Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Correspondence (private letter)
Stamp, Captain Edward to
Carnarvon, Earl 2 February 1859, CO 305:13, no. 1163, 285.
Abstract
Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (4), Other documents (1).
Stamp offers his contractual terms to run a mail service between Vancouver Island, or British Columbia, and San Francisco.
The minutes agree that reliable mail service would be desirable but wonder if Stamp’s price is too high.
Enclosed is a draft from Merivale to G. Hamilton, Treasury, 14 February 1859, forwarding
copy of the letter, and a previous one from Stamp, for opinion.
Stamp to Carnarvon (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
2nd Feby 1859
To
The Right Honorable
The Earl of Carnarvon
Under Secretary of State for the Colonies
&c &c &c
My Lord,
Referring to the proposals which I have already submitted to His
Excellency the Governor of Vancouver's Island and British Columbia,
and to the letter which I addressed His Excellency on the 4th Novr
last on the subject of a Contract with Her Majestys Government for
the conveyance of the English Mails from San Francisco to Victoria
and Langley on the Frasers River and
vice versa, I have now the honor to state that having been
resident for the last two years on Vancouvers Island and its
neighbourhood whence I have just returned, and being practically
acquainted with the details of the postal service in question, I am
now prepared to enter into a Contract with Her Majestys Government
for the performance of the above Service on the following
conditions—viz:
To leave San Francisco within twelve hours after the arrival of the
American Mail Steamer.
To allow the postmaster at Victoria 
forty eight hours and the
postmaster at Langley twenty four hours to prepare the return Mails.
forty eight hours and the
postmaster at Langley twenty four hours to prepare the return Mails.
In the Winter when the Frasers River is frozen up the Mails for
Langley to be delivered at Victoria.
Officers & Troops in Her Majestys Service to be carried at the
Customary Transport rates.
The Service to be performed by a first class Steam Ship of not less
than 800 Tons burthen and 180 nominal Horse Power.
Delays and detentions arising either from foggy weather (when it
would be impossible for any steamer to run with safety) or from
stress of weather rendering it impossible for the Mail Steamer to
enter the Fraser River, are not to be considered an infraction of
Contract.
In the event of the American Mail Steamer not arriving at San
Francisco in due time the Contractor shall not be bound to wait
longer than forty Eight hours at the expiration of which time he may
proceed to Victoria without an over due Mail.
The Contractor to be allowed to convey the Mails in Steam Ships of
any Nation until sufficient time elapses to allow him to provide a
Steam Ship from England & to have the same privilege in the event of
any temporary accident to his own Steam Ship.
The Contractor to be ready to reserve the English Outward Mails due
at San Francisco on the 28th May next ensuing.
Any other safe port in British Columbia not at a greater distance
from Victoria than Langley may be substituted for that place by the
Govt.
The sum required for the performance of this service to be Twenty
thousand pounds Sterling per Annum and the duration of the Contract
not less than 7 or 10 Years.
Should the Govt desire it I am further prepared to extend the
service to Fort Hope the head of the Light draft Steam Navigation on
Frasers River for the Additional Sum of Five thousand pounds Stg. per
Annum.;.nam I have the honor to be My Lord
Your Lordships Obedt Humble Servt
Edwd Stamp
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
The postal irregularity, of which the new settlements in this quarter of the Globe are beginning already to complain, & whh for the sake of completing a successful piece of colonization it wd be most desirable to correct, takes place between San Francisco, and Victoria, & B. Columbia. The writer, backed by the Govr—see 1069—proposes to establish steamers to perform this service for not less than 7 or 10 years—for a subsidy of £20,000 a year. The question is whether this amount is too much, & who shall pay it. I presume it wd be divided between England & the Colony; but can the Letters to this new Place produce half that sum, or even a quarter? Howr the first step, I apprehend, is to refer the subject as already proposed (1069) to the T-y for consn & report, and afterwards to confer with the Governor.
The postal irregularity, of which the new settlements in this quarter of the Globe are beginning already to complain, & whh for the sake of completing a successful piece of colonization it wd be most desirable to correct, takes place between San Francisco, and Victoria, & B. Columbia. The writer, backed by the Govr—see 1069—proposes to establish steamers to perform this service for not less than 7 or 10 years—for a subsidy of £20,000 a year. The question is whether this amount is too much, & who shall pay it. I presume it wd be divided between England & the Colony; but can the Letters to this new Place produce half that sum, or even a quarter? Howr the first step, I apprehend, is to refer the subject as already proposed (1069) to the T-y for consn & report, and afterwards to confer with the Governor.
ABd
3 Feby
Refer to the Ty. But useful as the project is, I am inclined to
think it is premature?
HM
F 3
I am inclined to believe that in arranging any postal communication
with B. Columbia, for the present at all events the interval between
S. Francisco & Frasers River is the object to be aimed at: and so
far Mr Stamp's 
plan deserves consideration: but it strikes me
that £20,000 for one ship only on the line (when he talked to me on
the subject he gave me to understand that he sd
have two) and a contract for seven years are
of very questionable expediency. The latter proposal is one wh I
sd not like to agree to under any circumstances.
plan deserves consideration: but it strikes me
that £20,000 for one ship only on the line (when he talked to me on
the subject he gave me to understand that he sd
have two) and a contract for seven years are
of very questionable expediency. The latter proposal is one wh I
sd not like to agree to under any circumstances.
I had some conversation with Mr Stamp and found him a sensible man.
He says nothing in this communication as to his references.
Refer to the Treasury at once?
C
Feby 5
[Project?] premature at present.
EBL
Feb 9
Other documents included in the file
Draft,
Merivale to G. Hamilton, Treasury, 14 February 1859, forwarding
copy of the letter, and a previous one from Stamp, for opinion.