Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Kennedy, Arthur to
Cardwell, Edward 24 August 1865, CO 305:26, no. 9816, 322.
Abstract
Kennedy, Arthur to
Cardwell, Edward 24 August 1865, CO 305:26, no. 9816, 322.
Despatch to London.
Minutes (2), Other documents (1), Marginalia (1).
No. 73, Separate
24th August 1865
Sir,
1. I have the honor to transmit the Blue Book of the Colony of
Vancouver Island for the year 1864 which is far from being as full as
I could wish it to be.
Taxes
2. The taxes by which the Revenue of the Colony is chieflyraised
raised are
1. Real Estate Tax,
2. Port and Harbour Dues,
3. Land Sales,
4. Liquor Licences,
5. Trade Licences.
raised are
1. Real Estate Tax,
2. Port and Harbour Dues,
3. Land Sales,
4. Liquor Licences,
5. Trade Licences.
3. Of these the Real Estate Tax is an impost of one per cent on the
assessed value of all real property which yielded £9,787 in 1864 as
compared with £8854 in 1863.
4. The existing mode of assessingreal
real property is faulty and
imperfect, and the tax is levied upon an assessment much below the
real or market value.
real property is faulty and
imperfect, and the tax is levied upon an assessment much below the
real or market value.
5. The Port and Harbour Dues include, in addition to customary
charges for the entrance and clearance of shipping, fees leviable for
permits for the landing of imported goods according to a scale (p.p.
3 and 4), the rates of which are very unequal and disproportionateto
to
each other, and also licence fees for coasting vessels.
to
each other, and also licence fees for coasting vessels.
6. The produce of the sale of Public Lands and the Land Revenue is
not applicable to the general purposes of the Government pending
their acceptance by the local Legislature.
7. Liquor Licences are issued for the sale of spirituous and
fermented liquors. The amount obtained from this sourcewas
was £5898 in
1864 as compared with £4914 in 1863. A remarkable sum when
considered with reference to the population.
was £5898 in
1864 as compared with £4914 in 1863. A remarkable sum when
considered with reference to the population.
8. The remaining principal source of Revenue is what are termed
"Trade Licences" which are levied according to the scale at page 2,
the rates under which are most unequal and bear no proportion to each
other.
Revenue
9. The total Revenue receivedfrom
from all sources in 1864 amounted to
£71,268 as compared with £73,776 in 1863—nevertheless under almost
every head of Revenue there is an increase. A new source of Revenue
also appears in Gold Mining Licences, £830.
from all sources in 1864 amounted to
£71,268 as compared with £73,776 in 1863—nevertheless under almost
every head of Revenue there is an increase. A new source of Revenue
also appears in Gold Mining Licences, £830.
10. There has been a falling off of £1697 under the head of "Land
Sales" owing to the unsettlement of the Crown Lands question, and the
partial suspenseof
of the Proclamation regulating the sale of Public
Lands.
of the Proclamation regulating the sale of Public
Lands.Expenditure
11. The total Expenditure, £74,246, presents an increase as compared
with that of 1863, £69,589. A considerable increase occurs in the
ordinary expenditure. Under the head of "Works and Buildings" the
sum expended out of the "Road and Harbour Loan" is £18,452, as
compared with £1603 in 1863.
Legislation
12. The Acts passed during the year do not call for any special
remarks.
Political Franchise
13. The number of Electors on the Register for 1864 is 1,213. This
number however represents the number of votes, but not the number of
voters, many persons being on the Register for three, four, and some
for even as many as five and six electoral Districts. The actualnumber
number of persons who possess those 1213 votes is 890 or less than
three fourths, and nearly all those are resident in Victoria and
possess votes in respect of lands which they have taken up in
out-districts and which they neither occupy nor improve.
number of persons who possess those 1213 votes is 890 or less than
three fourths, and nearly all those are resident in Victoria and
possess votes in respect of lands which they have taken up in
out-districts and which they neither occupy nor improve.
14. The number of registered voters for the seven out-districts,
which return eight Members, is 367, but of those only 141 reside in
the Districts forwhich
which they have votes.
which they have votes.
| Registered Voters |
Resident | Number of
Members |
|
| Esquimalt Town..... | 67 | 20 | 1 |
| Esquimalt and
Metchosin District.. |
83 | 38 | 2 |
| Sooke District..... | 25 | 9 | 1 |
| Saanich District..... | 50 | 13 | 1 |
| Lake District.... | 65 | 19 | 1 |
| Saltspring and Chemainus | 39 | 24 | 1 |
| Nanaimo........... | 38 | 18 | 1 |
| 367 | 141 | 8 |
Legislative Council and Assembly
15. The Legislative Council is composed of five
ex officio and three non-official Members nominated by the
Crown.
16. The Legislative Assemblyconsists
consists of 15 Members elected by
constituencies before described. The
British population of the Island, women and children included,
cannot much, if at all, exceed 3000. No one connected with the
Government has a seat in the Assembly, which is in my opinion a great
misfortune, placing the Assembly and the Executive at a mutual
disadvantage and obstructing or neutralizing useful Legislation.
consists of 15 Members elected by
constituencies before described. The
British population of the Island, women and children included,
cannot much, if at all, exceed 3000. No one connected with the
Government has a seat in the Assembly, which is in my opinion a great
misfortune, placing the Assembly and the Executive at a mutual
disadvantage and obstructing or neutralizing useful Legislation.
In Sir J. Douglas' time, the Col. Secy used to be in the Assembly.
Civil Establishment
17. With more concentratedauthority
authority I think a reduction in numbers
might be effected, but the scale of salaries, having regard to the
small value of money and high cost of living in the Colony, is
injudiciously low, furnishing with few exceptions a bare subsistence
to those employed.
authority I think a reduction in numbers
might be effected, but the scale of salaries, having regard to the
small value of money and high cost of living in the Colony, is
injudiciously low, furnishing with few exceptions a bare subsistence
to those employed.Population
18. The Estimate given is the best that can be furnished and is
substantially correct. The European, Negro, and Chinesetogether
together
numbering about 8000 and the Aboriginal Indians about 10,000.
together
numbering about 8000 and the Aboriginal Indians about 10,000.
Imports
19. These show a net decrease as compared with 1863. There is
however an increase of Imports from the United Kingdom of £24,367,
and a decrease of Imports from the United States and foreign
countries of upwards of £80,000.
Exports
20. The general record of Exports is too meagre to be ofmuch
much value.
The amount of gold the produce of British Columbia and Vancouver
Island exported through the Banks alone is £556,945.
much value.
The amount of gold the produce of British Columbia and Vancouver
Island exported through the Banks alone is £556,945.
Shipping
21. No point worthy of notice presents itself in the Shipping
Returns.
Agriculture
22. No means exist of obtaining agricultural statistics of any
value. The agricultural resources of the Colony may be said to bealmost
almost wholly undeveloped. The manner in which public lands have
been alienated has tended rather to speculation, than occupation and
improvement. The agricultural land though limited in extent is
amazingly fertile and sufficient in extent for ten times the present
population.
almost wholly undeveloped. The manner in which public lands have
been alienated has tended rather to speculation, than occupation and
improvement. The agricultural land though limited in extent is
amazingly fertile and sufficient in extent for ten times the present
population.Manufactures and Mines
23. Under this head the coal mine at Nanaimo is the most remarkable
as affording employment for a fixed populationwhich
which is the great
want of the Colony.
which is the great
want of the Colony.
24. During the year the discovery of profitable gold diggings within
20 miles of Victoria has pointed out a new source of prosperity. The
low cost at which the miners can subsist compared with the miners of
British Columbia will probably render these mines both profitable and
attractive though the yield of gold be comparatively small.
General
General Remarks
25. The great want in this as in all other new countries is a fixed
population, and this can scarcely be expected till the excitement
attendant upon the first discovery of gold has subsided, and
communication with the Mother Country is facilitated and cheapened.
The want of direct Mail communication with England is a serious
discouragement and agreat
great detriment to British interests in the
Pacific.
great detriment to British interests in the
Pacific.
26. The following simple statment showing the amount of trade
transactions for 1864, the revenue received therefrom and the
percentage of Revenue will prove interesting.
The
| Transactions of 1864 |
Revenue of 1864 |
Per- centage |
|
| The assessed value of the transactions of the year amounted to..... |
$ 5,832,776 |
$ | |
| The tax assessed according to the
Schedule under the Act amounted to... |
19,945 | 0.34 | |
| To these amounts should be added,
1. Value of Wines and Spirits imported during the year which is allowed to be deducted from Trade Returns...... |
295,785 | ||
| 2. Amount of Liquor Licences
collected during the year.... |
29,638 | ||
| 3. Amount of Landing Permits
charged on merchandize.... |
________ | 6,430 | ________ |
| Gross amount of transactions..... | 6,148,561 | ||
| Gross amount of revenue..... | 56,013 | ||
| Percentage........ | 0.91 |
27. In connection with the foregoinga
a statement showing the gross
amount of Imports for the year 1864, the taxes bearing upon Imports
and the percentage thereof will afford a generally correct view of
the extent of mercantile transactions and the taxation they are
subject to.
a statement showing the gross
amount of Imports for the year 1864, the taxes bearing upon Imports
and the percentage thereof will afford a generally correct view of
the extent of mercantile transactions and the taxation they are
subject to.
| Imports for 1864 |
Taxes bearing on Imports |
Per- -Centage |
|
| Gross amount of Imports
for the year...... |
$ 3,602,886 |
$ | |
| Trade Assessments...... | 19,945 | 0.55 | |
| Liquor Licences...... | 29,638 | ||
| Landing Permits..... | ________ | 6,430 | _________ |
| 3,602,886 | 56,013 | 1.55 |
28. An inquiry into the drinking statistics in all, especially new,
British Colonies, presents very deplorable results. The following
figures will show that this Colony is not exempt from the evils which
exist elsewhere.
The
| The imported value of wines and spirits
of every description during the year 1864 (Port of Victoria)........ |
$295,785* |
| Add profits, say 40 per cent....... | 118,314 414,099 |
| Deduct value of wines and spirits of every
description imported through Vancouver Island into the Colony of British Columbia during the same period...... |
149,184 |
| Estimated consumption of Vancouver Island
during the year 1864........ |
$264,915 |
| Which, assuming the male adult population
to be 5000, gives an annual expenditure, per man, of $52.98. |
|
| Amount brought down as the transactions of
Wholesale dealers (Importers)........ |
$414,099 |
| Add for retail transactions...... | 264,915 |
| Annual transactions in Liquor | $679,014 |
| On this amount of transactions the annual
Licences for the sale of Liquor Wholesale and Retail ($29,638) is equal to 4.36 per cent. |
|
| *This is equal to more than 8 percent of the
total Imports of Vancouver Island. |
29. There are 85 retail Licences for public houses granted in the
City of Victoria alone in addition to 23 wholesale licences, the
quarter by fees for which amount to $6880.
30. Outside the City there are 41 licensed retail public houses
making a total of 149 licences to sell drink for which the fees
payable for the year amount to $29,909. This enormus drain upon the
earnings of the small population of this Colony cannotfail
fail to
produce disastrous social results.
fail to
produce disastrous social results.
31. It cannot be expected that this Colony will continue to progress
in the rapid manner it has hitherto done but I entertain no
apprehension for its future. Its fine climate, good harbours,
natural resources, and favorable geographical position for all
purposes of commerce cannot fail under judicious laws to securefor
for
Vancouver Island a high station among prosperous British Colonies.
for
Vancouver Island a high station among prosperous British Colonies.
