Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Corry, Henry Thomas Lowry to Merivale, Herman 21 March 1859, CO 60:5, no. 3057, 314.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (1), Enclosures (untranscribed) (4).
Corry forwards a report from Prevost on
measures takenby the Royal Navy to quell disturbances on the Fraser River and recommends that a military presence be established to
obviatethe need for naval service.
The minutes find no
freshinformation in this report and hope the arrival of the Royal Engineers will address the Navy’s concerns.
Attached is correspondence between Prevost and Douglas concerning the
disturbed stateof affairs at Fort Yale and on the Fraser River.
Corry to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty to send you herewith, for the information of
Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies, a
Copy of a Letter from Captain Prevost of Her Majesty's
Ship Satellite, dated the 10th Jany last, with
Copies of its enclosures, reporting the measures taken
on the requisition of Governor Douglas for strengthening
the hands of the Civil Power in the disturbed district
in Fraser's River.
My
My Lords deem it proper to direct Sir Bulwer Lytton's
attention to the expediency of maintaining such a Military
Force in British Columbia as may be sufficient to uphold
the authority of the Civil Power, and to obviate the
necessity of rendering Her Majesty's Ships from time to
time inefficient for the general Service of the Station
from their Seamen and Marines being landed for this purpose.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Merivale
These papers furnish us with no fresh infn. It may be hoped that the arrival in B. Columbia of the main body of the Engineer force—which went round the Horn, & wd reach its destination about the end of Jany will, with the aid of the gun boats, despatched by the Admiralty, relieve these surveying ships from duties which only necessity of the case compelled the Governor to ask them occasionally to undertake.
These papers furnish us with no fresh infn. It may be hoped that the arrival in B. Columbia of the main body of the Engineer force—which went round the Horn, & wd reach its destination about the end of Jany will, with the aid of the gun boats, despatched by the Admiralty, relieve these surveying ships from duties which only necessity of the case compelled the Governor to ask them occasionally to undertake.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
James C. Prevost, Captain of
Satellite and Senior Naval Officer at Vancouver
Island, to Secretary of the Admiralty, No. 1, 10 January 1859,
reporting on disturbed state of Fort Yale.
Prevost to Rear Admiral R.A. Baynes, Commander in Chief, Pacific
Station, 10 January 1859, reporting on the situation in the interior.
