Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Seymour, Frederick to Grenville, Richard 5 June 1868, CO 60:32, no. 8195, 477.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (9), Other documents (5).
Seymour requests that Young not be appointed
to the permanent office of Colonial Secretary without some further communication withSeymour. Seymour relates why there are concerns over Young being appointed as colonial secretary of British Columbia. Minutes by Cox, Rogers, Adderley, and Buckingham discuss whether Seymour can deny Young the opportunity to be British Columbia’s colonial secretary. Cox’s later minute discusses Young’s experience as colonial secretary. Buckingham’s minute describes how to reply to Seymour. Bryant minutes that Buckingham
appointed Mr Philip J. Hankin, R.N., Colonial Secretary of Sierre Leone, to be Colonial Secretary of British Columbia.Robinson minutes that Seymour was contacted.
Secret
Victoria
5 June 1868
My Lord Duke,
I would venture to request that Your Grace will not appoint
Mr William A.G. Young to the permanent office of Colonial
Secretary without some further communication with me. I find
Mr Young clever and energetic, but he is so mixed up in the
affairs
of Victoria, that I cannot give him the entire
confidence which a Governor should repose in his Colonial Secretary.
of Victoria, that I cannot give him the entire
confidence which a Governor should repose in his Colonial Secretary.
Mr Young knows nothing of the interior of the main land
portion of British Columbia.
Minutes by CO staff
Sir F. Rogers
I believe Lord Carnarvon left to Govr Seymour to appoint a Colonial Secretary when Mr Birch gave up the apptt. See Mr Seymour's despatch 11764 reporting the arrangements he had made when Mr Birch left the Colony, & see also concluding paragraph of the D. of Buckinghams's despatch to Mr Seymour of 7 Oct. No 68, attached to 8566.
I believe Lord Carnarvon left to Govr Seymour to appoint a Colonial Secretary when Mr Birch gave up the apptt. See Mr Seymour's despatch 11764 reporting the arrangements he had made when Mr Birch left the Colony, & see also concluding paragraph of the D. of Buckinghams's despatch to Mr Seymour of 7 Oct. No 68, attached to 8566.
CC
16 July
I do not think that anything that passed betn Ld
Carnarvon & Mr Seymour on this subject need be considered now.
The circumstances of that time are gone by—& this Mr
Seymour plainly understands.
If Mr Young has any claim to
the apptmt & is excluded from it on a representation of
Mr Seymour's, it ought, I shd say to be on a public not
"secret" representation.
I conclude Govr Seymour intends this to be considered a
confidential report—with [several words cut off microfilm].
Duke of Buckingham
As the discretion left to Govr Seymour by Lord Carnarvon has lapsed it remains with your Grace—the Capital question being decided—to decide how this Colonial Secretaryship is to be filled up. At the same time I think that, in the face of Govr Seymour's despatch of the 28 Sept. last (11764) in which he reported that he had appointed Mr Young to
act during
Mr Birch's absence on leave & proposed to pay him full Salary—£600
whilst at Victoria, £800 whilst at New Westminster—(which
arrangement was sanctioned)—it would be questionable whether
without some official communication from Govr Seymour Your
Grace should fill it up by a direct apptt.
As the discretion left to Govr Seymour by Lord Carnarvon has lapsed it remains with your Grace—the Capital question being decided—to decide how this Colonial Secretaryship is to be filled up. At the same time I think that, in the face of Govr Seymour's despatch of the 28 Sept. last (11764) in which he reported that he had appointed Mr Young to
act during
Mr Birch's absence on leave & proposed to pay him full Salary—£600
whilst at Victoria, £800 whilst at New Westminster—(which
arrangement was sanctioned)—it would be questionable whether
without some official communication from Govr Seymour Your
Grace should fill it up by a direct apptt.
CC
22 July
Reply acknowledging & stating that relying on the Govr's
opinion I shall endeavour to select some other well qualified
person for Colonial Sec—as it is of course important that the
Govr shd be able to repose entire confidence in an officer
holding that position.
B&C
23/7
Other documents included in the file
Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, Confidential, 28 July 1868 advising Seymour that Buckingham will endeavour to select a candidate for colonial secretary other than Young.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Cox
His Grace has appointed Mr Philip J. Hankin, R.N., Colonial Secretary of Sierre Leone, to be Colonial Secretary of British Columbia.
His Grace has appointed Mr Philip J. Hankin, R.N., Colonial Secretary of Sierre Leone, to be Colonial Secretary of British Columbia.
Will you, please, inform the Governor at once.
Other documents included in the file
*
Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, No. 85, 6 October 1868 informing Seymour that Hankin, Sierra Leone’s colonial secretary, was appointed “Colonial Secretary of British Columbia.”
Other documents included in the file
*
Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, Confidential, 28 November 1868 informing Seymour that the decision to replace Young as colonial secretary cannot be delayed or stopped.
Draft reply, Buckingham to Seymour, No. 87, 20 October 1868 transmitting “the Queen's Warrant for the appointment of Lieutenant Philip James Hankin R.N. to be Colonial Secretary for the Colony of British Columbia.”