Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Correspondence (private letter)
Fraser, Donald to Grenville, Richard 16 August 1867, CO 60:31, no. 8082, 254.
Abstract
Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (2), Other documents (1).
Fraser informs the Colonial Office that Fraser notified the other Memorialists of the Colonial Office’s response to the Memorialists’ letters. Fraser asks Buckingham to let the Memorialists see Seymour’s report once Buckingham receives it. Elliot’s minute discusses how to respond to Fraser’s request.
Fraser to Buckingham
33 St James Square
16 August 1867
My Lord Duke,
I beg to acknowledge receipt of Mr Elliots Letter of the
13th, the contents of which I have communicated to the other
Gentlemen who addressed Your Grace on the 26th ultimo, as well as
to Sir Edmund Head and the Gentlemen who joined in the Memorial of
that date.
2. I have also informed Mr Graves the Member for Liverpool
and the other Gentlemen who intended to form a Deputation that their
Services will not be required.
3. Mr Elliot remarks that it is impossible for Your Grace to
adopt any conclusion on the subject until a Report on the question at
issue shall have beenreceived
received from the Governor.
received from the Governor.
4. This resolution is both reasonable and proper and my only
object in adverting to it, is to state that neither myself nor any of
the Gentlemen moving in the matter desired or expected that Your
Grace should decide the question until full information had been
received from Governor Seymour.
5. Influenced by these Statements, the Gentlemen who forwarded
the Memorial desire me to suggest that your Grace would have the
goodness to afford the Memorialists an opportunity of perusing
Governor Seymour's Report and of Commenting upon it, if necessary,
before it shall have been acted upon—should Your Grace consider such
a course proper.
6. I, therefore, beg leave, with great respect, to submit this
suggestionfor
for your Grace's kind consideration.
for your Grace's kind consideration.
The Right Hon His Grace
The Duke of Buckingham & Chandos
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for the Colonies
The Duke of Buckingham & Chandos
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for the Colonies
Minutes by CO staff
The request on page 2 is singularly unreasonable, although
doubtless only proceeding from want of knowledge and experience.
I should ackge the letter & with reference to that request I
should state that it would be entirely contrary to the practise of
the public service to refer reports made by the Governors of Colonies
officially to the Secretary of State for the comments of private
persons.
