Colonial Despatches

With reference to your despatch No. 128 of the 20th of December last, and to my answer No. 12 of the 12th of March, relative to the Claim of Messrs Clarke and Skinner for compensation on account of the premature termination of their contract for the supply of the Troops in British Columbia, I have the honor to transmit to you, for your information, a copy of a letter which has now been received on the subject from the War Office, together with the copy of a letter from Governor Seymour to whom I communicated the papers.

I request that you will take steps for ascertaining the particulars suggested in the letter from General Moody which forms an enclosure of the letter from the War Office, and for assessing the amount of the claim of the Messrs Clarke and Skinner upon that basis. I suspend until receiving your report, the decision on the claim, as well as the question of the source from which any indemnity that may beconsidered considered fairly payable to the Messrs Clarke and Skinner ought to be derived.