Separate
[10955, CO 60/11, p. 36; received 9 December
]
8 October 1861
I have the honor of transmitting herewith a memorial
addressed to Your Grace by Mr J.A.R. Homer, and eight
other persons for the purpose of stating their professed
grievances, and urging the policy of establishingrepresentative representative institutions in British Columbia.
2. This document may be regarded as embodying at most,
the individual opinions of the authors of the Memorial who have
no just claim to the ambitious distinction of being considered
a representative body, and I am not aware that their political
influence or social status is such as would entitle them to
assume the part of becoming exponentsof of the views, and wishes
of the people of this Colony.
3. I have refused to receive them in their assumed character
of "The British Columbia Convention." The term is associated with
revolution, and holds out a menace. The subject has an undoubted
right to petition his Sovereign, but the term Convention means
something more; it implies coercion.
4. I have no desire toaccuse accuse the authors of the memorial
of entertaining any malevolent designs; the majority of them
being known as quiet well meaning tradesmen; sincerely attached,
I believe, to the institutions of the country; but at the same
time, I am not disposed to overlook the fact that they may
become for seditious purposes, the dupes of artful men.
5. I have thereforecharged charged the Magistrates to keep an eye
over their movements, and not to interfere with their proceedings,
as long as they commit no violation of the Law.
6. Their last meeting at Hope, of which this memorial is the only result, appears from the Magistrates report to have
excited very little public interest, as after the first day's
Session scarcely any person, except the authorsof of the memorial, attended the meeting.
7. With respect to the prayer of the Memorialists, that is,
the redress of grievances, and the grant of representative
institutions, I will observe that I fully, and cordially admit
the proposition that liberty is the Englishmans birthright, and
that the desire for representative institutions is common to all
Her Majesty's subjects. I have no wish to say anythingto to the
contrary or to advocate any system of Government which deprives
the meanest of Her Majesty's subjects, of their just rights, and
privileges.
8. Parliament has, however, seen fit, for good and sufficient
reasons, to establish a temporary form of Government in British Columbia not unusual in the infancy of British Colonies, the
Government of the Queen in Council, and Parliament, I think,
adopted a wise and judicious course.
9.
9. For my own part, I would not assume the responsibility of
recommending any immediate change in the form of Government, as
now established, until there is a permanent British population to
form the basis of a representative Government, a population
attached to the British throne and constitution, and capable of
appreciating the civil and religous liberty derived fromthat that
constitution; blessings which I venture to assert are now enjoyed
in the fullest sense of the term, by the people of British Columbia.
My opinion on the subject has in fact undergone no change
since I had the honor of addressing Your Grace on the 22nd of
April last in my despatch (Separate) reporting on a former
Memorial forwarded at that time.
10. It is hardly I presumenecessary necessary that I should trouble
Your Grace with a very detailed notice of the grievances enumerated
by the Memorialists, which may be classed under the following
heads:
1. The non-residence of the Governor, and Colonial officials.
2. The tax on passengers entering the Colony, and the want of
a public hospital.
3. The absence of an official Survey of the Colony.
4. The want of a Mail service.5.
5. The want of public schools.
6. Inequality of taxation.
7. Duty on Ship building materials.
8. Establishment of the Gold Escort.
9. Grants to the Episcopal Church.
11. With respect to the first of these complaints, the
residence of the Governor and Colonial Officials in Vancouvers Island,
I beg to inform Your Grace that all the Colonialofficers officers
with the exception of the Governor, Colonial Secretary, and
Attorney General, who hold similar appointments in Vancouver
Island, do actually reside in British Columbia, and it is my
intention as soon as an Attorney General is appointed for British
Columbia to require him to reside in the Colony.
[*](#marg1)
My own time is in a great measure occupiedwith with the affairs
of British Columbia, and since the beginning of the present year,
I have resided nearly half the time within the Colony.
The Colonial Secretary is necessarily detained in Vancouvers Island to attend in my absence to the official duties of both
Colonies, but even were it not so, his residence in British Columbia under existing circumstances would be to employ hisservices services in the least useful manner, and to the greatest
disadvantage of the public business.
There appears therefore very slender grounds for this complaint,
as with the exception of the inhabitants of New Westminster it is
in reality a matter of little importance to the people of British Columbia whether the Governor resides at Victoria, or at New Westminster as matters can be referredto to him as readily at the one
place as the other.
12. There is certainly nothing objectionable in principle, nor
practically oppressive in the "Passenger tax," alluded to in the
second complaint; it being levied under the head of Harbour dues,
on Vessels entering the Colony, and not directly on Passengers. It
yields a sufficient amount of income to defray the charges incurred
for therelief relief of the sick, and casual poor, [**](#marg2) but is altogether inadequate to the support of a public Hospital, an establishment which would without necessity, put the Colony to a very heavy expense, as the hand of private charity is equal to the relief of
the very few cases of real distress, which occur.
13. "Official Surveys" will be made of the Colonywhenever whenever a demand arises for land, but it is an error to suppose that, "but
little is known of the internal resources of the Colony," or "of
the best route to the Mining regions," on both of those points the
Government is well informed, and the most strenuous efforts are
being made, at this moment, to remove difficulties of access, and
to open the internal communications of the country.
14. A regular Mail Servicehas has for some time past been
established for the conveyance of letters to Douglas, Hope, and
Yale; it has not however been extended beyond these points on account of the great expense to which the Colony would be put
by an efficient overland postal service, and I may add that with
the present small population, the cost would be altogether
disproportional to the object.
This circumstance gives rise to no inconvenience, as lettersare
are regularly carried to the remotest gold fields at a not
unreasonable charge, considering the cost of travelling by private
express companies, which have been engaged in that business since
the early part of 1858, and I do not consider it advisable to disturb that arrangement which relieves the Government of so much
responsibility, and expense.
15. Government has not been unmindful of the subjectof of
education, and will make provision for the establishment of public
schools as soon as required; there are at present two schools in
New Westminster, and certainly not over half a dozen children fit for school at any of the other towns in British Columbia.
16. On the subject of taxation I may generally remark, that
the Revenue is levied on a population of at least 35,000 persons,
and not on 8000 as representedin in the Memorial, and two thirds
of the whole sum is paid by native consumers. I may further
assure Your Grace that it has been collected without oppression
on the part of the Government, or murmuring on the part of the people.
17. As a proof that the road taxes collected at Douglas,
Hope, and Yale, are not considered "unfair", and meet the general
approval of the people, I forward copies of three petitions lately
receivedfrom from the Merchants and inhabitants of Hope, Yale, and
Lytton, recommending an additional tax for the formation of roads, which have produced so large a saving in the cost of transport, as already to make a tenfold return to the tax-payer.
18. The Gold Escort, as I informed Your Grace in a former
communication, has a two-fold object, the safe conveyance of Gold
from thedistant distant parts of the Country, and to assist the Magistrates in enforcing obedience, and respect to the laws. There must be a
mistake about the irregularities alluded to in the Memorial, as
the Escort has not yet accomplished its first trip to Cariboo,
a distance of 500 miles, but is reported to be on the way with
a large amount of Treasure.
19. The prohibiting dutyon on ship building materials is hardly
more real than the former complaint, as the timber is produced in
the Colony, and is subject to no duty whatever, while none of the
other materials are charged with anything more than the regular
duty of 10 per cent ad valorem levied on other commodities.
20. I informed Your Grace in my Despatch Separate, 16th
July, that I havegranted granted the sums of £200 each, at the request,
and in aid of the private contributions of the inhabitants of
Douglas, and Lytton for building Churches in these towns, with
the sole object of providing decent places of christian worship,
which did not previously exist, and to promote the interests of
religion and morality.
21. In conclusion I have only to express mysincere sincere regret
that the authors of the Memorial did not bring forward some
practical scheme for the advancement of the Colony, instead of
occupying their time in an attempt to excite distrust, and foment
discontent, when no real or substantial grievance does, I believe
in point of fact exist.
I have the honor to be
My Lord Duke
Your Graces most obedient
Humble Servant
James Douglas
P.S.
As a significant commentary upon the Memorial herewith forwarded, I
append cuttings, in connection
therewith, from the "British Colonist", and
"British Columbian" newspapers, both of which are noted for the acrimony
which they display against the Government, but are nevertheless not able
to accord upon this matter.
James Douglas