Correspondence (private letter).
Minutes (3), Other documents (1).
Dawson writes to the Colonial Office to enquire if there are any ministerial or judicial appointments available at the
colony on Vancouver Island as family considerations & circumstances have induced in him a wish to settle there.
The minutes advise that Vancouver Island is already an established colony and that there are no appointments vacant there.
Enclosed is a draft reply from Merivale to Dawson advising that there are no vacant appointments at the colony.
Having been informed that it is the intention of Government to form
a Colonial establishment in Vancouver's Island, I beg to be allowed to
present myself to your notice as an applicant for any ministerial or
judicial appointment that it may be the intention of Government to
establish there & that may be vacant.
I am a member of the
English bar of many years standing—and have
also acted for many years as a magistrate for the counties of Berkshire
and the West & East Ridings of Yorkshire & am a deputy lieutenant of the
latter Riding.
Family considerations & circumstances connected with that distant
locality have induced in me a wish to reside & probably finally settle
there. If you should incline to the opinion that there is
any ground
for entertaining my application, I could proceed immediately to lay
before you testimonials of my fitness from lawyers & brother magistrates
who have known me & with whom I have been in the habit of acting for
many years up to the present time.
As an apology for the seeming indelicacy of thus intruding on you
my own pretentions, I can only urge my impression
that in the case of so
comparatively little known & remote a settlement, it is not likely that
many persons duly qualified for such an appointment & at the same time
willing to accept it, would be known to you unless they took the liberty
of introducing themselves.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant
Geo P. Dawson
This gentleman seems from the Law List to be a barrister of more
than 30 years' standing. Inform him, I suppose, that Vanc. Id is
already an established colony, and that there are no appointments vacant
there.