<persName ref="prs:blanshard"><surname>Blanshard</surname>, <forename>Richard</forename></persName> to <persName ref="prs:grey_hg"><surname>Grey</surname>, <forename>Henry</forename> <forename>George</forename></persName> 12 May 1851, CO 305:3, no. 6824, 18. Blanshard addressee Earl Grey

Published by Jim Hendrickson and the University of Victoria.

Blanshard, Richard to Grey, Henry George 12 May 1851, CO 305:3, no. 6824, 18.The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.6, ed. James Hendrickson and the Colonial Despatches project. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/V51013.html. CO 305:03 CO 305 3 6824 18 13 V.I. 1851 received 11 August co_305_03_00019r.jpg Transcribed from microfilm archives, marked up in Waterloo Script, then transformed into TEI P5 XML.

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Despatch to London. Minutes (2), Other documents (1), Marginalia (4).

This document contains mentions of Indigenous Peoples. The authors of these documents often perpetuate a negative perspective of Indigenous Peoples and it is important to look critically at these mentions. They sometimes use terminology that is now considered hurtful and offensive. To learn more about modern terminology pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and decolonization, please refer to the Glossary of terms.

Blanshard writes to Grey to acknowledge the receipt of the public seal of the Vancouver Island colony, and to reiterate his reasons for deferring the nomination of a colony council, which are, largely, a result of the HBC's domination of the colony. Lastly, Blanshard relates that reports of gold in the Haro Strait are so vague as to be ignored.

The minutes discuss some ambiguities in the HBC's grant. And, Merivale points out that Blanshard has not forwarded the related HBC information required to make a decision on such matters, and that Blanshard's letter should be sent on to the HBC for explanation.

Included in the file is a draft letter from the Colonial Office to Pelly, which forwards a copy of Blanshard's despatch for observation.

 Blanshard, Richard
Vancouver Island
Grey, Henry George Inserted revisionDesc with @status="proofed". Changed idno @type="received" into a date element. Gave existing date an @type="sent" and reordered bibl contents.
6824, CO 305/3, p. 18; received 11 August 6824. Vancouvers Island
Vancouver Island
12 May 1851 My Lord,

I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordships despatch No 3, of 29 June 1850 transmitting the public seal of the colony of Vancouvers Island, and Her Majesty's warrant and sign manual authorizing and directing its use.

I have also to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordships despatch No 4 of 16 July 1850 approving of my reasons for deferring the nomination of a council for the present and pointing out the expediency of establishing the council and other prescribed institutions without any unnecessaryunnecessary delay —

I can assure your Lordship that I am deeply impressed with a sense of the expediency of the prescribed measures, but I regret to add that there is at present a total want of the necessary materials either for a council or for any other legislative, or executive appointments, The whole tendency of the system pursued by the Hudson's bay Company being to exclude free settlers, and reserve the Island either as an enlarged post of their own, or a desert.

I have received a communication from the Hudsons bay Company stating that no salaries are to be paid out of the proceeds of the land sales, but must be raised in the Island either by taxes on imports, or otherwise. This is in fact repudiating the clause in their grant which binds them to provide, at their own expense, all necessary civil and military establishments, their own arrangements tend to prevent a tax paying population settling here, and that the harbours shall be open to all nations for the purposes of trade is prominently put forward in the prospectus they have published.

Reports are current of gold having been found by the Cowitchin Indians, in the Arro Canal, but they are so vague as scarcely to deserve notice,

This addressee information appears at the foot of the first page of the despatch. I have the honor to be Your Lordships Obediant Servant Richard Blanshard Governor
Mr Merivale The Charter Grant provides that the Company shall defray the entire expense of any Civil and Military Establishments, but it neither authorizes nor forbids the imposition of taxes. 11 Augt 51 VJ
It also devotes all the fund arising from land sales (except 10 per cent) to the "colonization & improvement of the island." It is not very clear whether these words would include the expenses of civil government or not. In the present instance however the Governor, by not annexing the "communication" he has received from the Company, has made it impossible to take any definite steps: we do not know what salaries are in question. Probably this desp. had better be referred to the Company for explanation? HM Augt 13. […] G. 20/
Draft, Colonial Office to Pelly, 3 September 1851, forwarding copy of Blanshard's despatch for observation.
Copy
No 13
This text runs perpendicular to main body text; see image scan.Copy to Gov Hudson's Bay Compy for r 3 Sept/51 for consid
This paragraph has been marked as a passage of interest, presumably by a reader in the Colonial Office; see image scan.(