Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Scarby, George to Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes 30 July 1863, CO 60:17, no. 7509, 243.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (4), Enclosures (untranscribed) (3), Other documents (1), Marginalia (6).
Scarby to Newcastle
No 2, Crown Court
Threadneedle Street, E.C.
30 July 1863
Threadneedle Street, E.C.
My Lord Duke,
May it please Your Grace.
I have the honor to address Your Grace, on a subject in which, I am
sure Your Grace, must be deeply interested; viz. Telegraphic
communication throughout the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British
Columbia; and, ultimately by the proposed new roads through the Red
River Settlement to Canada; by the Aleutian Islands to China; and by
the Indian Archipelago to Australia.
It is intended to establish "The British Columbia Telegraph Company,
Limited," and at present, in order, to meet the immediate and pressing
requirements of the Colonies, ofBritish
British Columbia and Vancouver Island,
It is proposed to plan the Inland towns of the former, as far North, as,
Alexandria or Richfield, in communication with New Westminster; and the
towns of the latter, with Victoria; joining, the Two Colonies by
submarine Cable, from Point Grey, B.C. to Nanaimo V.I. and, to place,
the whole, in communication with San Francisco; the United States, and
Canada; by a junction with the American lines at Whatcomb, in Washington
Territory.
British Columbia and Vancouver Island,
It is proposed to plan the Inland towns of the former, as far North, as,
Alexandria or Richfield, in communication with New Westminster; and the
towns of the latter, with Victoria; joining, the Two Colonies by
submarine Cable, from Point Grey, B.C. to Nanaimo V.I. and, to place,
the whole, in communication with San Francisco; the United States, and
Canada; by a junction with the American lines at Whatcomb, in Washington
Territory.
Already, has, this matter been laid before His Excellency Governor
Douglas, and the scheme received his countenance and support. The
different members of the Governments, and the Colonists at large,
support the undertaking, knowing, as they do, the many advantages that
would accrue therefrom to themselves.
The importance of such an undertaking in a Political point of view,
I need not mention to Your Grace. On a commercial point of view, the
advantages to the Colonists, and to all who are connected with the
Settlements of Vancouver Island and British Columbia must be enormous.
For
For the due completion of this undertaking, it is necessary, that an
"Act of Assembly" should be passed in Vancouver Island, and a
"Proclamation" be issued in British Columbia, granting the necessary
powers for passing over pre-empted, and other lands.
The Projectors have already had interviews with Mr Carey, who is
the Attorney General for both Colonies, and, he has promised, on behalf
of the Colonial Governments, to support such "Act," and to grant such
"Proclamation" as the Company may require.
I have now the honor to ask Your Grace that Your Grace will take the
matter into Your Grace's favourable consideration, and give it
countenance and support,
and,
Asks support of HMGt.
Firstly, That Your Grace will so recommend it to the notice of
H.E. The Governor, that the Company may have no difficulty in obtaining
the powers they require.
Secondly, That, as, the proposed capital of the Company at
present, is £100,000, Your Grace will be pleased to recommend to the
British Government to grant to the Companya
a subsidy.
The projectors
propose to grant to the Government the free use of their lines in both
Colonies, for ever. In consideration whereof they respectfully ask the
British Government to guarantee a dividend of Five per Centum, on the
£100,000, to the Shareholders, for the first Three years the line is in
operation, provided that trade of the Colonies is not sufficient to pay
such dividend.
There is little doubt that the Government, would never
be called upon for an farthing of the subsidy.
a subsidy.
Asks for a subsidy.
Asks for a guarantee of 5o on 100,000 for 3 years in case the
scheme does not pay.
Thirdly, That Your Grace will recommend to the Colonial
Government to grant in perpetuity to the Company such town lots, and
Sections of land in the roads, as they may require, for the erection of
Stations.
Such sections &c to be chosen by the Engineer of
the Company and an Officer appointed by Government.
Want grants of Land on the Line.
Fourthly, That Your Grace will be pleased to recommend that
all wire and all necessary materials for the construction of the lines
be admitted, into, and through both Colonies, free of Customs,and
and other
duties.
and other
duties.
Materials to be free of duty.
Fifthly, That the Company should have what assistance, could be
rendered by Her Majesty's Vessels stationed at Esquimalt, in laying the
submarine Cable across the Gulf of Georgia from Point Grey, B.C. to
Nanaimo, V.I. and across the Fraser River at New Westminster.
Use of H.M. ships in laying the Submarine Cable.
I have the honor to be,
My Lord Duke,
Your Grace's Most Obedient & Very Humble Servant
George Scarby
My Lord Duke,
Your Grace's Most Obedient & Very Humble Servant
George Scarby
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
This Office is already pledged to give any encouragement in its power to Mr Baring's scheme for establishing a passenger traffic and telegraphic communication across the continent of B.N.A. to our Colonies on the Pacific. Such a scheme comprizes part of the design described in this Letter & may, in time embrace telegraphic routes in the interior as well as across B. Columbia. For many years to come one telegraphic line will suffice for B.C. and though it may expose this Office to the imputation of supporting a monopoly the circes of the case wd justify it, in my opinion, in declining to encourage, at present, a second project of the same sort. Besides this scheme takes it rise in a United States line. A quarrel with the U.S. will at once stop the main operations of this line, & confine its utility solely to B.C. & V.C. Isld, where, it may easily be conceived, there will not be much demand for telegraphy for a long while. Then the demands of these projectors seem to me preposterous—they want a subsidy—and a dividend 5o per cent on £100,000 for 3 years, if the trade of the Colonies (a most vague expression) will not enable a dividend to be paid.
This Office is already pledged to give any encouragement in its power to Mr Baring's scheme for establishing a passenger traffic and telegraphic communication across the continent of B.N.A. to our Colonies on the Pacific. Such a scheme comprizes part of the design described in this Letter & may, in time embrace telegraphic routes in the interior as well as across B. Columbia. For many years to come one telegraphic line will suffice for B.C. and though it may expose this Office to the imputation of supporting a monopoly the circes of the case wd justify it, in my opinion, in declining to encourage, at present, a second project of the same sort. Besides this scheme takes it rise in a United States line. A quarrel with the U.S. will at once stop the main operations of this line, & confine its utility solely to B.C. & V.C. Isld, where, it may easily be conceived, there will not be much demand for telegraphy for a long while. Then the demands of these projectors seem to me preposterous—they want a subsidy—and a dividend 5o per cent on £100,000 for 3 years, if the trade of the Colonies (a most vague expression) will not enable a dividend to be paid.
ABd
31 July
The object I suppose is to elicit such an answer from a Government
office as will serve to run up their shares. Some of the specific
requests appear to me very
cool: such as that for the subsidy, and for the guarantee, for
materials free of duty, and for the use of the Queen's Ships in
laying their cable. As to the request for land on each side of the
line, they might plead the precedent of the Company already approved by
the Duke, and it is a well established encouragement to a good project.
I do not know the name of the gentleman who signs the letter. Even if
the enterprize were to be encouraged, it would be no more than right to
know that the projected Company had some
bonâ fide existence. It is easy enough to get a large sheet of
paper and write at the top offices of such and such a Company, but
persons entitled to attention ought to furnish a list of well known men
who are willing to share in the undertaking. In this case I see no such
list at all. The writer of the letter may be very respectable, but
one must always feel anxious to have some assurances that an answer
extracted from a Government Office should not be meant merely to promote
a bubble project.
list at all. The writer of the letter may be very respectable, but
one must always feel anxious to have some assurances that an answer
extracted from a Government Office should not be meant merely to promote
a bubble project.
If therefore the scheme were to be entertained, I think that we
should first of all demand some more information as to the names and
quality of the persons by whom it is proposed. But on the other hand if
nothing more is known of them than appears from this letter, it is
possible, that for the reasons mentioned by Mr Blackwood, the Duke
might think that there are grounds enough to say that for an enterprize
of so much difficulty as a telegraphic communication across the
Continent of North America, His Grace is not prepared to hold out the
expectation of assistance from the Govt to two Companies at the
same time?
It is, however, a question that requires care.
TFE
31 July
Duke of Newcastle
The answer might be that in any case it wd be necessary that you should be furnished with much more information respecting the promoters of this enterprize than is contained in the present communication before such an application as that of Mr Scarby's could be taken into consideration. But that he would learn from Papers laid before Parlmt that Y.G. has already promised such amount
of support as
H.M. Govt would
be justified in affording to other parties who had in contemplation
the construction of a line of telegraph between Canada & B. Columbia.
The answer might be that in any case it wd be necessary that you should be furnished with much more information respecting the promoters of this enterprize than is contained in the present communication before such an application as that of Mr Scarby's could be taken into consideration. But that he would learn from Papers laid before Parlmt that Y.G. has already promised such amount
of support as
H.M. Govt would
be justified in affording to other parties who had in contemplation
the construction of a line of telegraph between Canada & B. Columbia.
CF
3 Augt
This answer will be safe & proper. I have little doubt that Mr
"George Scarby" is the Company.
N
6
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Prospectus of the British Columbia Telegraph Company, Limited, proposing to form a joint stock company.
Other documents included in the file
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Map of British Columbia and Washington State, showing the
proposed route of the telegraph cable.
W.A.G. Young, Colonial Secretary, to D. Huddell, 16 June 1863,
advising that the colonial government would view with satisfaction
any proposal for the establishment of telegraphic links between
various points in the two colonies.