<persName ref="prs:kennedy_a"><surname>Kennedy</surname>, <forename>Arthur</forename></persName> to <persName ref="prs:cardwell"><surname>Cardwell</surname>, <forename>Edward</forename></persName> 4 May 1865, CO 305:25, no. 6187, 371.

No. 27, Miscellaneous 6187, CO 305/25, p. 371; received 29 June 4th May 1865 Sir,

1. I have the honor to transmit a copy of Resolutions passed by the Legislative Assembly of this Colony on the subject of the Crown Lands and Civil List together with my reply thereto.

2. This result has been arrived at after various and rather animated debates extendingover over 16 or 17 days and ultimately carried by the casting vote of the Chairman of the Committee in a full House, the opponents of the Resolutions being understood to be wholly averse to voting the Civil List and the acceptance of the Crown Lands.

3. I will not needlessly occupy your time in recapitulating the propositions submitted to you, but I think it is desirable that I should put you in possession of my opinion upon some of them.

4. The Legislative Assemblyconsiders considers the scale of salaries proposed by the Duke of Newcastle in his Separate Despatch dated 15th June 1863 "as far too high", namely, Governor . . . . . . . . . . £3000 Chief Justice . . . . . . . 1200 Colonial Secretary . . . . . 600 Attorney General . . . . . . 300 with practice Treasurer . . . . . . . . . 600 Surveyor General . . . . . . 500

5. I wholly dissent from this opinion and I think that much of the official scandal and defalcation which has occurred among the public officers inthis this Colony has resulted from the low salaries which failed to secure the services of men of capacity and character.

6. I append a price list of what I am now paying for the necessaries of life and from which the cost of living of a married public officer may be readily calculated. To this must be added the high rate of house rent and servants wages. A four-room wooden house unfurnished,and and within reasonable distance of the Public Offices, cannot be obtained for less that £100 to £150 per annum. A female servant cannot be obtained for less than $30 per month or £72 a year exclusive of her board and lodging, which estimated at prices ruling here cannot be less than $20 per month or £48 per annum.

7. The wages of men servants range from $30 to $50 per month or £72 to £120 per annum, to which must be added theirboard board at £48. I am paying a Chinaman for cooking my dinners, alone £120 per annum, in addition to board and lodging which may be put at £50 additional.

8. With these facts before you it is superfluous for me to state that I am at a loss to understand how gentlemen of common capacity can be found to accept office or how they can "make ends meet" upon their official salaries.

9. Head Clerks in merchants offices in Victoria receive £600per per annum.

10. As I presume the salary of Governor is included in the Resolutions of the Assembly I think it well to call your attention to the opinion of my Predecessor as recorded in the Blue Book on affairs of British Columbia, Part 2, Page 1, presented to Parliament 12th August 1859.

11. I will state what I think a reasonable fixed establishment for a Governor of this Colony to enable you to judge how far his salary is excessive, andI I may here remark that he has no additional allowances of any kind, such as fuel, light, or caretaker of Government grounds. 1 Butler, $50 per month or £120 per annum. 1 Footman, $30 do £ 72 do 1 Cook, $40 do £ 96 do 1 Housemaid $30 do £ 72 do 1 Housekeeper and Ladies Maid $40 do £ 96 do 1 Groom $40 do £ 96 do 1 Gardner or Caretaker of House and grounds $50 do £120 do Board for above at $20 per month each £336 do Keep of two horses Hay £7.10s per ton, Oats 17/ per 100 lb or $1 per day each £146 do ____ Making a total of £1154 for servants and horses alone The The hire of a close carriage to go however short a distance at night is $10 or £2.1s.3d exclusive of gratuity to driver. Bad coals are $11 or £2.5.5 per ton and Firewood still more expensive. One ton of coals per week all year round is the least to be calculated upon, or £118.1.8 per annum. Colza oil which costs 3s/6d per gallon in London cannot be obtained under 8s/ here. Wine and all luxeries in proportion.

12. There are the names of three hundred persons on the Government House visiting book who expectand and ought to be invited in addition to the Officers of Her Majesty's Navy, American State Governors, and Naval Officers of all Nations who frequently visit the Colony.

13. I will only add to this outline that a Governor who exercises common hospitality and maintains his position in decency will leave this Colony after his term of Government poorer than when he commenced it. *

14. I have already in former Despatches stated my views on the subject of Union of theseColonies Colonies as well as on the real or supposed claims of the Colony on the Hudson Bay Company.

15. The proviso contained in these Resolutions that in the event of Her Majesty's Government declining to accept the preceding conditions "the officials shall be made responsible to the people by election to the Legislature or otherwise," I do not profess clearly to understand. If it aims (as I believe) at responsible or party Government I have no hesitation in stating my opinion that the introductionof of such a measure under the existing circumstances of this Colony would be fraught with danger and mischief and opposed to the wishes of every sound thinking and loyal subject in the Colony.

16. The following facts will enable you to form an opinion on this part of the Resolutions.

17. The total population is about 6000 souls of whom about 2000 are British male subjects—the remainder made up of Americans, Germans, French, Italians and Chinese.

18. There

18. There are 15 Members elected to the Legislative Assembly for nine separate Districts. The number of registered voters at the last general election was 1051. The highest number (Victoria City) who voted for any Member was . . . . . . 229 Esquimalt Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Victoria District . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Esquimalt and Metchosin District . . . . 72 Lake District . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Nanaimo District . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Saanich District . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sooke District . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Saltspring District . . . . . . . . . . 16 ___ Total 511

19. The American element in thepopulation population possesses and exercises great influence over the press and voters who are connected with them in trade, which would be largely increased by the adoption of the form of Government proposed. **

20. I think it is unnecessary for me to add more than an expression of my regret that the Legislative Assembly should have left this important question in so unsatisfactory a condition.

I I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant A.E. Kennedy Governor

Mr Elliot This is a very unsatisfactory result. I apprehend that the acceptance of a Civil List, to endure for only 2 years, & accompanied with conditions, wdwould be an anomaly in the history of Civil Lists and a precendent to be stoutly resisted. The Assembly considers that it has a strong case against the GovtGovernment on acct of the bad arrangement it made with the H.B.Co by the indenture of 1862; & they use this complaint as a lever agt the GovrGovernor when they are pressed for a Civil List. Whether the Assembly have good grounds or not their view of the case will always form an obstacle to any arrangement between the Crown and the Legre, and until some mode can be devised for overcoming this impediment we shall have to content ourselves with the Crown Revenue. Fortunately that Revenue is more than sufficient to pay the Governor & the Colonial & Private Secretaries, & if the discovery of gold in V.C.I. proves valuable the Crown funds will be improved, & put us still more at ease. Fortunately also the Chief Justice' salary is secured. The other public officers must be paid by votes of the Assembly. If the House shdshould reduce the existing rates of salary, or if they shdshould cease to vote salaries at all the public wdwould suffer inconvenience to such an extent that a storm of indignation wdwould be raised even in a place like Victoria where there is not much sound public opinion. But such conduct would never justify or drive the Impl GovtGovernment into incorporating V.C.I. with B.C. unless there were weighty and independent reasons for that measure. ABd 4 July/65

This petty body at Vancouver is exceptionally obstinate and unmanageable, and is among the worst specimens of a Colonial Assembly. The idea of Responsible Government at such a place would be preposterous. It is a little community of 6000 Souls.

I suppose that we must continue to pay out of Crown Revenues as many of the most important salaries as we can. If by good fortune a gold revenue springs up, I should make this Assembly pay the penalty of it's own perversity by keeping the Revenue in the hands of the Executive Government, which seems the only quarter in which for the present there is any hope of public spirit or intelligence.

TFE 7 July

The Civil List Resolutions of the Assembly. This Despatch dated 4 May has not been answered for the reasons explained in the Minute. There are some later Despatches bearing upon the Subject which I believe Mr Ebden gave Mr Elliot yesterday. [VJ]

Mr Cardwell This is a despatch showing that the Vancouver Assembly have refused the Civil List. Mr Southgate, who has just arrived from the Colony, tells me that they would not be so much opposed to the Civil List in itself, but that they are dissatisfied with the idea of having the expensive machinery of two Governments for two Colonies so closely connected and containing between them so very moderate an amount of population. Union is what they seek, and if theycould could have Union, they would readily concur in providing adequate salaries for the Officers of the United Government.

There seems something in this plea: and at all events I should be for going on at present with our Crown funds for ourselves, enjoying as we do a fair chance of finding them suddenly much more valuable than at present.

TFE 20 July

Mr Elliot I should say that the Ansr to this despatch—6187—on the Civil List question had better be postponed until Mr Cardwell has gone fully into the question of the Union of V.C. Island with Columbia.

Wait, therefore, until an interview has taken place between Mr Cardwell and GovrGovernor Seymour on the Union subject.

ABd 24 Augt/65

Mr Cardwell TFE 24 August EC 25

The Union of the 2 Colonies renders it unnecessary to notice this despatch at this late date.

Put by.

[ABd] 20 Sepr 1866

Resolutions confirmed by the House of Assembly on 3 May 1865 stating the conditions upon which they were prepared to accept the Crown Lands and vote a Civil List, signed by R.W. Torrens, Clerk of the House.

Kennedy to Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, 4 May 1865, expressing concern at the position taken by the house, the resolutions differing "so materially from those proposed in the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch dated 15th June 1863."

Price list giving the cost, in American dollars and British sterling, of various goods and services available in the colony, as per despatch.

I never knew an instance in the W. Indies & N. America in which this did not occur. ABd

I am not sure that the American element may not be the best at first. They bring great energy & go a headism—they are excellent pioneers, & it has never been shown that they are not as good & orderly inhabitants as any of the broken down subjects of the Queen who take refuge in our Colonies. ABd