Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
6175 CO 60/21, p. 192; received 29 June
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (2), Enclosures (untranscribed) (2).
Cardwell forwards a petition from a group of miners along with his reply and notes that, while
the usual course of action would be
to endeavour to discredit the testimony,he has chosen to assume
the position of a neutral friend.
No. 29
20th March 1865
Sir,
With reference to my despatches No. 28 of the 19th Instant and
No. 30 of the 21st, I have the honor to forward a petition addressed
to me by certain persons in Victoria professing to be British Columbia
miners together with my reply.
2. I believe the courseusually
usually taken in such matters is to
investigate the signatures and point out to the Secretary of State that
such a one is not a Miner at all, and generally to endeavour to
discredit the testimony of those who ventured to appeal against an Act
to which the Governor is a party. You will see that I have adopted
another way of dealing with the question and have frankly entered into
the matter with the petitioners and assumed the position of a neutral
friend between a somewhatuncourteous
uncourteous meeting of the Mining population
and a legislative body entitled as such to be addressed in more
respectful language than that adopted in Victoria. The petitioners have
not preferred any request that the matter might be referred to you, and
it is of my own free will that I submit the enclosed documents.
usually taken in such matters is to
investigate the signatures and point out to the Secretary of State that
such a one is not a Miner at all, and generally to endeavour to
discredit the testimony of those who ventured to appeal against an Act
to which the Governor is a party. You will see that I have adopted
another way of dealing with the question and have frankly entered into
the matter with the petitioners and assumed the position of a neutral
friend between a somewhatuncourteous
uncourteous meeting of the Mining population
and a legislative body entitled as such to be addressed in more
respectful language than that adopted in Victoria. The petitioners have
not preferred any request that the matter might be referred to you, and
it is of my own free will that I submit the enclosed documents.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Seymour seems to have handled this well—& wishes
Mr Cardwell to know it.
FR
20/7
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
G.A. Walkem to Seymour, 25 March 1865, thanking the governor for
his reply to the petition presented by the miners of Cariboo.
Newspaper clipping, unnamed, no date, containing copy of petition
praying for the amendment of the customs act of the present
session, 321 signatures, together with the governor's reply thereon.