heavy expense,
when a ship is lost, which might have been avoided by the
comparatively small charge of £7000. You will probably observe that
this argument might be applied to all other Colonies similarly
situated, and that the result would be to impose on Great 
Britain a
very serious charge for the erection of Colonial Light-houses. I
ansr that I am unaware of the necessity arising in any of our
Colonies for a demand like this; those Colonies being, from one
source or other, already provided with the needful accommodation, and
that if there be any in the position of V.C.I. & Bh Columbia in this
respect it is our duty, in the interests of our commerce, to render
the needful aid. But to guard against too great a disposition to
impose upon us charges which the Colony should have in some measure
to bear I would propose that V.C.Isd & Bh Columbia should together
pay a moiety of the expense 
not exceeding £7000—& that they should
be at the expense of maintaining the lights. I would recommend the
Treasury, as the matter is very urgent, to take a vote for the
amount—and explain that Sir Edward Lytton will instruct the Governor
to repay to the Imperial Exchequer the colonial proportion of the
cost.
Adverting to the very strong memorandum which accompanies the Letter from the Board of Trade of the 7 April, to Capn Sulivan's unofficial communication attached thereto, and to the letter of R. Admiral Baynes, which has been received from the Admiralty (4250) this morning I am reluctantly constrained to say that I think this office would be neglecting the interests of the British Men of War, and of all Commercial vessels frequenting the Ports of VanCouver Island and British Columbia if we do not recommend the
Treasury, as a matter of
national importance & concern, to ask Parlt for a vote to establish
Lights & houses in the places indicated in the correspondence. It
must be borne in mind that safety of access to a commercial
port—such as we indulge the hope that Esquimalt or Langley will
become—will encourage vessels to frequent it. But let one or two
Ship-wrecks occur and the navigation will obtain the reputation of
being dangerous—the rate of insurances will be increased, and trade
will be deterred; to say nothing of the loss of money which would
ensue from such a disaster. It is true that the proposed 
Lights are
required for the trade of these Colonies—but to whom will the
vessels constituting that trade belong? Surely, for the chief part,
to British Merchants, on whom, or on Lloyds, the losses of ships
would devolve. This Country, therefore, in the end, will suffer from
the absence of Lights, and we shall have to pay a heavy expense,
when a ship is lost, which might have been avoided by the
comparatively small charge of £7000. You will probably observe that
this argument might be applied to all other Colonies similarly
situated, and that the result would be to impose on Great 
Britain a
very serious charge for the erection of Colonial Light-houses. I
ansr that I am unaware of the necessity arising in any of our
Colonies for a demand like this; those Colonies being, from one
source or other, already provided with the needful accommodation, and
that if there be any in the position of V.C.I. & Bh Columbia in this
respect it is our duty, in the interests of our commerce, to render
the needful aid. But to guard against too great a disposition to
impose upon us charges which the Colony should have in some measure
to bear I would propose that V.C.Isd & Bh Columbia should together
pay a moiety of the expense 
not exceeding £7000—& that they should
be at the expense of maintaining the lights. I would recommend the
Treasury, as the matter is very urgent, to take a vote for the
amount—and explain that Sir Edward Lytton will instruct the Governor
to repay to the Imperial Exchequer the colonial proportion of the
cost.
ABd
21 April/59
I have considered this question very carefully and I do not see that
we have any alternative. The division of the cost proposed by Mr
Blackwood is fair: for it will be borne in mind that if one half of
the Trade going to B. Columbia is Colonial, 
the other half coming
from the Colony is general & British.
the other half coming
from the Colony is general & British.
The necessary communications sd be made at once to the Treasury
in order to apprize the Govr, if possible, by the mail of the
1st.
C
Apl 23
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Elliot to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 29 April 1859,
recommending they apply to parliament "for a vote of £7000 to establish
the two lighthouses recommended by the Board of Trade."
Minutes by CO staff
I pass this on, seeing that the point is already decided. I confess
that I think that Gr Britain might reasonably have given
the whole cost of the lights, having the maintenance costs provided
for by the Colony.
TFE
26/4
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
R.L. Baynes to Secretary of the Admiralty, 2
November 1858, urging the importance of placing lighthouses at Race Rocks and in Esquimalt Harbour, and the desirability of having one
also on Bonilla Point opposite Cape Flattery.