With reference to your letter of the
11 inst. forwarding a
Copy of a despatch from the Governor of
British Columbia
relative to
Captain W.A. Delacombe commanding the Royal Marines
at
San Juan, being granted the local rank of Lieutenant Colonel
while so employed, I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of
the
Admiralty to acquaint you for the information
of![Manuscript image Manuscript image](https://hcmc.uvic.ca/~coldesp/jpg_scans/jpg_thumbnail/co_60_42/co_60_42_00052r.jpg)
of the
Secretary of State for the Colonies that My Lords cannot
recommend such a step.
3. My Lords further consider that it would form an undesirable
precedent to Give
the![Manuscript image Manuscript image](https://hcmc.uvic.ca/~coldesp/jpg_scans/jpg_thumbnail/co_60_42/co_60_42_00053r.jpg)
the local rank to successive Captains of
Marines of six or seven years
seniority who should chance to be in Command of the detachment
numbering between eighty or a hundred men. Under these
Circumstances, unless the
Earl of Kimberley should see any
urgent reason for compliance My Lords are prepared to decline
acceding to this proposition.