Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch from London
Grey, Henry George to Douglas, James 5 November 1851, LAC RG7:G8C/1, 31.
Abstract
Despatch from London.
This document contains mentions of Indigenous Peoples. The authors of these documents
often perpetuate a negative perspective of Indigenous Peoples and it is important
to look critically at these mentions. They sometimes use terminology that is now considered
hurtful and offensive. To learn more about modern terminology pertaining to Indigenous
Peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and decolonization, please refer to the Glossary of terms.
Grey writes to Douglas to acknowledge the receipt of Blanshard's earlier report on the murders near Fort Rupert, a subject upon which Grey finds impossible to judge, for want of fuller information. Grey then defers to Douglas to asses the threat of violence against British subjects on Vancouver Island.
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Predecessor's despatch of
the 4th of August last, with its enclosures, reporting the proceedings
taken by Lieutenant Lacy, of Her Majesty's Ship "Daphne", with a view to
apprehend the Indians who murdered certain British Seamen at "Newitty"
in July last.
It is impossible that I can
judge of the propriety of the
proceedings which have been taken with a view to the apprehension of
these murderers, without fuller information on the subject than that
which is contained in your Predecessor's despatch. But you will ere
this be in possession of the general views which Her Majesty's
Government entertain on the question of the protection to be afforded to
British subjects against the violence of the native Indian tribes as
explained in my despatch of the 20th of March last, No 1,
Military. I have nothing to add to the instructions contained in that
despatch.
judge of the propriety of the
proceedings which have been taken with a view to the apprehension of
these murderers, without fuller information on the subject than that
which is contained in your Predecessor's despatch. But you will ere
this be in possession of the general views which Her Majesty's
Government entertain on the question of the protection to be afforded to
British subjects against the violence of the native Indian tribes as
explained in my despatch of the 20th of March last, No 1,
Military. I have nothing to add to the instructions contained in that
despatch.Footnotes
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