Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Correspondence (private letter)
Gosset, William Driscoll to Fortescue, Chichester 27 July 1863, CO 60:17, no. 7365, 449.
Abstract
Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (7), Other documents (4).
Gosset to Fortescue (Parliamentary Under-Secretary)
58 Gloster Crescent
Hyde Park
July 27 1863
Hyde Park
Sir,
I have just returned to Town. Your communication of
the 21st followed me in the country which will account
for my delay in acknowledging it.
2. To comply with its command, to repair to British
Columbia by August the 31st, (could I start this instant),
would be an impossibility, the journey outwards being one
of seven weeks, but as I deemed it my duty to make nosecret
secret
at the Colonial Office of not wishing to return to B. Colbia
in the position of Treasurer, it was perhaps termed with a
view to elicit my intentions in official form.
secret
at the Colonial Office of not wishing to return to B. Colbia
in the position of Treasurer, it was perhaps termed with a
view to elicit my intentions in official form.
3. Permit me to assure you, that in due deference to
your right to the earliest information, such official
intimation would have been furnished by me many months since,
had I not understood that my presence in England was deemed
useful to the Colony, and I could not have ensured it, had
I onceplaced
placed myself at the command of another Department.
placed myself at the command of another Department.
4. I make these observations to remove the impression,
somewhat indicated by your letter, that I have hitherto
protracted my stay under equivocal pretences.
5. There can however be offered no better evidence of
the sincerity of my previous observation, that extended leave
was but (pro forma) sought under the supposition of my
attendance in London being still required by His Grace the
Duke of Newcastle, than that, now informed to the contrary,
I hasten respectfully to tender theresignation
resignation of my
appointment.
resignation of my
appointment.
6. It is with unfeigned regret that I contemplate a
severance of my connection with the Colonial Office; and, I
should seem ungracious were I not to state the circumstances
which lead towards it.
7. By revised Treasury regulations, I am (as a second
Officer of Royal Engineers) compelled, ere two years more
expire, to elect between, either return to my Corps, or
resignation of my military prospects: and, mypresent
present
appointment in British Columbia would not enable me to
incur the unavoidable expense of a journey out & back within
that time (an outlay of 800£ to 1000£ for a family), still
less justify me in relinquishing the rights of nearly 25
years service under Her Majesty.
present
appointment in British Columbia would not enable me to
incur the unavoidable expense of a journey out & back within
that time (an outlay of 800£ to 1000£ for a family), still
less justify me in relinquishing the rights of nearly 25
years service under Her Majesty.
8. I may have lately been persuaded by friends, that with
my knowledge of British Columbia & Vancouver Island, I might
have hoped, in some higher position than my present one,
to have made my adhesion to the Colonial service, permanent;
and that, my experience of the Ceylon model ofGovernment,
Government,
now to be adopted in British Columbia, might have proved
useful to a colony, in whose progress, as one of it's early
pioneers through four rough years of hardships, I cannot but
be interested, and whose development, under the form of
Government suggested by me in a despatch to Governor Douglas
so long back as 1859 and lately pressed upon your notice,
I may, not unnaturally, have entertained a desire to influence.
Government,
now to be adopted in British Columbia, might have proved
useful to a colony, in whose progress, as one of it's early
pioneers through four rough years of hardships, I cannot but
be interested, and whose development, under the form of
Government suggested by me in a despatch to Governor Douglas
so long back as 1859 and lately pressed upon your notice,
I may, not unnaturally, have entertained a desire to influence.
9. As in Ceylon, where such conduct was encouraged and
approved by its experienced Governor Sir Henry Ward,whose
whose
good opinion it was my great fortune to gain, and hold to
the day of death; so, in British Columbia, I have always
always endeavoured faithfully, and without fear of consequences
to myself, to perform my official duties, and, which is not
without its influence in a distant colony where the incorporation
of English customs has a powerful value not always appreciated,
to fill my position as a Government Officer—socially, avoiding
indecent greed or undignified speculations & relying only upon
the Public Service for reward—I trust therefore that my
services abroad have not merited the disapprobation of Her
Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies.
whose
good opinion it was my great fortune to gain, and hold to
the day of death; so, in British Columbia, I have always
always endeavoured faithfully, and without fear of consequences
to myself, to perform my official duties, and, which is not
without its influence in a distant colony where the incorporation
of English customs has a powerful value not always appreciated,
to fill my position as a Government Officer—socially, avoiding
indecent greed or undignified speculations & relying only upon
the Public Service for reward—I trust therefore that my
services abroad have not merited the disapprobation of Her
Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies.
10. In lately expressing my reflections upon the affairs
of British Columbia & Vancouver Island, although not insensible
to the fact that in doing so I may have been deemed troublesome
and pragmatical, I have acted solely from a conviction that it
was my duty to give your Department information, and, in pursuit
of desired ends I have sought only access to your (i.e. Col
Office) ear and declined the proffered aid of Members, in
Parliament—careful, as I trust I showed myself even in my
communications to you, to stir up as little dirt as possible
in remedying evils.
11. So much egotism it has been repugnant to me to utter,
but some explanation seemed due to myself, in case I may
have been misrepresented or misunderstood, for, if I am to
quit the Colonial Service, I should desire to do so, not under
a cloud, but carrying with me an agreeable impression of the
light in which my conduct may have been regarded.
12. I avail myself of this, perhaps my last opportunity,
gratefully to acknowledge the courtesy & kindness with which
I have been treated by the Colonial Office ever since I
accepted service under it in August 1855, and I request that
youwill
will do me the favor of laying this letter before His
Grace the Duke of Newcastle to whom I feel indebted for many
evidences of his consideration, and whom I would in conclusion
most respectfully thank.
will do me the favor of laying this letter before His
Grace the Duke of Newcastle to whom I feel indebted for many
evidences of his consideration, and whom I would in conclusion
most respectfully thank.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
Accept the resignation. The inference to be drawn from this Letter is that Capn G. would like a complimentary Letter to be addressed to him in answer; but on a careful & fair review of his services in B.C. as known to the S.S. I do not know that we have any ground for such a communication. Informthe
the Governor? It wd be better for the Colony, I think, if
the Duke of Newcastle were to select some body on his List
of Candidates to succeed Major Gossett: instead of leaving
the choice to the Governor.
Accept the resignation. The inference to be drawn from this Letter is that Capn G. would like a complimentary Letter to be addressed to him in answer; but on a careful & fair review of his services in B.C. as known to the S.S. I do not know that we have any ground for such a communication. Informthe
the Governor? It wd be better for the Colony, I think, if
the Duke of Newcastle were to select some body on his List
of Candidates to succeed Major Gossett: instead of leaving
the choice to the Governor.
The salary of the Office is £750 per annum.
ABd
28 July
I fear that the opening Pars. of this letter cannot be
considered very frank or straightforward. After all that
cloud of words and arguments, the fact remains that
Major Gosset had remained on leave and did his best to get it
extended, without any real intention of going back to his
Office. It is not however worth further notice.
As to his official career all that I remember is that
his accounts as Treasurer were sadly in arrear and formed the
subject of repeated complaints on that ground from the Audit
Office, but on the other hand I quite admit that ample
allowance should be made for the probable difficulties of
enforcing regularity, and of getting competent aid, in the
infancy of a Colony. He as it were challenges a verdict.
I do not think that he is entitled to force an expression of
approval. Would some such answer as follows suit the case?
In reply to his letteraccept
accept his resignation of his
office of Treasurer in B. Columbia. With reference to the
remarks in the latter part of his letter, assure him that
the Duke has no wish to intimate any disapprobation of his
conduct in his office, which His Grace does not doubt that
he discharged to the best of his power in the midst of the
difficulties of a new Colony.
accept his resignation of his
office of Treasurer in B. Columbia. With reference to the
remarks in the latter part of his letter, assure him that
the Duke has no wish to intimate any disapprobation of his
conduct in his office, which His Grace does not doubt that
he discharged to the best of his power in the midst of the
difficulties of a new Colony.
TFE
29 July
Major Gossett evidently expected to have been made
Commr of Land & Works, or Governor, of B. Columbia, and
is disappointed. But that is no reason why we sh. not make
his retirement from the Colonial Service as satisfactory to
him as we properly can. I would convey to him the Duke's
thanks for the valuable information with respect to the
affairs of B.C., with wh. his experience had enabled him to
furnish His Grace—and assure him that the fact, to wh. H.G.
understands him to allude, of some other appointment in
that Colony not having been offered to him, implies no
misunderstanding of his conduct, either in the Colony or at
the C.O., nor any disapprobation on the part of the Sec. of
State of his services to the Colonial Department.
CF
31
Other documents included in the file
Having received my cong£e from the Col Office this morng I marched
to the Horse Guards to report myself, when I was
told that your
notification to the War Dt of having dispensed with my Services
may be requisite to enable the Military Authorities to receive me.
As matters of pay & promotion hang upon
this, will you add to the
many favors I have had at yr hands, by getting this attended to at
your early convenience.
told that your
notification to the War Dt of having dispensed with my Services
may be requisite to enable the Military Authorities to receive me.
As matters of pay & promotion hang upon
this, will you add to the
many favors I have had at yr hands, by getting this attended to at
your early convenience.
Other documents included in the file
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Fortescue
See the Duke of Newcastle's minute. This draft follows the topic of your Minute, but somewhat abridged, in order to conform at the same time to the Duke's remark.
See the Duke of Newcastle's minute. This draft follows the topic of your Minute, but somewhat abridged, in order to conform at the same time to the Duke's remark.
Other documents included in the file
Colonial Office to Under-Secretary of State for War, 13 August 1863, advising of Gosset's resignation.
Minutes by CO staff
EBP
11-8/63
