Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Seymour, Frederick to Grenville, Richard 24 September 1867, CO 60:29, no. 10904, 202.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (3).
Seymour asks for the power to
to appoint two unofficial Gentlemen to be members of the Executive Council ofBritish Columbia, discusses why Seymour needs this power, and suggests a limitation on the
time of Service of the unofficial members.Rogers’s minute discusses the dangers of giving Seymour this power but also suggests Seymour be granted this power, given the circumstances. Buckingham minutes that he agrees
with Mr Seymour with the safeguard proposed.
Separate
Victoria
24th September 1867
My Lord Duke,
I would venture to repeat to Your Grace the recommendation
made in my letter to Mr Secretary Cardwell, dated 17th Feby
1866, that power be given to meto
to appoint two unofficial
Gentlemen to be members of the Executive Council of this Colony
should such a proceeding be found necessary by me.
to appoint two unofficial
Gentlemen to be members of the Executive Council of this Colony
should such a proceeding be found necessary by me.
2. The matter has become more urgent now than when I last
wrote, in as much as the place of Treasurer has been abolished.
Possibly also if Her Majesty be advised to grant the permission
I solicit the official elementin
in the Executive Council might
be restored to its usual force by my being permitted to place
the Police Magistrate of New Westminster in the vacant seat of
the Treasurer. It is extremely embarrassing to me under the
present financial depression to have to consult the Executive
Council as now constituted respecting the reduction in Salaries
which I think it expedient to make.
in the Executive Council might
be restored to its usual force by my being permitted to place
the Police Magistrate of New Westminster in the vacant seat of
the Treasurer. It is extremely embarrassing to me under the
present financial depression to have to consult the Executive
Council as now constituted respecting the reduction in Salaries
which I think it expedient to make.
3. The time of Serviceof
of the unofficial members might be
limited, most conveniently perhaps, by the condition that they
should be members of the Legislative Council and that their functions
as confidential advisers should cease with every lapse of their
Legislative positions.
of the unofficial members might be
limited, most conveniently perhaps, by the condition that they
should be members of the Legislative Council and that their functions
as confidential advisers should cease with every lapse of their
Legislative positions.
Minutes by CO staff
This is a matter in which I should be much inclined to be guided
by an intelligent Governor.
The danger is that an adroit & self-relying Governor starts a
system wh he, the originator, can
manage
but his less experienced & skillful successor cannot. The
point is to prevent the unofficial element in the Exe C.
becoming an institution—or at least to prevent its becoming an
institution too soon.
but his less experienced & skillful successor cannot. The
point is to prevent the unofficial element in the Exe C.
becoming an institution—or at least to prevent its becoming an
institution too soon.
I think Mr Seymour's plan—(that no unofficial Exe
Counr shd hold office after the determination of the Lege
Council) provides agt this & that it mt be approved.
If so Mr Holland perhaps will be good enough to see to the
formalities.
FR
3/11