No. 14
Downing Street
20 October 1859
Sir,
I have to acknowledge your despatch No. 43 of the 27th of August last informing me of the difficulty under which you are placed for want of the necessary Officers for carrying on the duties of Government in Vancouvers Island, and the use which you had consequently made ofManuscript imageof the Services of those appointed for British Columbia.
This expedient which was regarded by yourself as temporary only must now come to an end. Vancouvers Island must of necessity find means for providing for its own civil administration. The connection of the Hudsons Bay Company with the Island will terminate, as soon as questions of account between the Company and Her Majesty's Government areManuscript imageare settled; and must be regarded as already terminated to this extent that the Company will no longer provide for that expenditure. The contibution hitherto paid by the Imperial Treasury towards the Civil Administration of British Columbia cannot be diverted from its legitimate purpose for the uses of Van Couvers Island.
It is therefore your duty at once to make such provisionManuscript imageprovision as you can for the service in question, with the aid of the Legislature of the Island. Her Majesty's Government leave the amount of that service, and the Salaries to be paid in the first instance to your and their discretion. They have no wish whatever to see any provision made, beyond what the very limited means of the Community will allow, for the Civil GovernmentManuscript imageGovernment of the Island. Their only desire is that payment for services of a permanent nature (such as the Salary of the Governor and Chief Justice) whatever their amount may be, should be fixed by law, and not merely placed on the annual estimates. But they must repeat that Van Couver Island like other British Communities however small must expect noManuscript imageno assistance from without towards these ordinary and regular expences of Her Government.
I have etc.
Newcastle
Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes to Douglas, Sir James 20 October 1859, LAC :, 101. The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.0, ed. James Hendrickson and the Colonial Despatches project. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/V597114.html.

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