Sandumne to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)
General Post Office
October 5 1865
Sir,
The Postmaster General has had under consideration your letter of the 17th August last, transmitting copy of a despatch from the Governor of Vancouver's Island, respecting the deficiency of any Postal Regulations in that Island.
The Bill drafted by His Excellency's directions, the Postmaster General desires me to state, would,ifManuscript image if it had become Law, have placed the Post Office Department in the Colony upon a proper footing. As it was rejected, and as the Governor states that he has no reason to expect that the Assembly will take steps for remedying the evil, his Lordship does not see that he can offer any suggestions which will be of service to the Governor in this emergency. He thinks it may be well, however, to furnish his ExcellencywithManuscript image with a copy of the Rules issued to Postmasters in the United Kingdom, and a book of such Rules is therefore sent herewith, for transmission to the Governor.
I am etc.
Frederik Ian Sandumne
Minutes by CO staff
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Sir F. Rogers
Ansr the Governor's desph by sending a copy of this Letter & the Book of Rules?
ABd 6 Oct
I wd send these letters to the Treasury and ask whether under the circumstances disclosed in these letters their Lordships wd on the request of the Col. Govt feel justified in fixing a rate of postage for letters posted in V.C.I. (whatever their destination) under the 3rd Sectn of 7 & 8 Vict c. 49. Add that it wd seem that unless either their Lps wd consent to issue a warrant for this purpose, or the Lege wd consent to pass a Law for the purpose (on the probability of wh it is difficult to hazard a prediction) the local Govr may find it difficult to conduct the duties of the P.O. legally.
And send copy of correspce to Govr. Draft at once.
FR 6/10
Other documents included in the file
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Rogers to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 11 October 1865, forwarding correspondence relating to postal difficulties in Vancouver Island and asking whether they could "fix a rate of postage on letters posted in VanCouver Is, whatever may be their destination," according to the terms of the Colonial Postage Act.
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Draft reply, Cardwell to Kennedy, No. 57, 11 October 1865.
Sandumne, Frederick Ian to Rogers, Baron Blachford Frederic 5 October 1865, CO 305:27, no. 9648, 326. 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/V655MI08.html.

Last modified: 2020-03-30 13:22:16 -0700 (Mon, 30 Mar 2020) (SVN revision: 4193)