I have the honor to Enclose for the information of His Grace the Duke
of Newcastle a copy of a letter from the Colonial Treasurer at
Vancouver Island advising the drawing upon the Agents General of Six
drafts amounting to Five thousand pounds Sterling (£5,000) and I beg
to be favored with the necessary authority for accepting Nos 2, 3 &
6, the others having been accepted pursuant to your letter of 22nd
Instant.
There are ample funds belonging to Vancouver Island at the disposal
of the Agents General to meet these Bills.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient
Humble Servant, W.C. Sargeaunt
Minutes by CO staff
Mr Elliot
I conclude that these bills are to pay for the public works going on
in V.C. Island. They must of course be paid out of the money in the
hands of the Agents.
The Governor shd properly, have advised the Duke of Newcastle of
these Bills, & explained what they were drawn for.
I shd suggest a desph to him saying that the bills mentioned in the
enclosure to this Letter, as also those named in 3949, have been
ordered to be paid, but warning him against over drafts.
And telling him that he ought to send advices of such Bills to the
Secretary of State and should on no account omit to specify the
objects for which they are drawn.
I should add a paragraph saying that the financial reports both of
Vancouver Island and B. Columbia are less methodical and complete
than those of any other Colony and that the Secretary of State must
impress it upon the Governor that any Administration must be viewed
unfavorably which fails to discharge the important duty of presenting
an intelligible and fair account of it's financial proceedings.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Alexander Watson, Treasurer, to Julyan and Sargeaunt, Agents
General, 27 February 1863, advising six drafts totalling £5,000 had
been drawn on the account of Vancouver Island, and enclosing
particulars.
List of six drafts as noted above.
Minutes by CO staff
Mem. 19 May. This is a mistake: £26,000 is only what the Agents
have
invested
they distinctly told us that they had as much as
£30,000, & that they proposed
to invest £26,000: these facts ought to have been got up more
carefully; we shall now have to write to the Govr to show our
errors & correct them.