Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Public Offices document
Murdoch, Thomas William Clinton to Rogers, Frederic 29 March 1862, CO 305:19, no. 3100, 392.
Abstract
Public Offices document.
Minutes (4), Other documents (1).
Murdoch forwards Newcastle's despatch
on the subject of the erection of Barracks in Vancouvers Islandto Rogers and suggests that there must be suitable Crown land available in the colony for that purpose. Elliot, referencing an attached
statement of the casefrom Ebden, points out that although plans to send a regiment to the colony have been cancelled, it would be expedient to
select a fitting spot for the [construction of a barracks] on ground belonging to the Govt.
Murdoch to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Emigration Office
29 March 1862
I have to acknowledge your letter of 21st inst, enclosing a Despatch
from Governor Douglas on the subject of the erection of Barracks in
Vancouvers Island. The Duke of Newcastle desires to be informed
whether the sites pointed out by Governor Douglas and Colonel Moody
as most suitable fall within the Lands recovered to the Crown under
the recent Agreement with the Hudsons Bay Co.
2. Without a more precise specification than is given in Govr
Douglas' despatch and Coll Moody's letter of the sites in question
it is not possible to speak confidently on this point. But I should
have little doubt that the Crown now possesses Land enough in the
situation indicated by Coll Moody for the erection of Barracks. The
situation which he points out is Beacon Hill, and on the Chart
furnished to us by Mr Dallas, containing we believe all sales up to
a recent date, the Land in the neighbourhood of Beacon Hill
appears
to be still undisposed of—Beacon Hill itself is in the Public Park
reserved by the Hudsons Bay Company when they marked out the Land
which they originally prepared for public sale & which they claimed
as their private property.
appears
to be still undisposed of—Beacon Hill itself is in the Public Park
reserved by the Hudsons Bay Company when they marked out the Land
which they originally prepared for public sale & which they claimed
as their private property.
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Fortescue
Attached to this you will find an extremely clear and concise statement of the case by Mr Ebden. I think that with reference to the Governor's despatch No 2, we should inform him that the project of sending a Regiment to Vancouver's Island has for the present been dropped, but that there can be no doubt that it is proper to reserve a fit site for the future erection of Barracks for any of H.M's Troops who may be stationed in the Colony, and that adverting to the large extent of the lands recovered to the Crown under the recent agreement with the Hudson's Bay Company, the Duke of Newcastle confidently expects that the Governor will be able, with Coll Moody's assistance, to select a fitting spot for the purpose on ground belonging to the Govt. It would be highly unbecoming, I should add, that in a Colony which has been so recently formed, and which owes so much to the protection afforded by the Mother Country, there should be a question of the necessity of buying the land required to provide accommodation for the Queen's Troops.
Attached to this you will find an extremely clear and concise statement of the case by Mr Ebden. I think that with reference to the Governor's despatch No 2, we should inform him that the project of sending a Regiment to Vancouver's Island has for the present been dropped, but that there can be no doubt that it is proper to reserve a fit site for the future erection of Barracks for any of H.M's Troops who may be stationed in the Colony, and that adverting to the large extent of the lands recovered to the Crown under the recent agreement with the Hudson's Bay Company, the Duke of Newcastle confidently expects that the Governor will be able, with Coll Moody's assistance, to select a fitting spot for the purpose on ground belonging to the Govt. It would be highly unbecoming, I should add, that in a Colony which has been so recently formed, and which owes so much to the protection afforded by the Mother Country, there should be a question of the necessity of buying the land required to provide accommodation for the Queen's Troops.
TFE
8 April
Mr Elliot
The idea of building barracks on Vancouver I[sland] originated in a letter from the WO relative to transferring to the Island a Regiment from China.
The idea of building barracks on Vancouver I[sland] originated in a letter from the WO relative to transferring to the Island a Regiment from China.
The WO subsequently forwarded a letter from Colonel Moody on the
supposed necessity for losing no time in
purchasing a site. The reply was that such necessity depended
on the question whether the proper site should prove to be within the
H.B.C. Reserve or without it and a copy of the correspondence was
sent to the Governor for his Report.
The Governor reported that the site considered most suitable would
most likely have to be purchased from the H.B.C. The question then
arose
how far this supposed necessity might be affected by the recent
agreement between the Company and the Crown of which Mr Douglas was
not in possession when he wrote his Report.
how far this supposed necessity might be affected by the recent
agreement between the Company and the Crown of which Mr Douglas was
not in possession when he wrote his Report.
On this question the Land Board has reported.
——————————
In the meantime however the Military authorities expressed
disinclination to sending a Regiment to Vancouver I[sland]
whether from
China or elsewhere on the general principle that the force would be
isolated and beyond the reach of support. Earl Russell who had been
chiefly anxious for the measure concurred in the objection and agreed
to let the matter drop
for the present. There is therefore no immediate need for
barracks, but, as the
question of sending a Rgt. to Vancouver I[sland]
may be revived by the F.O., it may not be inexpedient to reserve a site
if possible.
question of sending a Rgt. to Vancouver I[sland]
may be revived by the F.O., it may not be inexpedient to reserve a site
if possible.
