Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, James to Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes 24 October 1859, CO 60:5, no. 12573, 200.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (3), Other documents (2).
Douglas addresses the
insufficiencyof his salary, observing that he is
perfectly satisfied with the Salary now allotted,and asks to remove
the conditionthat a £1,200 portion of the salary will be
payable from the Revenues of British Columbia,should its revenues amount to £50,000.
Confidential
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential
Despatch of the 29th of July, in reply to mine of the 4th of
May last, upon the subject of the insufficiency of the Salary of my
Office.
2. I have to return my most sincere thanks to your Grace for
the very kind manner in which you have expressed yourself upon this
matter, and I beg to acquaint you that I am perfectly satisfied
with the Salary now allotted to me by Her Majesty's Government,
but I trust that the condition which is attached to that portion of
the Salary payable from the Revenues of British Columbia may be
removed, for it must be evident to your Grace that if the yearly
Revenue of the Colony falls short of Fifty Thousand 
Pounds per
annum, that circumstances can make no difference in my expenditure
and when my whole annual Income is not more than is necessary for
my support, I cannot regulate my expenses upon the
mere probability of receiving so large a portion of that Income as
Twelve Hundred Pounds (£1,200).
Pounds per
annum, that circumstances can make no difference in my expenditure
and when my whole annual Income is not more than is necessary for
my support, I cannot regulate my expenses upon the
mere probability of receiving so large a portion of that Income as
Twelve Hundred Pounds (£1,200).
3. I trust your Grace is assured that no exertion has been
wanting, or shall be wanting on my part to produce from British
Columbia the largest possible Revenue, and I doubt not that the
Revenue for 
the current year will attain the prescribed limit,
but your Grace cannot fail to understand how serious and embarrassing
to me is the condition imposed, and upon this representation and
under the consideration that the Mother Country has incurred no
expense for the Colony on Civil account, except for a portion of
my salary, I trust your Grace will see fit to remove this condition.
the current year will attain the prescribed limit,
but your Grace cannot fail to understand how serious and embarrassing
to me is the condition imposed, and upon this representation and
under the consideration that the Mother Country has incurred no
expense for the Colony on Civil account, except for a portion of
my salary, I trust your Grace will see fit to remove this condition.
4. I have recently received an offer from the Governor and
Committee
Committee of the Hudson Bay Company to purchase my retiring interest
in the Company at the price I named, so should Her Majesty's
Government not desire to avail themselves of the offer I made,
all difficulty upon that head is removed.
Committee of the Hudson Bay Company to purchase my retiring interest
in the Company at the price I named, so should Her Majesty's
Government not desire to avail themselves of the offer I made,
all difficulty upon that head is removed.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
In a despatch of May last, Govr Douglas was informed that he might draw an addition of £1200 to his salary for the current year if the Local Revenue shd amount to £50,000.
In a despatch of May last, Govr Douglas was informed that he might draw an addition of £1200 to his salary for the current year if the Local Revenue shd amount to £50,000.
In a subsequent despatch he was told that he might draw this
addition annually on the same condition.
He now requests that the increase of £1200 may be made
unconditionally.
The question of the purchase of his interest in the fur Trade
is standing over till the matter 
of the expenditure incurred on
the public Buildings of V.C. Island is explained (vide 7063) and
perhaps therefore the question of any permanent increase of the
Governors salary should also be postponed?
of the expenditure incurred on
the public Buildings of V.C. Island is explained (vide 7063) and
perhaps therefore the question of any permanent increase of the
Governors salary should also be postponed?
But the revenue of the Colony not having amounted to £50,000,
some decision seems called for as to the amount of Governor
Douglas' salary for the current year. Is he to be allowed to
receive the extra £1200.
HT Irving
22 Dec
I suppose it must be decided in Govr Douglas's favour.
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Merivale to G.A. Hamilton, Treasury, 24 January 1860,
providing information relating to the salary of the governor,
and advocating that the raise be sanctioned.
Minutes by CO staff
I find that none of this correspondence has gone to the
Treasury and therefore submit this Draft for approval.
