Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Seymour, Frederick to Grenville, Richard 8 June 1868, CO 60:32, no. 7429, 489.
Abstract
Despatch to London.
Minutes (2), Other documents (1).
Seymour informs Buckingham that the
Returnswill not be forwarded
by the present opportunityand that Seymour has
never appointed an Officer higher than a constable.Seymour discusses the financial difficulties of British Columbia and how those difficulties are affecting government offices, as well as Seymour’s personal finances. Cox’s minute suggests sending to the Treasury Seymour’s despatch and Buckingham’s despatch
of the 10 April No 22, written on the receipt of their letter 3274.Blake’s minute suggests seeing
subsequent 102/11064/68.
No. 59
Victoria
8th June 1868
My Lord Duke,
I have had the honor to receive today Your despatch No. 22, of
10th April, on the subject of the financial condition of the
Colony. TheReturns
Returns called for by Your Grace I shall be unable
to forward, I regret to say, by the present opportunity. They
shall follow by the next.
Returns called for by Your Grace I shall be unable
to forward, I regret to say, by the present opportunity. They
shall follow by the next.
2. As far as I am concerned I have to repeat the statement,
that I have never appointed an Officer higher than a constable
and have no expectation of doing so during my incumbency of
Office. Myduty
duty has been simply to cut down expenditure and
many are the families I have reduced to destitution.
duty has been simply to cut down expenditure and
many are the families I have reduced to destitution.
3. To impose additional taxation, as suggested by Your Grace,
would be simply to drive the unattached population out of the
Colony and to leave us poorer than we are now.
4. Enormous sums were spent by my predecessor in making rival
roads tothe
the single Gold Mine of Cariboo. A staff of Public
Officers was created sufficient for a population ten times as
great as we have now. To me has fallen the melancholy task of
reducing expenditure, and I may mention incidentally that my own
Salary is upwards of eleven months in arrears and that the Bank
of British Columbia is charging me eighteen per cent intereston
on
an overdrawn account.
the single Gold Mine of Cariboo. A staff of Public
Officers was created sufficient for a population ten times as
great as we have now. To me has fallen the melancholy task of
reducing expenditure, and I may mention incidentally that my own
Salary is upwards of eleven months in arrears and that the Bank
of British Columbia is charging me eighteen per cent intereston
on
an overdrawn account.
5. The reductions I propose to make will probably leave me
without an Executive Council and I shall have humbly to request
fresh Royal Instructions.
Minutes by CO staff
Sir F. Rogers
Send to the Ty for information a copy of the D. of Buckingham's of the 10 April No 22, written on the receipt of their letter 3274, & of this despatch?
Send to the Ty for information a copy of the D. of Buckingham's of the 10 April No 22, written on the receipt of their letter 3274, & of this despatch?
Other documents included in the file
Rogers to Secretary to the Treasury, 25 July 1868, forwarding
copies of correspondence with reference to the financial condition of
the colony.