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\"Presented to both houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty, 31st May 1866.\" -- Title page.","@language":"en"}],"DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":[{"@value":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/collections\/bcbooks\/items\/1.0222177\/source.json","@language":"en"}],"Extent":[{"@value":"ii, 44 pages : tables ; 34 cm","@language":"en"}],"FileFormat":[{"@value":"application\/pdf","@language":"en"}],"FullText":[{"@value":" PAPERS\nRELATIVE TO\nTHE PROPOSED UNION\nOF\nBRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n\nPresented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty,\n31st May 1866.\nLONDON:\nPRINTED BY GEORGE EDWARD EYRE AND WILLIAM RPOTTISWOODE,\nPRINTERS TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.\nFOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE\n[Price 6d.]\n1866.\t 11\nSCHEDULE.\nNumber\nin\nSeries.\nFrom whom.\nDate and Number.\nSUBJECT.\n10\n11\n12\n13\n14\n15\nThe Duke of Newcastle to Governor\nSir J. Douglas.\nDitto ditto\nDitto ditto\nDitto ditto\nMr. Secretary Card-\nwell to Governor\nKennedy.\nGovernor Kennedy to\nMr. Secretary Card-\nwell.\nDitto\nditto\nDitto ditto\nGovernor Seymour to\nMr. Secretary Card-\nwell.\nDitto\nditto\nGovernor Kennedy to\nMr. Secretary Card-\nwell.\nDitto\nditto\nMr. Secretary Card-\nwell to Governor\nKennedy.\nGovernor Seymour to\nMr. Secretary Card-\nwell.\nOfficer administering\nthe Government of\nBritish Columbia to\nMr. Secretary Card-\nwelL\n26 May 1863\n(Separate.)\n15 June 1863\n(Separate.)\n14 July 1863\n(No. 35.)\nStates that the Act for the Government of British\nColumbia will be continued for a year, and enclosing Draft Order in Council, constituting the\nLegislative Council..\n- Constitutional arrangements for Vancouver Island\nand British Columbia.\nDitto Ditto.\n1 August 1863 -\n(Separate.)\n30 April 1864\n(No. 2.)\n21 March 1865\n(No. 14.)\n( Separate.)\n21 March 1865\n(No. 15.)\n(Separate.)\n21 March 1865\n(No. 16.)\n(Extract.)\n21 March 1865\n(No. 30.)\nInstructions to the Governor, appointing certain\nofficers to be Members of the Legislative Council in British Columbia.\nOn the subject of the Resolution of the House of\nRepresentatives of Vancouver Island to decline\nto pass the Civil List Act proposed in the Duke\nof Newcastle's Despatch, Separate, of the 15\nJune 1863.\nReporting Resolution of Legislative Assembly in\nfavour of Union with British Columbia.\nTransmitting Resolutions of the Chamber of Commerce.\nGovernor Kennedy's views on the proposed Uniont\nResolutions of the Chamber of Commerce of\nVictoria.\n29 March 1865 - Forwarding Petition to Governor from Miners of\n(Separate.) Cariboo, and Governor's-reply.\n1 December 1865 Transmitting Petition praying for continuance of\n(No. 92.) Free Port Policy.\n16 December 1865\n(No. 97.)\n(Separate.)\n1 February 1866\n(No. 6.)\n17 February 1866\n3 March 1866\n(No. 16.)\nResolutions of the Assembly on the Union.\nGovernor Seymour's views on the proposed Union.\n.Transmitting Petition to the Queen for Union of\nthe Two Colonies.\nPage.\n19\n20\n30\n30\n33\nAcknowledging the receipt of the Memorial con- | 34\ntained in Governor's Despatch, No. 92, of the\n1st December 1865.\n34\n42 ( 1 )\nPAPERS\nRELATIVE TO\nTHE PROPOSED UNION\nBRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., to Governor\nSir James Douglas, K.C.B.\n(Separate,)\nSir, Downing Street, May 26, 1863.\nAs the Act for the Government of British Columbia will expire at the end of the\npresent session of Parliament I think it necessary to inform you of the course which it is\nmy intention to pursue with respect to the future administration of that Colony.\nI shall, in the first place, propose to Parliament a Bill continuing the present Act\nfor another year, and annexing to British Columbia what is at present the Stekeen\nterritory.\nI shall also submit to Her Majesty an Order in Council, constituting a Legislative\nCouncil in British Columbia, in pursuance of the 3rd section of the Act of 22 Vict.\ncap. 99- The power of nominating the members of this Council will, in the first\ninstance, be vested in the Governor, but I wish it to be so exercised as to constitute a\npartially representative body, capable of making the wishes of the community felt, and\ncalculated to pave the way for a more formal, if not a larger introduction of the representative element. I shall of course make you more fully acquainted with my views in\nthis respect hereafter; but I think it best to communicate to you confidentially the\ndraft of an Order in Council, which I have caused to be prepared, but which may\npossibly be altered in some of its details before it is finally passed.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Sir J. Douglas, K.C.B. ; (Signed) NEWCASTLE.\n&c. &c.\nNo,*.\nNo. 2.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., to Governor\nSir James Douglas, K.C.B.\n(Separate.)\nSir, Downing Street, June 15, 1863.\nI have long had under my consideration the various questions which have arisen\nrespecting the form of Government which should be adopted in British Columbia and\nVancouver Island ; and I have now to communicate to you the decision at which I have\narrived.\nI should have much desired, if it had been possible, that these two Colonies should\nhave formed one Government. I feel confident that economy and efficiency would be\npromoted, that commerce would be facilitated, that political capacity would be developed, that the strength of the Colonies would be consolidated, and generally that their\nwell-being would be greatly advanced by such an union ; and I hope that moderate and\nfar-seeing ipen in both communities will be convinced of this, and will bear in mind the\nexpediency of avoiding or removing all that is likely to impede, and favouring all that is\nH923. A 2\nNo. 2. British\n| Columbia\nAND\ni Vancouver\nIsland.\n2 PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nlikely to facilitate such a result. But I am aware that the prevailing feeling is at present strongly adverse to such a measure, and in deference to that feeling I am prepared\nto take steps for placing them under different Governors, so soon as proper financial\narrangements are made for the permanent support ofthe Government.\nWith regard to Vancouver Island I think that a permanent Act of the Legislature\nshould be passed, securing to the principal officers of the Government salaries at the\nfollowing rates, which the importance of the Colony and the prospects of its revenue\nappear to render no more than fitting :\u2014\nGovernor\nChief Justice\nColonial Secretary\nAttorney General\nTreasurer\nSurveyor General\n3,000\n800\u2014(to be 1,200\/. when\na lawyer is appointed.)\n600\n300, with practice.\n600\n500\nThe initiation of all money votes should also be secured to the Government.\nWhen this is done I am prepared to hold the Crown revenue of Vancouver Island at\nthe disposal of the Legislature of that Colony, retaining only such temporary power over\nthe land as will enable Her Majesty's Government to close its transactions with the\nHudson's Bay Company. When this is effected I shall be ready to transfer the management of the revenue to the Colonial Legislature.\nWith regard to British Columbia, adverting to the magnitude of the colonial interests\nand to the steady progression of the local revenue, I should wish you at once to proclaim a permanent law enabling Her Majesty to allot salaries to the Government officers\nof British Columbia at the following rates:\u2014\nGovernor -\nChief Justice ...\nColonial Secretary\nAttorney General\nTreasurer -\nCommissioner of Lands and Surveyor General\nCollector of Customs\nChief Inspector of Police\nRegistrar of Deeds\n\u00a3\n3,000, with a suitable\nresidence.\n1,200\n800\n500, with practice.\n750\n800\n650\n500\n500\nIt will then follow to give effect to the enclosed Order in Council, which Her Majesty\nhas been pleased to issue, in order to prepare the way for,giving the inhabitants of\nthe Colony a due influence in its government- I should have wished to establish there\nthe same representative institutions which already, exist in Vancouver Island jj and it is\nnot without reluctance that I have come to the conclusion that this is at present\nimpossible.\nIt is, however, plain that the fixed population of British Columbia is not yet large\nenough to form a sufficient and sound basis of representation, while the migratory element\nfar exceeds the fixed, and the Indian far outnumbers both together.\nGold is the only produce of the Colony, extracted in a great measure by an annual\ninflux of foreigners. Of landed proprietors there are next to none, of tradesmen not\nvery many, and these are occupied in. their own pursuits at a distance from the centre, of\nGovernment, and from each other. Under these circumstances I see no mode of establishing a purely representative Legislature, which would not be open to one of two\nobjections. Either^ it must place the Government of the Colony under the exclusive\ncontrol of a small circle of persons naturally occupied with their own local, personal, or\nclass interests, or it must confide a large amount of political power to immigrant,\nor rather transient foreigners, who have no permanent interest in the prosperity ofthe\nColony.\nFor these reasons I think it necessary that the Government should retain for the\npresent a preponderating influence in the Legislature. From the best information I can\nobtain I am disposed to think it most advisable that about one-third of the Council\nshould consist of the Colonial Secretary and other officers who generally compose the\nExecutive Council, about one-third of magistrates from different parts of the Colony,\nand about one-third of persons elected by the residents of different electoral districts. OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n3\nBritish1\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nBut here I am met by the difficulty that these residents are not only few and scattered,\nbut (like the foreign gold-diggers) migratory and unsettled, and that any definition of\nelectoral districts now'made might, in the lapse of a few months, become wholly inapplicable to the state of the Colony. It would, therefore, be trifling to attempt such a\ndefinition, nor am I disposed to rely on any untried contrivances which might be\nsuggested for supplying its place\u2014contrivances which depend for their success on a\nvariety of circumstances, which, with my present information, I cannot safely assume to\nexist.\nI have, therefore, thought it most advisable to have recourse in British Columbia to\nthe tried machinery of a Legislative Council, with the intention, however, that the\nappointments to that Council, which by the enclosed Order you are authorized to make,\nshall be made, if not in exact accordance with the outline which I have traced, yet at\nany rate writh the object of securing that at least one-third of the councillors shall be\npersons recognized by the residents in the Colony as representing their feelings and'\ninterests. By what exact process this quasi-representation shall be accomplished, whether\nby ascertaining informally the sense of the residents in each locality, or by bringing the\nquestion before different public meetings, or (as is done in Ceylon) by accepting the\nnominee of any corporate body or society, I leave you to determine. I also leave it you\nto determine the period for which (subject to Her Majesty's pleasure, which involves\na practical power of dissolution,) the councillors should be appointed. What I desire\nis this: that a system of virtual though imperfect representation shall be at once introduced, which shall enable Her Majesty's Government to ascertain with some certainty\nthe character, wants, and disposition of the community, with a view to the more formal\nand complete establishment of a representative system as circumstances shall admit of it.\nI shall hold the proceeds of the Crown lands at the disposal of the Legislative\nCouncil, who will also be at liberty to pass laws for the regulation and management of\nthese sources of revenue, subject of course to disallowance in this country, and subject\nalso to the qualification which I have mentioned as indispensable in Vancouver Island,\nviz., that the Crown must retain such legal powers over the lands as are necessary for\ndisposing of all questions (if any) which remain to be settled with the Hudson's Bay\nCompany\u2014questions which, without such uncontrolled power, might still be productive\nof embarrassment.\nWith these explanations, I have to instruct you, first, to proclaim a law securing to\nHer Majesty the right to allot the above salaries to the officials of British Columbia;\nand having done so, to give publicity to the enclosed Order in Council, and to convene 0rder i\nas soon as possible the proposed Legislature.\nm\nCouncil.\nGovernor Sir J. Douglas, K.C.B.\n&c, &e.\nI hsve &c.\n(Signed) NEWCASTLE.\nEnclosure in No. 2-.\nBritish Columbia.\nAt the Court at Windsor the llth day of June 1863.\nEncl. in No. 2.\nPRESENT\nLord President.\nThe Queen's Most Excellent Majesty.\nEarl Russell. Lord Privy Seal.\nMr. Milner Gibson.\n-Whereas by an Act passed in the twenty-second year of the reign of Her Majesty, entitled\n\" An Act to provide for the Government of British Columbia,\" it was declared lawful for Her Majesty,\nby Order in Council, to authorize and empower such officer as she might from time to time appoint to\nadminster the Government of British Columbia, to make provision for the administration of justice\ntherein, and generally to make, ordain, and establish all such laws, institutions, and ordinances as might\nbe necessary for the peace, order, and good government of Her Majesty's subjects and others therein ;\nprovided 'that it should be lawful for Her Majesty, as soon as She might deem it convenient by any such\nOrder in Council as aforesaid, to constitute, or to authorize and empower such officer to constitute a\nLegislature, to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of British Columbia, such Legislature to consist of the Governor or Officer administering the government of the Colony, and a Council\nor Council and Assembly to be composed of such and so many persons, and to be appointed or elected\nin such manner, and for such periods, and subject to such regulations as to Her Majesty might seem\nexpedient: And whereas by an Order in Council bearing date on the 2nd day of September in the\nyear 1858, Her Majesty was pleased to authorize such Governor or Officer as aforesaid to make provision for the administration of justice, and as therein mentioned to make laws and ordinances for the\npeace, order, and good government of Her Majesty's subjects and others in the said Colony: And\nwhereas it is expedient to revoke the said Ocder in Council, and to constitute a Legislature for the\nA3 PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nsaid Colony, consisting of the Governor or Officer administering the government thereof, and the\nLegislative Council herein-after established. \\\n1. It is hereby ordered by Her Majesty, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, and in\nVancouver pursuance and exercise of the powers vested in Her Majesty by the said Act of Parliament, or other-\nIsland. wise in that behalf, that the said recited Order in Council shall be and the same is hereby revoked:\n Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall be held to invalidate any act or thing done, nor\nany appointment made in pursuance or under authority of the said Order in Council, but that every\nsuch act, thing, and appointment shall remain of the same force and effect as if the said Order in\nCouncil were still in operation.\nAnd it is hereby further ordered as follows, that is to say:\n2. In this Order in Council the term Governor shall mean the officer for the time being lawfully\nadministering the government of the Colony of British Columbia.\n3. There shall be in the said Colony a Legislative Council constituted as herein-after mentioned.\n4. It shall be lawful for the Governor, with the advice and consent of the said Legislative Council,\nto make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the said Colony.\n5. The said Council shall consist of such public officers within the said Colony as shall from time to\ntime be designated, and of such persons as shall from time to time be named by or in pursuance of any\ninstructions or warrant under the Royal sign manual and signet, and of such other persons as may\nfrom time to time be appointed by the Governor by instruments to be passed under the public seal of\nthe said Colony: Provided that every such last-mentioned appointment shall be provisional only until\nthe same shall have been-approved by Her Majesty through one of Her Principal Secretaries of State,\nand may be made to determine at a period named in the instrument making the same, and that the\ntotal number of councillors shall not by any such appointment be raised above the number of 15:\nProvided also, that every member of the said Council shall hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure\nonly-\n6. The precedence of the members of the said Council may be from time to time determined by any\nsuch instructions as aforesaid. In the absence of such determination, the members shall take rank\naccording to the order of their appointment, or if appointed by the same instrument according to the\norder in which they are named therein.\n7. The Governor, or in his absence any member of the Council appointed by him in writing, or in\ndefault of such appointment, the member present who shall stand first in order of precedence, shall\npreside at every meeting of the said Council. All questions brought' before the Couneil shall be\ndecided by the majority of the votes given, and the Governor or presiding member shall have an\noriginal vote on all such questions, and also a casting vote if the votes shall be equally divided.\n8. No business (except that of adjournment) shall be transacted unless there shall be present four\nmembers of Council besides the Governor or presiding member.\n9. The Council shall, in the transaction of business and passing of laws, conform as nearly as may be\nto the directions conveyed in that behalf to the Governor of British Columbia in certain instructions\nunder the sign manual and signet bearing date the 2nd day of September 1858, until otherwise provided\nby us, and to such further instructions under the said sign manual and signet as may* hereafter be\naddressed to the Governor in that behalf.\n10. Subject to such instructions the Council may make standing rules and orders for the regulation\nof their own proceedings.\n11. No law shall take effect until the Governor shall have assented to the same on behalf of Her\nMajesty, and shall have signed the same in token of such assent.\n12. Her Majesty may, by Order in Council, or through one of Her Principal Secretaries of State,\ndisallow any law passed by the said Governor and Council at any time within two years after such law\nshall have been received by the Secretary of State, and every law so disallowed shall become null and\nvoid so soon as the disallowance thereof shall be published in the Colony by authority of the Governor.\n13. If any councillor shall become bankrvfpt or insolvent, or shall be convicted of any criminal\noffence, or shall absent himself from British Columbia for more than three months without leave from\nthe Governor, the Governor may declare in writing that his seat at the Council is vacant, and immediately on the publication of such declaration, he shall cease to be member of the Council.\n14. The Governor may, by writing under his hand and seal, suspend any legislative councillor from\nthe exercise of his office, proceeding therein in such manner as may from time to time be enjoined by\nany such instructions as aforesaid, and until otherwise ordered according to such directions respecting\nthe suspension of public officers as are contained in the above-mentioned instructions bearing date the\n2nd day of September 1858. And the Most Noble the Duke of Newcastle, one of Her Majesty's\nPrincipal Secretaries of State, is to give the necessary directions herein accordingly.\n(Signed) Arthur Helps.\nNo. 3. No. 3.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., to Governor\nSir James Douglas, K.C.B.\n(No. 35.)\nSlR' T ffi . \\ Downing Street, July 14,1863.\nl think it best to inform you that I am about to submit for Her Majestv's\napproval certain instructions appointing the following officers to be members of the\nLegislative Council m British Columbia.\nThe Colonial Secretary.\nThe Attorney General.\nThe Treasurer.\nThe Chief Commissioner of Lands and\nWorks.\nThe Collector of Customs.\n.\"0 OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND. 5\njj I think it also advisable to point out that as doubts may be entertained respecting the bri\nbinding authority of any proclamation issued by you subsequently to the date of the Columbia\nOrder in Council constituting a Legislative Council (viz., the Colonial Secretary, the **<\u00bb\nAttorney General, the Treasurer, the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, and the Vumony&t\nCollector of Customs,) your first step in convening the Council should be to re-enact in JsLASDm\nthe form of an Ordinance any proclamation or proclamations which you may hav\u00ab\nissued after the above date, including the proclamation (if any) by which you may have\npaid the salaries of public officers.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Sir J. Douglas, K.C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE\n&c. &c.\nNo. 4.\nNo. 4\nCopy of a DESPATCH from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G., to Governor\nSir James Douglas, K.C.B.\n( Separate.)\nSir, Downing Street, August 1, 1863.\nWith reference to my Despatch, No. 35* of the 14th ultimo, I transmit to you * Page 4.\nherewith instructions f under the Queen's sign manual and signet, appointing the follow- t Not printed\ning officers, viz.:\nThe Colonial Secretary,\nThe Attorney General,\nThe Treasurer,\nThe Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works,\nThe Collector of Customs,\nto be members of the Legislative Council of British Columbia.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Sir J. Douglas, K.C.B. (Signed) NEWCASTLE.\n&c. &c.\nNo. 5.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P., to Governor\nKennedy, C.B.\n(No. 2.)\nSir, Downing Street, April 30, 1864.\nI have received Sir James Douglas's Despatch No. 3, of the 12th of February,\nenclosing a Resolution of the House of Assembly of Vancouver Island, in which the\nHouse declines to pass the Civil List Act, proposed in the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch\nmarked i Separate,\" ofthe 15th June last.J\nI regret that the House of Assembly did not feel able to concur in the proposals\nsubmitted to it on this subject.\nI am desirous, however, to prevent as far as possible the disappointment and inconvenience to individuals which this decision might occasion.\nIt appears from the Resolution of the Assembly that the Crown land fund for the year\n1863 amounted to 4,500\/., but that a considerable portion of this sum consisted ofthe proceeds of sales effected in former years. There may be sources of revenue, such as fines and\nforfeitures, fees of office, the proceeds of which the Crown could justly appropriate, but in\nthe absence of any precise information on this head I can only authorize you to issue\nwarrants for the payment of the salaries of the Governor and the Colonial Secretary, at\nthe respective rates of 3,000\/. and 600\/. per annum assigned to them by my predecessor,\nout of any funds which may be under the direct control and at the disposal of the\nCrown.\nIt will of course rest with the Legislature to make provision for the remuneration of\nthe other officers employed under the Government in any way and from any source\nwhich may seem most appropriate to them.\nBesides the Civil List, Sir James Douglas's Despatch raises a still larger and more\nimportant question, namely, the union of both Colonies under one Governor, though with\nsome distinct administrative department.\nA 4\nNo. 5.\n1 Page 1.\nlr- PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nOn this subject I am desirous of having the benefit of your views as soon as you shall\nhave acquired on the spot sufficient experience and knowledge to enable you to form\nyour opinion, and to supply reliable information for the assistance and guidance' of Her\nMajesty's Government in considering the question. I shall in like manner ask Governor\nSeymour, to whom I shall communicate a copy of this Despatch, to furnish his views on\nthe same matter, and I need scarcely say that it will not only be unobjectionable but\nhighly desirable, that you and he should consult freely on the subject, although it will\nbe the most convenient course that, ultimately, each should report to me independently,\nthe conclusions which he may form on the subject.\nI have, &c.\nGovernor Kennedy, C.B., (Signed) EDWARD CARD WELL.\n&c. &c.\nNo. 6.\n27th Jan. 1865\nEnclosure.\nPage 5.\nNo. 6.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from Governor Kennedy, C.B., to the Right Hon. Edward\nCard well, M.P.\n(No, 14. Separate.)\nSir, Victoria, March 21, 1865.\n(Received May 15, 1865.)\nI have the honour to transmit a copy of Resolutions passed by the Legislative\nAssembly of Vancouver Island on the subject of union with British Columbia, and in\ndoing; so I will shortly trace their history.\nThey were introduced by Mr. De Cosmos, one of the members for Victoria, and\npassed on the 27th January 1865, after a warm debate, by a majority of 8 to 4.\nIt was thereupon alleged by the minority that the majority did not fairly represent\npublic opinion, and to test this fact, Mr. De Cosmos, who proposed, and Mr. C. B.\nYoung, who opposed the resolutions (being two members for the city of Victoria), agreed\nto resign their seats, and went before their constituents for re-election, which resulted in\nthe return of Mr. De Cosmos and Mr. McClure, both advocates of union and a tariff,\nby a large majority.\nThe majority of the House of Assembly in favour of unconditional union with British\nColumbia is now, I believe, 11 to 4, and I have no doubt that a dissolution of the House\nwould undoubtedly increase that majority by two more.\nI submitted these resolutions to the Legislative Council for their information, and the\nmajority present being ex officio members, resolved that it was inexpedient for the Council\nto express any opinion on the subject; but two dissenting members, Messrs. Finlayson and\nRhodes, recorded their views in the protest herewith.\nI am in a position to know that the majority if not all the ex officio members are in\nfavour of union, with some small differences of opinion on matters of detail, and that\nthey refrained from a public expression of their opinion from a desire to avoid possible\ncomplication, and with a view to giving their untrammelled support to such measures as\nHer Majesty's Government may deem most fitting, on a future occasion.\nThe local Legislature of Vancouver Island have thus, I think, adopted the only\ncourse by which the union of these Colonies can be satisfactorily effected, namely,\nleaving conditions and details, even to the form of government, to your decision.\nI enclose newspaper copies of the debates on the subject, and will reserve my further\nobservations for another Despatch of this date, in reply to yours dated 30th April 1864 *\nNo. 2. I '\nRight Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P.,\n&c. &c. &c.\nI have, &c.\n(Signed) A. E. KENNEDY.\nEnd. i in No. 6. Enclosure 1 in No. 6.\nVancouver Island.\nResolutions reported from Committee, 25th January 1865; Confirmed by House\n27th January 1865. '\nResolved,\nThat this House, after having taken into consideration the present state of the Colony is firmlv\nconvinced that it is expedient at the present time to observe the strictest economv in the public\nexpenditure compatible with the efficiency of the public service. And that the immediate union OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND. 7\nof this Colony with British Columbia, under such Constitution as Her Majesty's Government may be\npleased to grant, is the means best adapted to prevent permanent causes of depression, as well as to\nstimulate trade, foster industry, develop our resources, augment our population, \u2022 and ensure our\npermanent prosperity; and this House pledges itself, in case Her Majesty's Government shall\ngrant such union, to ratify the same by legislative enactment, if required.\nResolved,\u2014\nThat the above resolution be transmitted to his Excellency the Governor, with the respectful\nrequest that he may take the, same into his earnest and immediate consideration.\n(Signed) R. \"W. Torrens,\nClerk of the House.\nBritish\n\/0LDMB1A\nAND\nANCOCVER\nIsland.\nEnclosure 2 in No. 6.\nVancouver Island.\nExtract from the Minutes ofthe Legislative Council, 2nd March 1865.\nMr. Finlayson, pursuant to notice, introduced the following resolutions, which were seconded by\nthe Hon. Henry Rhodes:\u2014\n1. That Her most Gracious Majesty may be requested to annex the Colony of Vancouver Island\nto the Colony of British Columbia.\n2. That Her most Gracious Majesty may be pleased to direct the passage of an Act of the Imperial\nParliament to provide a constitutional mode of Government, with representation on the basis of population to the British possessions in the North Pacific.\nThe Treasurer handed in the following amendment to the proposed resolutions of the Hon. R.\nFinlayson:\u2014\n\" That this Council regards it as undesirable to express an opinion as to the expediency or otherwise\nof uniting the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia.\"\nThe chairman having put the amendment of the Treasurer, the following were the Ayes and Noes:\u2014\nFor the amendment\u2014The Acting Colonial Secretary, the Acting Attorney General, the Treasurer,\nthe Acting Surveyor General. Against the amendment\u2014The Hon. R. Finlayson, the Hon. Henry\nRhodes.\nAmendment carried.\nThe Hon. Henry Rhodes gave notice that he would hand in a protest against the resolution.\nEnd. 2 in No. 6.\nEnclosure 3 in No. 6.\nVancouver Island.\nEnd. 3 in No. 6.\nExtract from the Minutes of the Legislative Council, 6th March 1865.\nThe Hon. Henry Rhodes handed in the following protest, which was ordered to be placed on the\nminutes:\u2014\nTo the Honourable the President of the Legislative Council.\nWe, the undersigned, being the only unofficial members of the Legislative Council present at the\nmeeting on the 2nd instant, and being merchants in the city of Victoria, do protest against the\nresolution of the Legislative Council in regard to the union resolutions which then came up for\ndiscussion.\nBecause,\n1st. The resolution\u2014\" That the Council regard it as undesirable to express an opinion as to the\n\" expediency or otherwise of uniting the Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia\" was\ncarried by the official members of the Council only, who are at all times the majority of the said\nCouncil.\n2nd. \"We consider it unwise and impolitic to postpone indefinitely the consideration of the subject,\nfor the reason that we know the feeling of the Colony to be in favour of union of the Colonies, and that\nsince the'question has been so thoroughly considered recently and the entire community agitated upon\nthe subject, the present is the most desirable time for decisive action in the matter.\n' That the' postponement of the settlement of the question will greatly disturb commerce, prevent\nenterprise, and do much injury to both Colonies, while on the other hand the sooner the question is\nsettled the better it must be for all the interests of both Colonies.\n(Signed) Henry Rhodes,\nRodk. Finlayson.\n14923.\nB PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nEnd. 4 in No. 6.\nEnclosure 4' in No. 6.\nHouse of Assembly, Wednesday, January 25th.\nHouse met at 3.15 p.m. Members present\u2014Messrs. De Cosmos, Franklin, Young, Trimble, Tolmie,\nDickson, Southgate, Duncan, Cochrane, Burnaby, Carswell, Bayley, Dennes.\nState ofthe Colony.\nMr. De Cosmos said he would ask that the committee have leave to consider the internal condition\nof the Colony. ; 1 . ,\nMr. Burnaby asked the hon. senior member for Victoria to lay before the House the resolutions He\nhad prepared.\nMr. De Cosmos replied that he was then re-writing them.\nMr. Young said a great deal of irrelevant matter had been delivered in the House on this question of\nthe state of the Colony. The state of the Colony was all right, but the state of some men's heads was\nall wrong. The great want in the Colony was population. (Hear, hear.) As for the revenue he was\nvain enough to assume the reins of Chancellor of the Exchequer for the moment, and show how it\nmight be raised by a proper system of taxation. A great deal had been said about a tariff, but we\nwould see what good it would do. The hon. gentleman alluded to lumberers not being benefited by a\ntariff,\nto a\nCosmos submitted the following resolutions to the committee\u2014\nnor tailors and shoemakers, &c, who had now as much as they could do; he also alluded\nbrewer who was the greatest protectionist in the Colony, but who would not get his\ngrain any cheaper with a 20 per cent, tariff. The position of this Colony was such as\nto make it a great commercial emporium, and it was such already. It was asked how we were\nto get the gold of British Columbia. Why, by going to dig it out, as so many of our people did. As\nto the estimates asked for, if we thought them too large, all we had to do was not to vote them ; and\nhe could not see any reason why they should be larger this year than last. As to customs, the cost\nof collecting would be enormous, to prevent the smuggling, for which such great facilities were afforded\nby our numerous bays and inlets. What was to hinder our farmers from competing with foreign\nfarmers ? Why, because they had not the land. This was destined to be a mineral country, not an\nagricultural. He could not see in any way how this Colony was to be benefited by taxation. If a man\npays 20 per cent, more taxation, how can it benefit him? Suppose a man paid $10 for a coat last year,\nand this year has to pay $12 for the same, what is his advantage ? He thought $150,000 could be\nstruck off the estimates very easily, by dispensing with lazy clerks who did nothing, and constables who\nplayed euehre in public houses and such like. He certainly could not see the benefits of a tariff, and\nwould, therefore, do all he could to oppose it.\nMr. De\nResolved :\u2014\nThat this House, after having taken into consideration the present state of the Colony, is firmly convinced that it is expedient at the present time to observe the strictest economy in the public\nexpenditure compatible with the efficiency of the public service ; and that the immediate union\nof this Colony with British Columbia, under such constitution as Her Majesty's Government may\nbe pleased to grant, is the means best adapted to prevent permanent causes of depression, as well\nas to stimulate trade, foster industry, develop our resources, augment our population, and ensure\nour permanent prosperity; and this House pledges itself, in case Her Majesty's Government shall\ngrant such union, to ratify the same by legislative enactments if required.\nResolved,\u2014\nThat the above resolution be transmitted to his Excellency the Governor, with the respectful request\nthat he may take the same into his earnest and immediate consideration.\nMr. Burnaby said he had hailed the resolutions with satisfaction on their first appearance as connected\n\\ with the consideration of the estimates. These estimates were, he must confess, rather startling in\namount in proportion to the revenue of the Colony. (Much of this hon. gentleman's speech was\ninaudible at the reporter's table.) He was sorry to hear some people, who had fomerly held different\nopinions, say that, eyen if the country stood alone as a separate Colony the system of taxation must be\nchanged and a tariff imposed (no, no). If we stand alone as a Colony we must stand in a respectable and\nhonourable position before the world. We must pay our Governor's salary, and maintain a proper\nestablishment. We must persist in our system of direct taxation. He was free to admit that taxation\nhere was very unequally divided, and would wish to see it arranged so as to touch all classes ; but if we\nstood alone we must have direct taxation (hear, hear). Some twoyears ago at the general election a\npledge was exacted from nearly every hon. member of this Housemtavour of the free port, and they could\nnot have got in without it. At that time also the union question had come up, and he (Mr. Burnaby)\nhad entertained and expressed the views that we were not prepared for union. His views of that date\nas to the free port and union were unchanged, and his faith in the resources of the Colony were still as\nstrong as ever. Since that period gold had been discovered on the Island; it had got to be developed,\nbut it was here beyond a doubt. Again the new district of Kootenay in British Columbia was pronounced to be highly productive. We had been told that the free port was a failure. He respectfully\ndemurred to that proposition. True a great depression had existed here for some time. During the\nwhole of last year a most severe financial pressure had been felt in England. In California, in addition\nto drought and hard winter, a severe prostration had occurred in mining affaii\n\u2014\u2022 & ggs. Again in British\nColumbia vast sums had been expended in works, trade, mining, &c, which had not produced as yet\nthe remuneration.which was expected. All this had, to a certain extent\/caused a temporary depression and\n\"he was sorry to say that the \"\u25a0\u2022\u2022-\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 < ! \u25a0 . i. '\nhe might term a sorl\nduring the last nine:\nuons against the policy of free trade; the country had to be inoculated with the feeling, and he must admit\nit had been well and skilfully done. All the troubles and depression in the Colony had been carefully\nattributed to it, and now the remedy proposed was the imposition of a tariff. This change in public\nopinion, which the hon. senior member for Victoria dignified by the title of a great revolution he\nBSKSI OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\nmaintained was made without reason. The hon. member who had introduced the resolution had dwelt\nat some length on the danger of our present position ; that in ourselves we had no resources outside\nthe trade of British Columbia, and no position of importance (hear, hear). Those engaged in trade\nhere had been taunted that they had not properly developed the trade and commerce of the country. '\nHe would remind hon. gentlemen that the action of the House was the best proof of the wisdom of\nour merchants in not accepting the free port as a fixed and permanent fact. The free port required to\nbe firmly established before our merchants would import large stocks of goods suitable for distant\nand foreign markets; they could not be expected to do so, if they thought they would be liable\nto a duty in six months or a year. So long as there was a possibility of a change in the public\nmind on the free port, much would not be done towards making this a great distributing centre.\nThe House had two positions before it: one was that of absolute independence coupled with a\nfree port, and a resolution to carry out the policy at all costs and every risk and in a dignified\nmanner, trusting to the hope afforded by our geographical position that we would ultimately become\na great distributing port. He took his stand on the free port, and he would continue to stand on that\npolicy bo long as the country would support him. This was the opinion of ail the merchants in the community and of our neighbours in California. He did not fear the imposition of a differential duty of 7 or\n10 per cent, by British Columbia. If necessary, our merchants here could establish branches at New Westminster, but here was the depot, the open free port, the locus standi of the capital. If the country should\ndecide to give up the free port there was no alternative but unconditional union; he was not too proud\nto call it annexation (hear, hear). It was simply saying to British Columbia, we are not strong enough\nto stand alone, come and help us. But before we decided on this question in the House let us request\nhis Excellency to appeal to the country; let us be sure that the country stands with us in a matter\nso vital to the well-being of the Colony. He did not propose to go into the arguments for protection to\nindustry. The idea was exploded long ago. As to British Columbia being our greatest market, he had\nalways held that she was far more indebted to us; nine-tenths of all the enterprise, capital, energy,\nexpended in that Colony had come from here, and nine-tenths of all the results had come back here.\nMr. Duncan.\u2014Yes, and gone through here. (Laughter.)\nMr. Burnaby, if this House should decide to adopt the resolutions he hoped they would appeal to\nhis Excellency to dissolve the House, and go before their constituents to hear the views of the country.\n(General cries of hear, hear.)\nDr. Helmcken said it seemed to be expected that he should declare himself (applause), and he\nadmitted that the public had a right to know who he was as much as he had to have an opinion of\nhimself. He believed that the Colony was suffering under great depression at present, and he was\nconvinced that it was caused by overtrading. Cariboo had turned out far less gold than had been\nexpected, and miners had returned with less gold. There had been no returns for the money expended\nin mining. That he looked on as a temporary difficulty. But the great cause of the depression was\nthe vast amount of accommodation afforded to traders by our merchants. The goods were either locked\nup in the mines or sold at a great loss. A great deal of capital had been locked up also in quartz an<*\ncopper mines. This, however, he looked on as also a temporary suffering, and he fully expected we would\nrecover from it in time. It was not alone here that the unemployed men who had been alluded to were\nto be found. In California it was just as bad, and from similar causes. One might almost stop here,\nand say that if the depression was only temporary it would soon be got over. But other topics had been\nentered on. It had been said that the depression had been caused by our neglecting to foster local\nindustries. This he totally denied (hear, hear). For himself he was still as much in favour of free\ntrade as ever. He did not consider free trade had anything whatever to do with the present depression (hear, hear). They were told that of the $4,000,000 of imports about $1,000,000 was left for\nlocal consumption. It seemed to him singular that our consumption was only $1,000,000 with a population larger than that of British Columbia, which consumed nearly $2,000,000. He could only assume\nfrom that that the production of Vancouver Island with free trade was greater than the production of\nBritish Columbia with protection. His own impression was that free trade was the best policy, both\nhitherto and still (hear, hear). The next subject was union ofthe two Colonies. His opinion was that\nunion with British Columbia and free trade in Vancouver Island would conduce to the best interests of\nboth Colonies (hear, hear), and also be a very large saving in expense. Unfortunately our neighbours did\nnot see it in the same light. Free trade, as it hitherto existed, had kept the trade of British Columbia\nin the possession of Vancouver Island. He did not think we were likely to have any great extension of\ntrade to any other of the surrounding countries, to India, or China, or Mexico. He did not believe in\nany such extension. There was no doubt union was the great thing to be aimed at, and that free trade\nin Vancouver Island was the best policy9 but let us unite with British Columbia unconditionally (hear,\nhear), unconditionally (applause), with one single exception, that the laws of Vancouver Island should\nremain unchanged till altered by the United Legislature, and he felt sure that the arguments which\nwould be brought forward in the United. Legislature would prove that free trade in Vancouver Island\nwas the best policy for both Colonies. In any case the great good would be attained,\u2014the Colonies\nunited (hear, hear). But if the Colonies were to be separate,, the only thing to be done was for each\nman to strip \"to the buff\" if necessary, and fight to the death for the free port (hear, hear). As to\nprotection for agriculture in this Colony, he was convinced it was not required. In British Columbia,\nwhere there was greater protection than anywhere else in the world, agriculture had not progressed.\nMr. De Cosmos. It has; a great deal. . m\nDr. Helmcken continued that this Colony had not the land for agriculture, but British Columbia had,\nand the two united would combine their respective agricultural and commercial advantages in one. He\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nrANCOUVER\nIsland.\nto\nrepeated his position, united with British Columbia and with free trade in Vancouver Island, or united\nat any rate, and still keeping the commerce of British Columbia, which our natural position ensured t<\nus ; or if separate from British Columbia, then free trade in every sense. These were his views. But\nhe would not go to the British Columbians like a mendicant, rather would he vote for eternal separa-\nhe .\ntion than go to beg a thing which was a mutual benefit. As to our foreign trade, he would sacrifice all\nthe trade with surrounding nations to unite the two peoples and make one great country.\nDr. Tolmie would wish to add a few remarks. It was not always best to bjy in the cheapest and sell\nin the dearest markets. Free 'trade was not always the policy of great countries. Great Britain had\nB 2 sm\nm\n10\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nT,PTT\u201eTI \u201erown rich and powerful by protection. In the United States the question had been thoroughly argued,\nSnd the United States had gone on protecting their industries, and at the same time ^easing their\nand population and rapidly augmenting their wealth. We, ourselves, had given the thing a ,\u00ab\u00ab.\u25a0\nr ancouver years, and although he would not say it had done no good, still he thought the time was past tor tree trade,\nIsland. and the country demanded protection. Take the familiar example of the saw mill, quoted yesterday,\n (a laugh). He had seen the working of saw mills under protection on Puget Sound, and had seen their\nbeneficial effects in building up the country. Our geographical position, which had been so much talked\nabout, and praised in the \"Times\" so early as 1849, would be best brought out and developed by union\nwith British Columbia, and by going into connexion with the great federation of the eastern Colonies\n(applause).\nDr. Helmcken said there was no doubt whatever that even if we should remain separate we could raise\nall the revenue we required (hear, hear). He had not a doubt of it.\nMr. Bayley said the present state of the Colony was one of insolvency (no, no, and laughter). He\nmaintained that this was the ease, and it had been caused by the falling off in gold and the over-speculation in real estate. He held that the trade of Victoria was dependent on British Columbia #nd not\non the phantom trade with foreign countries which had been held up so long before our eyes. He had\nstood up in the House and opposed union with British Columbia, but that was because he had been led\nto look atthis country as the Great Britain of the Pacific. He had now seen reason to change his\n. opinion. He looked on Victoria as reduced to a mere shopkeeper (a laugh), who had to depend on\nBritish Columbia to buy her wares. The moment that British Columbia was able to buy for herself\nfrom the manufacturers and producers, what were we to do with our goods? Our warehouses would be\nfull, but no one to be purchasers, that was the state to which we were fast coming unless we adopted a\ndifferent policy.\nDr. Dickson said he had no fears about our ability to exist as a separate Colony; but union was\nstrength, and he was fully satisfied that a complete and thorough union was for the best interests of both\nColonies (hear, hear). He had taken the trouble to see the great majority of his constituents, and had\nalso heard the opinions of a great number of the inhabitants of the city, and he had come to the firm\nconclusion that nineteen-twentieths of the whole population were thoroughly and strongly in favour of\nunion, and that they expected the House to take active steps to bring it about. Hon. members might\ndepend on it, too, that if they did not move in the matter their constituents would soon turn them out\nand get in better men.\nMr. Franklin said he now found resolutions on the table, which had been ruled in order, opening up\nthe question of union. The question of union had already been settled; British Columbia had rejected\nour offers, and we were now asked to go on bended knee and pray for a union. He had been returned\nto this House on free trade principles, and he could not give a vote on the question without going before\nhis constituents, and he thought every honourable member was bound in honour to follow the same\ncourse. He was unprepared to abandon the policy of this country and to adopt unconditional union,\nand he felt sure that was the general opinion of the country (laughter).\nDr. Helmcken said hon. members had said that the union of the Colonies had been rejected by\nBritish Columbia. He denied it entirely (applause).\nThe Legislature of British Columbia had never taken the resolution of this Legislature into consideration at all (hear, hear). He felt sure the British Columbia Legislature would not be guilty of such\ndiscourtesy as to throw our resolutions over without an answer (hear, hear). The question had evidently\nnever been considered, as we never have had an answer (applause).\nMr. Southgate said if he could see his way clear to a union which would preserve free trade in Vancouver Island he would heartily support it, but he did not see how it could be brought about He alluded\nto Ms recent visit to San Francisco, and to the interest felt by merchants there in our free port.\nThe resolutions were then put seriatim, and the first section carried unanimously.\nSection 2 was also carried.\nAyes\u2014De Cosmos, Helmcken, Tolmie, Dickson, Duncan, Cochrane, Carswell, Dennes(8).\nNoes\u2014Franklin, Young, Burnaby, Trimble, Southgate (5).\nSection 3 was also carried by the same vote.\nOn section 4, M . Burnaby moved the following amendment:\nThat in view of the resolutions passed by this House, and adverting to the pledges given by hon\nmembers at their election on the subject of the free port, respectfully requests that his Excellency\nwill dissolve this House and submit the question to the country.\nThe amendment was lost, and the original resolution carried by the previous majority\u20148 to 5\nHIfhf mmit1t.eerose and reported the passage of the resolutions, and the Speaker informed the\nthat they would come up for adoption on Friday next.\nLegislative Assembly.\nPowTd^\u2122 D20 P'mn PreSGnnt' ^ %eaker' and Mess^ ^urnabv, To^Tofif iiSoUin\nPowell, Dickson, Duncan, Dennes, Carswell, De Cosmos, Bayley, Cochrane; and Southgate. *ranklm'\nPetition of Chamber of Commerce.\nJjiolZ^C^l*\u2122uht^m0afr0m*e^mh\u00b0< \u00b0f C\u00b0m\u2014 \u00b0f **<**. I* reads\n-k^ ft. free po* ^^\u2122\u00a3^ SpSS^SST i\u00a3Si\u00bb\nHouse\nor\nre- OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n11\nfour honourable body the following resolutions passed\nis will\nspectfully to present for the consideration of\nthem at a meeting held this day ?\nI our petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Honourable House will take such action\nmaintain the free port in all its present integrity.\nResolved,\u2014\n1. That, hi the opinion of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, the maintenance of the Free Port\nsystem is of vital importance to the prosperity of Victoria and of Vancouver Island.\n2. That commerce should not be subjected to any species of restraint, because freedom from restraint\nis calculated to give the utmost extension to foreign trade, and the best direction to the capital and\nindustry of the country.\n3. That the adoption of a protective tariff would be detrimental to the commercial interest cf the\nColony without benefit to the farmer or manufacturer.\n4. That a tariff for revenue would necessitate such an outlay of expenditure for the collection of the '\nduties that it would not answer the requirements of the Government, and would inflict a heavy loss\non the commerce of Victoria.\n5. That direct taxation is the only politic and equitable mode of raising a revenue.\n6. That a general system of taxation by which all classes of the community would be made to\ncontribute to the support of the Government is the most simple and economical.\nAnd your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.\nFor the members of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.\nChas. W. Wallace, President.\nA. F. Main, Secretary.\nVictoria, Vancouver Island, Jan. 26th, 1865.\nState ofthe Colony Besolutions.\nThe Speaker read over the resolutions passed by the committee of the whole, on Wednesday last\nrespecting the state of the Colony.\nMr. Young moved for a recommittal of the resolutions, and was proceeding to give his reasons, when\nThe Speaker said, that if any discussion arose on the resolutions they would have to be postponed\nuntil Monday next.\nMessrs. Franklin and Burnaby had some further remarks to make.\nMr. De Cosmos called \" question.\"\nThe Speaker\u2014| That I do now leave the chair ? \"\nMr. De Cosmos\u2014No !\nOn the suggestion of the Speaker, Mr. De Cosmos moved that the order of the day be discharged.\nMr. Franklin stated that the House had waited a long time for the estimates, and it was known that\nGovernment business took precedence of all other. He hoped that the House would go on with the\nbusiness of the day.\nMr. Burnaby moved \" that the Speaker do now leave the chair.\"\nMr. Young said that according to | May,\" Government business cannot be superseded.\nMotion to leave the chair was lost by a vote of 8 to 5. The order of the day respecting the \" state\nof the Colony \" was carried.\nMr. Young then moved that the resolutions be recommitted, and called the attention of the House to\nthe results of the meetings held in the city, and whether the almost unanimous opinion of the Chamber\nof Commerce is to go for nothing, when there was but one voice in 20 against the maintenance of the\nfree port, and subsequently 7 others entered the room and acquiesced with the decision of that body.\nHe was about to advert to the decision in regard to the question at the Mechanics' Debating Club,\nwhen he was called to order. Mr. Young stated that the question was not intended for the benefit of\nthe Colony, but for the benefit of individuals. [Mr. De Cosmos\u2014no ! no !] It was not the case, as stated\nby the press, that 9 out of 10 were in favour of a tariff. The hon gentleman (Mr. Young) quoted Washington territory to show that, with all its protection, the revenue derived from the custom house there\nonly sufficed to pay one quarter of the expenses connected therewith. It used to produce 80,000 bushels\nof wheat, and now but 25,000 bushels, and all from the beautiful system of protection. He had his\ninformation from a reliable authority. He would ask the House, what would be more humiliating than\nfor this Colony to go begging to British Columbia, asking to have its destiny hooked on with theirs.\nWith regard to the cereal productions of this Colony, Mr. Y. quoted the phrase, | the woodman's axe\n\" had not rung in the primeval forest, &c,\" which will be remembered was used by an honourable\nmember in connexion with the Crown Lands' report of last session of the House, and it caused much\nmerriment. The Hudson's Bay Company also came in for a share of the hon. gentleman's censure. Mr.\nYoung went on to state that a paid Legislature would be brought about by the course proposed; he had\noften heard hon. gentlemen deprecate a paid Legislature, and he would not say that any hon. member\never thought of such a thing for their own benefit. No, no. (Laughter.) He was surprised that an\nhon. gentleman in the House, in the retail business, should favour a tariff of 20 per cent., and how could\nhe delude his customers or make them believe that there would be no consequent advance in his goods ?\nTo talk of union, with dissent on both sides, seemed to him most paradoxical. If the resolutions were\nbrought forward in a less humiliating manner to ourselves, we might arrive at something. He hoped\nthat hon. gentlemen would look to the serious consequences which would arise from the passage of the\nresolutions, and he trusted that hon. members would not be deaf to the arguments used.\nDr. Tolmie said that they had heard nothing from Mr. Young approaching reason why the resolutions\nshould be recommitted; as to the personalities, those he would leave out altogether. As regards the\nwheat raised in Washington territory, Mr. Tolmie stated that it arose from the poverty of the soil and\nwas not reproductive. With respect to the Chamber of Commerce, that body only dealt with a portion\nof the question; union was not submitted at all. As to the dissent on both sides alluded to, the ques-\ntion was never put before British Columbians as it was now put, and in British Columbia there was a\ngreat deal of assent to union with this Colony.\nMr. Burnaby rose to make a last appeal, but from appearances he feared that he had but a small\nB 3\nBritisb\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland. 12\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\ni-.it\nV>^\nchance. He would say a few words in order to put the question off for a short period, that the people\nmight be enabled to gain more time to consider the matter. He was not disposed to jest m the matter.\nHe would confess that he was unable to see the great advantages to be gained that other hon.\ngentlemen saw. Doubts are expressed that the free port had not tended to the building up of this city,\nbut he was convinced that without free trade up to this time, the place would be comparatively small.\nMr. Burnaby alluded to the enterprise of our neighbours, who would take advantage to build up a\nrival city on the opposite coast, and he brought to the notice of the House the petition of the Chamber\nof Commerce, which represented the views of a portion ofthe community which paid a very large\nshare of the taxes and who developed the resources of the country to a great extent. That body\nnaturally, he said, felt the deepest interest in the matter. In regard to the question of union, they\nforesaw that without it unconditional, there was no chance of the free port being given up. They did\nnot touch on union because they felt that it would be dealing with a political matter. Mr. B.\nexpressed his astonishment that hon. gentlemen who sat around that table and pledged themselves to\n.their constituents 18 months ago to support the free port could now scatter those principles to the\n\"wind. By reason oTtiie~JneHges extracted from them they now sat in that House. How they could\nreconcile their conduct with their conscience now he could not see. Union was desirable, but he\ncould not see what there was in the position of the Colony now, as compared with it 18 months ago,\nwhich should make hon. members change their views. He would now ask hon. gentlemen, especially\nin deference to the petition of the Chamber of Commerce which he laid before them, to postpone\nthe further discussion of the question for three weeks.\nMr. Franklin supported the motion of Mr. Burnaby, and would like also to treat the matter seriously.\nThey had arrived at a crisis in the history of the Colony. For the first time in the House it is proposed\nto abolish the free port. [No, no, from Mr. De Cosmos.] He (Mr. F.) would accept the no, no, but\nhe questioned the sincerity of those no, noes. The hon. gentleman stated that he saw members before\nhim for whom he voted, and helped to gain a seat in the House, because they advocated free port\nprinciples, and he had a right in his place to demand consistency from them. (Hear, hear.) He\nthought that as guardians ofthe public they had no right to place the interests of the people in the\nhands of the Secretary of State to do as he thought fit, and could they for a moment say. we will do as\nwe please ? Mr. Franklin touched on the subject of the claims made out by the Committee on Crown\nLands against the Hudson's Bay Company, and reminded hon. members if all these were to be swept\naway in a moment, and with one dash of the pen, he urged hon. gentleman, to maintain the rights of\nthe people, and not to abandon them from selfish ambition. Were they to throw out Americans,\nFrenchmen, Germans, Chinese, by substituting a restrictive policy>? The hon. gentleman here mentioned, as an instance of the many chances of fostering the free port, the recent order for issuing passports\nby the American Government to people leaving the Colony. He would say with the hop. gentleman\nwho had just spoken (Mr. Burnaby), that they should think seriously before theyabandon the advantages\nof a free port. Remember the question which is taken up by gentlemen who do not enter into politics\nat all, and who say that if the free port is given up, they will leave the country; and he was assured\nthat several were about to establish themselves in the neighbouring territory. Once destroy the free\nport, and the supremacy of Vancouver Island will go with it. Mr. F. wanted no political advancement;\n\\he would accept no office. British Columbia, with its revenue for this year of $400,000, in comparison\n|with ours of $230,000, would, from the nature of things, control our revenue, and it would be expended\nfor their interests. Selfishness governs public men. The dreams of those who imagine that they are\ngoing to become prime ministers, if reflected upon, cannot be realized. Again, if after nearly seven\nyears' existence, are three days going to change the entire policy of the country without giving the\npeople a chance to express their opinion ? He would say that to change the system would be a\npolitical wrong, and a crime which should not be countenanced, and should disable any public man\nfrom ever entering the House again. The delay asked by Mr. Burnaby should be granted.\nMr. Young offered a few further observations.\nMr. Tolmie was agreeable to postpone the question for one week. It would give ample time.\nMr. Burnaby accepted the amendment.\nMr. De Cosmos would accept nothing less than the bare resolutions passed by the Committee. He\nreplied with respect to the pledges given; he pledged himself to support a union of the two Colonies.\nHe was of opinion that if the country went against free port principles and remained a separate Colony,\nthat they would be committing political suicide. Mr. DeCosmos next spoke in relation to the views of\nthe Chamber of Commerce which so much stress had been laid upon, and he stated that the views of\nsome of the members were in favour of union. In relation to placing the interests of the Colony in the\nhands of the Imperial Secretary of State, he was satisfied that the interests of the Colony would be\nfairly dealt with; but if not, they (the House) could soon rectify it, as is to be seen in the case of the\nappointing of the two Governors on the representation of the people of British Columbia. Any motion\nto postpone would gain nothing, but would to a certain extent endanger their interests.\nThe Speaker then put the amendment to postpone the question for one week, but it was lost by the\nfollowing vote: Ayes\u2014Burnaby, Tolmie, Franklin, Young, Southgate; (5.) Noes\u2014Dickson, Powell\nDennes, Duncan, Carswell, De Cosmos, Bayley; (7.) f\nThe original resolution was then put, and clause 1 was passed, when Mr. Franklin moved an\nment to come m after the word \"grant\" in clause 2, as follows: \"with the exception of abs\n\" the free trade of the Colony.\"\nMr. De Cosmos said that the amendment was designed to clog the resolutions.\nMessrs. Tolmie and Dickson took much the same raw of the matter; Dr. Dickson stating that it\ndid not necessarily follow that if there was. a union of the Colonies, the free port would be done away\nwith. \u2022\nMr. Franklin did not mean the amendment as a \u00ab clog,\" but as a means to test the sincerity of hon\nmembers. J\nThe amendment was lost.\nrTn^pr;nIrnfgR^?rdpf0L-er a?lendnlent' to the effe<* that the resolutions be transmitted to the\ngovernor ot British Columbia. Lost: 7 to 5.\nan amend-\nmdoning\nKSSRflHHKSSSSn OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n13\nMr. Franklin said thai-it was an incongruity for the House to pledge itself to abide by the decision\nof the Secretary of State for the Colonies. He hoped to see the present House dissolved, and then they\nwould get a dissolving view of the question. They could not legislate beyond the session, and besides\nsome of the members may resign, and the sense ofthe country might change in a couple of years.\nMr. Tolmie cited the example of the eastern British North American provinces, wherein they pledged\nthemselves to abide by the decision of the Home Government in their action with respect to the\nConfederation scheme.\nA few further remarks were made, and the resolutions passed as a whole by a vote of 8 to 4.\nAyes:\u2014Tolmie, Dickson, Powell, Duncan, Dennes, Carswell, DeCosmos, Bayley.\nNoes:\u2014Burnaby, Young, Franklin, Southgate.\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nNo. 7.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from Governor Kennedy, C.B., to the Right Hon.\nEdward Cardwell, M.P.\nNo. 7.\n(No. 15.\u2014Separate.) Victoria, March 21, 1865.\n^IR\u00bb (Received, May 15, 1865.)\nReferring to my Despatch No. 14,* of this date, I have the honour to transmit * Page 6.\ncertain resolutions and a report of the Chamber of Commerce of Victoria, on the\nsubject of union with British Columbia.\nI have, &c.\nThe Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P., (Signed) A. E. KENNEDY,\n&c. &c. &c Governor.\nEnclosure in No. 7.\nEncl. in No.\nSir, Chamber of Commerce, Victoria, Vancouver Island, March 9, 1865.\nHerewith I have the honour to hand you a series of resolutions, and a report relative thereto,\npassed unanimously at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, held on the 6 th instant, and signed by\nthe members.\nOn behalf of the Chamber, I have to beg that you will be good enough to lay these resolutions\nbefore his Excellency the Governor, with the request that his Excellency will be pleased to complv\nwith the prayer therein contained, and to transmit the documents to the Secretary of State for the\nColonies.\nI have, &c.\n(Signed) Jules David,\nPresident of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.\nHenry Wakeford, Esq., (Signed) A. F. Main, Secretary\nActing Colonial Secretary.\niff\nVictoria, Vancouver Island, March 6, 1865,\nThe committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce to draft a series of resolutions on the\nsubject of union with British Columbia, as viewed in connexion with the new tariff, respectfully submit\nthe following resolutions and report for the consideration of the Chamber:\u2014\nResolved,\u2014\n1. That an equitable union of the Colonies -of British Columbia and Vancouver Island at as early a\ndate as possible is essential to the maintenance of imperial and local interests in the British\npossessions of the North Pacific.\n2. That the Chamber of Commerce adhere, nevertheless, to its resolutions on the subject of the\nfree port lately adopted, believing that the interests of the two Colonies, whether united or\nseparate, will be best maintained by the preservation in its integrity in this Island of the free trade\npolicy hitherto pursued.\n3. That these resolutions, with the annexed report, be signed by the whole of the members of the\nChamber of Commerce, and transmitted by the president to his Excellency the Governor, with\nthe prayer that they may be forwarded for the consideration of the Secretary of State for the\nColonies, with the resolutions of the House of Assembly on the same subject.\nPassed unanimously at a general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce held the 6th day of\nMarch 1865.\nIn adopting the aforegoing resolutions the members of the Chamber of Commerce of Victoria, Vancouver Island, representing as they do the chief part of the capital that has been invested in the joint\ndevelopment of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, deem it proper to place on record the facts and\ncircumstances that necessitate their present expression of opinion.\nPrior to the year 1858 the British possessions in the North Pacific attracted but slight attention; the\ntrading posts and forts of the Hudson's Bay Company, and a few farming establishments on Vancouver\nIsland under their control, being the only inducements for commerce, which, therefore, remained\nentirely in the hands of the company by whom Vancouver Island was then held under a charter from\nthe Crown.\nThe discovery of gold on the River j^aser in 1858, a preference on the opposite coast, and should have thus derived on their own territory the\nprivileges for a coasting trade as well as of importing American produce duty free; there were the\nfurther inducements of good town sites, excellent harbours, and access to British Columbia overland ;\nbut Victoria, with the prestige of a free port, offered greater advantages still.\nThe commanding nature of its geographical position, its convenient and capacious harbours of\nVictoria and Esquimalt (the only safe harbours on the sea-board north of San Francisco, a distance of\n700 miles, and approachable at all times by night or day for sea-going ships of any burthen); the\ncomparatively large area of open land in its vicinity; its proximity to the coal-fields of Nanaimo, and\nits temperate and delightful climate, all indicated it as a natural depot, from whence might be\nsupplied not only the requirements of British Columbia, but of Puget Sound, Oregon, California*\nMexico, the Hawaiian Islands, and the Russian possessions in the North Pacific (all of which have\nsince become the customers of Victoria, and give promise of increasing trade), and thus to build up an\nentrepot for British commerce and influence, the vast results of which, in course of time, can only be\nmatter of conjecture, occupying as Victoria does a most important position in what, when overland communication is opened through British Columbia, will be the shortest and healthiest route from Great\nBritain to her many valuable possessions injthe east.\nsubsidy for monthly mail steam com-\nThe recent action of the United States Congress,\nin voting\na\nmunication between China and San Francisco evinces that our neighbours are fully alive to the value\nof securing this important traffic for themselves.\nThe selection of Esquimalt as the naval station for the North Pacific proves that these several points\nhave been duly weighed by the Imperial Government and their value recognized.\nThe internal resources of Vancouver Island, extensive and promising for the further successful\nworking of minerals, farming, and manufactures, are only casually referred to, as being but partially\nh have yet to be proved,\nwmc\ndeveloped. The same may be said of the gold fields discovered last year,\nand their richness and extent to be ascertained.\nBut the commercial interest of Vancouver Island, which is the peculiar province of this Chamber, is\nan ascertained fact.\nAfter the formal separation of the Colonies in 1858, and the establishment in 1859 of New Westminster as the capital of British Columbia, their relative positions remained the same, and under the\njudicious rule of Sir James Douglas, then the joint Governor of both, the progress of the Colonies was\ncoincident, and their division merely nominal. The advancement of each was regarded as the benefit\nof the other.\nThe shipping and importing interests were unable to avail themselves of New Westminster, (although\noriginal purchasers, and still extensive holders of property there,) other than as a port of entry to the\ninterior of British Columbia, for the following reasons:\u2014\nThe great additional risks and delay for sea-going ships without steam, navigating between Victoria\nand the Fraser River.\nThe intricate, narrow, and uncertain channel through the sand-heads, at the mouth of the Fraser,\navailable only for ships drawing 16 feet at the utmost, and then requiring the assistance of steam.\nThe subsequent danger and delay attending river navigation to New Westminster, the current\nduring the summer freshets being very rapid.\nThe closing of the river by ice from time to time during the winter season, extending over four\nmonths.\nThe general inconvenience of the situation for import and export to and from foreign markets and\nthe limited and uncertain nature of the mere local demand.\nAccordingly, in no spirit of rivalry to .the sister Colony, but with the clearly-defined purpose of fostering her advancement as the best means of promoting their own, the merchants, without an exception\nsettled down m Victoria, and under a free trade policy assisted to build it up to its present flourishing\ncondition, investing considerable sums of money in permanent improvements, and in the establishment\nof business connexions, under the belief that the relative positions of the Colonies would remain\nwithout material alteration.\nIt was hoped they would still work harmoniously together, aud that Vancouver Island in maintaining\nher independence, and with it her free trade, would find in British Columbia her best customer and her\nstaunchest supporter; and on these grounds the members of the Chambers of Commerce of Victoria\nVancouver Island, declined to touch upon umon, as being more a political than a commercial question\nTiie.further reconstruction of British Columbia in 1863, and the arrival in 1864 of separate Governor\nwith distinct establishments for that Colony and for Vancouver Island, somewhat altered the relations\nof separate Governors\nw^v ra\u00bbu\u2122u\u201e.0uB iui iiioi vuiuuji o,uu xur Vancouver island, somewhat\njTi?i\u201e?n \u2122I threatens seriously to imperil the mutually beneficial relations hitherto\nexisting'\nbetween them which would directly tend to destroy the good effect already springing from the fref\ntrade policy of Vancouver Island, and would build up rival towns on the adjacent American territorv S\nthe sacrifice of British interest in the North Pa,rifm. 1 J American territory to\nThe m\nastonishment\nthe\ninterest in the North Pacific.\nembers of the Chamber of Commerce of Victoria, Vancouver Island, view with surprise and\npassing of enactments by the Legislative Council of British Columbia intentionally\nd\nal\nughout that Colony. \";;;,,: ll\"!iil|,mft ^-'-'ii OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n15\nThe annexed tariff recently passed by the Legislative Council of British Columbia, and put into\noperation the same day, without any notice to the mercantile community, most clearly indicates a desire\nto sacrifice the material interest of the Colony of British Columbia at large, provided that in so doing\na blow is aimed that will elevate New Westminster at the expense of Victoria.\nIt is certain that the miners, traders, and packers of British Columbia, who are chiefly affected by this\nmeasure, are not sharers in the feeling of opposition against Vancouver Island prevalent at New Westminster ; suchof themas were in \"Victoria have already given expression to their views at a public meeting, and petitions are in active circulation against it.\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nrANCOUVER\nIsland.\ngoing and returning 70 miles each way, as the inner passage by Johnson's Strait is only available for smaii\nvessels or steamers), for the simple purpose of entering and clearing, instead of being allowed as heretofore to clear from Victoria.\nIt frequently happens that sailing vessels, so bound, are unable, from ice in winter, and from freshets\nin summer, to reach New Westminster at all. A case recently occurred, as set forth in the declarations\nin the appendix, in which a schooner bound for Queen Charlotte Island with supplies for some miners\nsupposed to be short of provisions, could not enter the Fraser owing to the ice. She went round to\nBurrard Inlet, from whence New Westminster has constantly received supplies when the river was closed,\na distance of seven miles overland from New Westminster, was refused a clearance, unless she came to\nNew Westminster, and ultimately returned to Victoria; in this particular instance the action of the\nauthorities may prove to have been fatal to life.\nFrom such ill-advised legislation most serious issues must spring, and it is the deliberately expressed\nopinion of this Chamber that the paramount interest of the Imperial Government in the North Pacific\nwill be seriously jeopardised by it.\nThe want of concord between two Colonies in such close proximity, whose limited populations are\nmutually dependent on each other, can only result in access of strength to our American neighbour at\nthe expense of British influence in a quarter of the world where it is needless to state that influence ought\nto be fostered to the utmost.\nFinally, as bearing on the question of union with British Columbia, public opinion in opposition to\nthe views of this Chamber, seems to-be wavering and unstable on the question of free trade, and it is\nobvious that unless that policy is adhered to, the natural advantages of Vancouver Island can only be\nmade available by the. establishment of perfect harmony and union of interest between it and British\nColumbia.\nIn view of which, and regarding the general progress of the two Colonies as far above mere local considerations, the members of the Chamber of Commerce of Victoria, Vancouver Island, can only see in\nequitable union a practical solution of existing difficulties, and while feeling that Victoria as a free port\ndepdt, established with so much forethought and maintained at such cost, to the substantial benefit of\nBritish Columbia as well as of Vancouver Island, may be weakened for a time, they are content to leave\nthe solution of the whole question to the wisdom of Her Majesty's Government, feeling sure that the\ntrue interest of all parties will be carefully estimated and provided for.\nAdopted unanimously at a general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce held the sixth day of March\n1865. _______\nDeclaration of the President and Secretary of the Queen Charlotte Mining\nCompany, Limited.\n1. The company have had men at the mines since June last whose time had expired. Some delay\nhad*already occurred in sending a.vessel with supplies for them. They were supposed to be nearly out\nof provisions and clothing, and it was a matter of necessity, that a vessel should be sent to them.\n2. We were present at a meeting of the board of directors held on 21st January, at which a resolution\nwas'passed authorizing the secretary \"to contract with a vessel to go to the mines and bring back the\n\" men there, and all tools and moveable property of the company.\"\n3. The schooner | Onward\" was chartered for the purposes specified in the resolution on the 26th\nJanuary, and despatched the following day. j .\n4. The schooner returned to this port on or about the 7th February, in consequence ot being refused\na clearance at the custom-house at New Westminster.\n5. The delay in sending a vessel may be fatal to the men, and is extremely detrimental to the\ninterests of the company. # .\n6. The- provisions shipped on board were intended for the use of the men returning, and the value ot\nthem was #64,90-100. . . . . .\n7 And I Robert George, further declare that the paper writing marked \"A is the original\nmemorandum of agreement made with Hugh McKay, the captain and owner of the British schooner\ni Onward,\" and the paper writing marked \" B \" is the original receipt for all the goods shipped by the\nQueen Charlotte Mining Company on board the said vessel. And we, Robert Burnaby and Robert\nGeorge, do solemnly and sincerely declare that the above-mentioned statement is true- and correct, and\nwe make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true.\nRobert Burnaby,\nPresident, Queen Charlotte Mining Company, Limited.\nRobert George,\nSecretary, Queen Charlotte Mining Company, Limited.\nDeclared before me at Victoria, Vancouver Island, this eighth day of March, A.D. I860, in due\nform of law.\nQuod attestor.\n\\ M. W. Tyrwhitt Drake,\nNotary Public.\n14923.\nc 16\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nA.\nThis agreement, made this 26th day of January 1865, by and between Hugh McKay, master and\nowner ofthe schooner \"Onward,\" ofthe first part, and the Queen Charlotte Mining Company, Limited,\nofthe second part, witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of #225 agreed to be paid by tne\nparty of the second part on the completion of this agreement, the party of the first part will proceed\nwithout delay to the Company's mines at Sockalu Harbour, Queen Charlotte Island, and will remain\nthere long enough to take on board and will take on board the men to the number of at least three, now\nor then at the mines, and also all and any material, tools, stores, or other articles belonging to the\nCompany, which the foreman of the Company may direct, and bring the same with as little delay as\npossible to the port of Victoria and alongside a convenient wharf at said port, and deliver the same to\nthe said party of the second part, or their agents or assigns. And the said party of the second part agrees\nto pay the said sum of #225 on the delivery of the said material, tools, stores, and articles, and landing\nof said men.\nDated in Victoria, Vancouver Island, this 26th January 1865. Hugh McKay.\nJames Duncan,\nWitness. For the Queen Charlotte Mining Company, Limited,\nR. Georg.e, Secretary.\nThis is the document marked A. referred to in the annexed declaration, dated 8th March 1865.\nM. W. Tyrwhitt Drake, Notary Public.\nB.\n1865.\nVictoria, Vancouver Island, January 26, *.vk,u.\nShipped in good order by Sporburg and Reuff, on board the \" Onward,\" whereof McKay is master,\nand bound for Q. C. M. Co., the following packages (the dangers of fire and navigation excepted) consigned to Q. C. M. Co., of Q. C. Island, and marked Q. C. M.\nOne Bhl. Flour.\nOne Sk. Beans.\nOne Bhl. Molasses.\nOne Sk. Potatoes.\nThis is the document marked B. referred to\nRobert George, dated 8th March 1865.\nOne Pn. Bacon.\nOne. Pkg. Sundries.\nTwo Boxes Bread.\nin\nthe annexed declaration of Robert Burnaby and\nM. W. Tyrwhitt Drake.\nNotary Public.\nTo all to whom these Presents shall come,\u2014\nI, Montague William Tyrwhitt Drake, Notary Public, duly authorized, admitted, and sworn,\nresiding and practising in Victoria, Vancouver Island, do hereby certify that Hugh McKay, personally\nknown to me, appeared before me and signed the declaration hereto annexed, in due form of law, and\nthat the name \" Hugh McKay\" thereto subscribed is of the proper handwriting of the said Hugh\nMcKay.\nIn faith and testimony whereof, I, the said notary, have hereunto set my name\nand affixed my seal of office.\n\/ \\ Dated in Victoria aforesaid, the twenty-first\n\/ Seal# \\ day of February, A.D. 1865.\n\\ J M. W. Tyrwhitt Drake, Notary Public.\nDeclaration of Hugh McKay, Master and Owner of the British Schooner | Onward,\"\nof Victoria, Vancouver Island.\nI am master and owner of the British schooner \" Onward.\"\nI made a written agreement on the 26th January last, with the Queen Charlotte Mining Company\nLimited, to go to their mines at Queen Charlotte Island, and bring thence to Victoria (3) three men and\nthe material left there.\nI took on board goods to the value of #160, all of which were \" stores,\" except two bhls. molasses\nand five boxes bread, of the value of about ($57.00) 57 dollars.\nI sailed and reached the entrance of Fraser River and attempted to get up to New Westminster to\nclear my goods, but found so much float ice coming down the river, that I did not dare to risk my\nvessel against it. J\nI went out of the river and round to Burrard's Inlet, to which place vessels customarily go in the\nwinter, when they cannot reach New Westminster by the river.\nFrom my anchorage there I sent over my manifest and clearance, and money to pay duties.\nThe custom-house officer asked if those (on the manifest) were all the goods on board. My messenger replied all, except \"grub,\" but they could send an officer over and examine. He was then told to\nbring over a list of everything on board.\nHe returned to the vessel, and I made out a list of all the stores and everything I had on board even\nto a bottle of pepper, and sent the man back with it, telling him if they would not send an officer over\nand clear me for the north, then to get a clearance back to Victoria. Upon his arrival with this list,\nafter some debate about sending an officer over, they finally said that they could not clear any vessel for\nthe north, except the vessel herself was brought to New Westminster.\nAfter much difficulty they gave me a clearance for Victoria.\nI lost; 10 days in the trip and the contract with the Queen Charlotte Mining Company\nthe anchorage to New Westminster my man had to go eight miles in a canoe, and then six\no i ;( trail through mud and ice, and this back and forth four times\nFrom\nmiles\nj i ,- \u2022\" \u25a0 !,,.''\u2022 \" \"\"\" \"\"\"' \"\"\" \"\"\"\u25a0\u25a0- And I make this solemn\ndeclaration conscientiously behevmg the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of an Act\nmade and passed in the sixth year of the reign of His late Majesty King William the Foufth\nintituled An Act to amend an Act of the present session of Parliament, entitled St Act for the\nwmH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n17\nmore effectual abolition of oaths and affirmations taken and made in various departments ofthe\nState, and to substitute declarations in lieu thereof, and for the more entire suppression of voluntary\nand extra-judicial oaths and affidavits, and to make other provisions for the.abolition of unnecessary\noaths.\n-r^ , , \u2022 , i f\\ , \u2022 Hugh McKay.\nDeclared in due form of law, this 21st day of February, A.D. 1865,\nbefore me,\nM. W. Tyrwhitt Drake, Notary Public.\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nNo.\nBritish Columbia.\nV. R.\n3.\u2014An Ordinance to amend the Duties of Customs.\n[15th February 1865.]\nWhereas it is expedient in some respects to alter the duties of customs as now by law established\nin British Columbia, and to make further provision for the levying thereof.\nBe it enacted by the Governor of British Columbia, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:\nI. From and after the passing of this Ordinance, the duties of customs hitherto chargeable on goods,\nanimals, and articles imported into and landed in British Columbia, shall be and are hereby repealed.\nII. In lieu thereof, from and after the passing of this Ordinance, there shall be levied, assessed,\ncollected, and paid to the Use of Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors :\na. Upon all goods, wares, merchandise, animals, and things imported into and landed in British\n.Columbia, and more particularly mentioned in Schedule A. hereto, and according to the value\nthereof, the several ad valorem duties in such Schedule set opposite the respective articles\ntherein named.\nb. And (in addition to the ad valorem duties leviable on certain of the same articles) upon all goods,\nwares, merchandise, animals, and things imported into and landed in British Columbia, the\nseveral specific duties of customs more particularly mentioned in Schedule B. hereto, and set\nopposite the respective articles therein named.\nc. And so long as the Proclamation made and passed on the 10th day of December, A.D. 1859, is in\nforce, and the dues thereby leviable shall be levied upon wares, goods and merchandise transported from New Westminster to any place in British Columbia, there shall be so levied,\ncollected, and paid as aforesaid upon every ton of wares, goods, and merchandise imported into\nthe Colony by way of the Southern Boundary, the sum of twelve shillings, and so on for a\ngreater or less quantity ; and on cattle, horses, mules, and asses so imported by way of the\nSouthern Boundary, the sum of two shillings and one penny per head beyond the specific duties\ncharged on animals, in Schedule B. hereto.\nd. The articles mentioned in Schedule C. hereto shall be admitted into British Columbia free of\nduty.\nIII. With the bill of entry of any goods, there shall be produced to the collector of customs an\ninvoice of the goods, and the bill of entry shall also contain a statement of the value for duty of the\ngoods therein mentioned, and shall be signed by the person making the entry, and verified if required\nby his declaration to the truth thereof, and no entry shall be deemed perfect unless a sufficient invoice of\nthe goods to be entered has been produced to the collector.\nIV. If any person passes or attempts to pass through the custom-house any false or fraudulent\ninvoice, or makes out or passes, or attempts to pass a bill of entry of any goods at a value below the\nfair market value ofsuch goods in the country from'which such goods were last directly shipped or\nexported, or in any way, by under-valuation or otherwise, attempts to defraud the revenue of any part\nof the duty on any goods or things liable thereto, every such person shall on conviction (in addition\nto any other penalty or forfeiture to which he may be subject for such offence) be liable to a penalty\nnot exceeding 100\/., and the goods so undervalued shall be and be taken and deemed to be forfeited.\nV. And inasmuch as it is expedient to make such provisions for the valuation of goods subject to ad\nvalorem duties, as may protect the revenue and the fair trader against fraud by the undervaluation of\nany such goods, therefore the Governor may from time to time, and when he deems it expedient, appoint\nfit and proper persons to be appraisers of goods at the port of entry, and every such appraiser shall\nbefore acting as such take and subscribe the following oath of office before some justice of the peace\nfor this Colony, and deliver the same to. the collector. Every such appraisement shall be final.\nI, A. B., having been appointed an appraiser of goods, wares, and merchandise, and to act as such at\nthe port of (or as the case may be), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully perform the\nduties of the said office, without partiality, fear, favour, or affection, and that I will appraise the value\nof all goods submitted to my appraisement, according to the true intent and meaning of the laws imposing duties of customs in this Colony; and that I will use my best endeavours to prevent all fraud, subterfuge, or evasion of the said laws, and more especially to detect, expose, and frustrate all attempts to\nundervalue any goods, wares, or merchandise on which any duty is chargeable. So help me God.\nA. B.\nAppraiser for (as the case may be).\nSworn before me, this day of 186\nE. F.\nJ. P. for (as the case may be).\nVL If no appraiser is appointed to any port of entry, the collector there shall act as_ appraiser, but\nwithout taking any special oath of office as such; and the Governor may at any time direct any\nappraiser to attend at any port or place, for the purpose of valuing any goods, or of acting as appraiser\nthere during any time, which such appraiser shall accordingly do without taking any new oath of office,\nand every appraiser shall be deemed an officer of the customs.\nC 2\nPreamble.\nFormer duties\nrepealed.\nTo be substituted.\nAd valorem\nduties in Sohe-\ndule A.\nAnd specific\nduties in Schedule B.\nTonnage dues\non imports by\nSouthern\nBoundary.\nFree list in\nSchedule C.\nInvoice to be\nproduced.\nPenalties for\nfraudulent\ninvoice.\nAppraisers\nhow appointed.\nOath to be\ntaken by appraiser.\nCollector when\nto act as\nappraiser. raw^s\n18\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nValue of goods\nto be fair\nmarket value.\nDuties to be\ncollected as\ncustoms\nduties.\nPenalties for\nevasion.\nShort Title\nVII. In all cases where any duty is imposed on any goods or things imported into this Colony according to the value of such goods, such value shall be understood to be the fair market value thereof in the\nprincipal markets of the country whence the same were last shipped or exported direct to this Colony,\nand the collector and appraiser shall, by all reasonable ways and means in their power, ascertain the fair\nvalue of such goods as aforesaid, and estimate the value for duty accordingly.\nVIII. The duties hereby imposed shall be deemed to be customs duties, in all respects subject to\nthe Customs Consolidation Act, 1853, the Supplemental Customs Consolidation Act, 1855, and this\nOrdinance; and shall be under the care and.management of the collector of customs for the time being\nfor the Colony, who by himself and his officers shall have all the powers and authorities for the collection, recovery, and management thereof, as are under or by virtue of the said Customs Consolidation\nActs, or either of them, or this or any other Act, Ordinance, or Proclamation, vested in the said\ncollector for the collection, recovery, and management of duties of customs, and all other powers and\nauthorities requisite for levying the said duties.\nIX. Every evasion, or attempt at evasion of, or offence committed by any person or persons to defeat\nthe payment of any of the duties hereby made payable on any goods or things imported into British\nColumbia (which shall include its dependencies) will, in addition to the penalties by this Ordinance\nimposed, be prosecuted and punished in the manner prescribed by the said Customs Consolidation\nActs.\nX. This Ordinance shall be cited as \"The Customs Amendment Ordinance, 1865.\"\nPassed the Legislative Council this 15th day of February, A.D. 1865.\nCharles Good, Arthuh N. Birch,\nClerk. Presiding Member.\nAssented to, in Her Majesty's name, this Fifteenth day of February 1865.\nFederick Seymour,\nGovernor.\nill\nSCHEDULE A.\nAd valorem Custo\nEverything not enumerated under Schedules A., B., and\nAle and Porter - - 20 j\nAxes - - - 121\nBacon - - - 15\nBarley - - - 12*\nBeans - 20\nBeef (salt) - - 121\nBilliard and Bagatelle\ntables - - - 12*\nBitters - 40\nBlankets - - - 20\nBoots and Shoes - 15\nBread - - - 15\nBricks - - - 12*\nButter - - - 15\nCandles - - - 20\nCamphene - -12*\nCheese - - - 15\nChocolate - - 121\nCider - - - 12*\nClothing - - - 15\nCoffee, green - - 15\n. Do. manufactured 20\nConfectioneiy - 1 \u00a31\nCordials - ' - - 12*\nDrugs and Chemicals 20\"\nDried Fish - - 30\nDry Goods - - 15\nr cent.\nEarthenware\n\u00ab\nFish (preserved)\n,,\nFire Arms\n53\nFlour -\n5,\nFruits (preserved)\n,5\nFurniture (excepting\nthat as provided for\nJ,\nin Schedule C.) -\n55\nGlass and Glassware -\n55\nGroceries (not other\n55\nwise provided for) -\n5,\nGunpowder\n,J\nHardware and Iron\n,*\nmongery\n55\nHarness and Saddlery\n5,\nIron and Steel -\n55\nLaid\n55\nLeather -\n55\nLime -\n55\nMeat (preserved)\n55\nMolasses - - -\n55\nNails\n55\nNuts and Almonds -\n55\nOils\n5?\nOats\n55\nOpium -\n55\nPaints\nMS D\nUTI1\n5S.\nC, s\nhall\nbe subject to a duty\nof 12* pei\nr c^nft\n12* per cent.\nPotatoes -\n_\n12* per cent\n121\n35\nPork (salt)\n-\n10\n\u00bb\n121\n33\nQuicksilver\n-\n121\n2\n55\n15\n55\nRice\n-\n20\n,,\n12*\n77\nRope and Cordage\n-\n12*\n,5\nShot\n-\n12*\n55\nSoap\n-\n12*\n,3\n12*\n53\nStationeiy\n_\n121\n121\n55\nSugar\nTar and Pitch -\n-\n20\"\n121\n55\n12*\n53\nTea\n-\n2\n25\n33\n15\n35\nTin and Tinware\n-\n121\n2\nTobacco -\n_\n30\n12*\n53\nVegetables\n-\n12*\n3,\n121\nJ. \u2014 o\n33\nDo. (preserved)\n12*\n12i\n33\nWaggons -\n-\n121\n3,\n15\"\n33\nWheat -\n_\n10\"\n12*\n33\nWindow Sashes ;\nmd\n12*\n33\nDoors -\n.\n10\n12*\n33\nWine, Champagne\n-\n40\n12*\n35\n\u201e Claret\n_\n25\n12f\n55\n\u201e Various -\n_\n25\n12*\n53\nWoodware\n.\n12*\n15\n33\nYeast Powders -\n,.\n12*\n12*\n?3\nPlaying Cards\n50\n35\n50\n55\n121\n1 w 0\ns%\nSCHEDULE B.\nAd valorem and Specifk\nSpirits and Distilled Liquors of all kinds,\nfor eveiy gallon imperial measure, of\nfull strength or less than full strength\nof proof by Syke's hydrometer -\nAnd so on in proportion for any greater\nstrength than proof.\nAnd on the value thereof at the place\nfrom whence last imported\nChinese Medicated Wine and Spirits,\nper gall\non\n6s.\no\n20 per cent.\n6s.\nAnd on the value thereof at the place\nfrom whence last imported - - 20 per cent.\nCigars and Cheroots, per 100 - - 4s. 2d.\nAnd on the value thereof at the place\nfrom whence last imported - -20 per cent.\nSpecific.\nBulls, Cows, Calves, Oxen, Horses,\nAsses, and Mules, per head - - 4s. 2d.\nSheep, Goats, and Hogs, per head - 2s. Id. OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n19\nSCHEDULE C.\nArticles free of Duty.\nAll materials required for ship or boatbuilding, all kinds of Machinery, Pig Iron, Agricultural Implements, Coin,\nFresh Fish, Fruit, Poultry alive or dead, Seeds and bulbs and roots of plants to be used in agriculture and not as\nfood, Coals, Eggs, Hay, Salt, Lumber, empty Gunny Sacks, Printed and Manuscript Books and Papers, Baggage\nand Apparel, Household Furniture which has been in use, belonging to and arriving with bona fide immigrants,\nand professional apparatus of passengers. And also all goods, animals, and articles whatsoever, imported for the\npublic service, or uses of the Colony of British Columbia, or for the use of Her Majesty's Land or Sea Forces,\nor of any person holding any command or appointment in Her Majesty's Forces aforesaid: Provided always\nthat all articles so excepted from duty as above mentioned, are the property of passengers and officers, for use,\nand not for making a profit by the sale thereof.\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nANCOUVER\nIsland,\nNo. 8.\nExtract from a DESPATCH from Governor Kennedy, C.B., to the Right Hon.\nEdward Cardwell, M.P.\n(No. 16.) Victoria, March 21, 1865.\n(Received May 15, 1865.)\nI have deferred replying to that part of your Despatch No. 2,* dated 30th\nApril, 1864, on the proposed union of Vancouver Island with British Columbia, until I\ncould report some definite action of the Legislature of this Colony on the subject.\nAfter various abortive proceedings (the details of which I need not trouble you\nwith) the resolutions communicated in my Despatch No. 14f of this date were adopted by\nthe Legislative Assembly on the 27th January 1865.\nThese resolutions, coupled with those of the Chamber of Commerce, transmitted in\nmy Despatch No. 15, J also of this date, will enable you to judge of the public feeling on\nthe subject.\nI took an early opportunity, after the expression of opinion by the Legislative\nAssembly, to have a personal consultation with Governor Seymour * * *\nA year's experience and close observation in this Colony have led me to adopt a\nvery decided opinion of the expediency\u2014I might almost say necessity (for to that I think\nit must come)\u2014of uniting British Columbia and Vancouver Island under one Governor,\none Legislature, and equal laws.\nThe proposal of my predecessor, adverted to in your Despatch, that there should be\none Governor, 1 that the Colonies should each have its separate Legislature, make its\n.\" own laws, raise and apply its own revenue, as at present, for its individual benefit,\"\nseems to me to be surrounded by difficulties, and fraught with the elements of dissolution\nand discord.\nThe difficulty of one Governor administering two neighbouring Governments, conducted upon different and antagonistic commercial principles, as they exist at present,\nseems to me insuperable.\nIf these Colonies progress (as it is hoped), the ports of one being free and the other -\nlevying import duties, it would ultimately require a large portion of the revenue of the\none to suppress smuggling from the other, a fact well illustrated by the contraband trade\nat present carried on with Vancouver Island and the neighbouring American territory,\nbetween which similar conditions at present exist.\nAs regards the control and management of the Indian population (which is a most\nimportant subject of consideration), who migrate between the two Qolonies, the necessity\nof uniform legislation and policy are, I think, self-evident.\nA uniform postal system, and all other subjects on which united action are\nnecessary, could hardly be carried out, or at best would be weakened by separate\nLegislatures.\nThe population of each Colony is and will long continue to be too small for healthy\npolitical action.\nAll the advantages derivable from mutual aid and co-operation would be lost, and\na bitter and senseless rivalry (as at present growing up) engendered in their stead,\nI think it would be difficult to find two Colonies or communities who are so necessarily dependent on each other for progress and support.\nThe readiness of the Legislative Assembly of this Colony to abandon the free\nport of Victoria at once removes the only serious difficulty which has hitherto beset\nthis question, a course of action approved of by an overwhelming majority of then-\nconstituents. . . n i - ir j\nThe separate existence and possibly hostile legislation of these Colonies affords a\n\"No. 8.\nPage 5.\nPage 6.\nt Page 13. 20\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish bad public example, and must continue to be an increasing embarrassment to Her\nColumbia Majesty's Government. n \u25a0, . t ^ \u25a0, \u2022 ^ I e\nAND I will not enter upon the question of relative gain of each Colony in the event ot\nj Vancouver union beyond expressing my opinion that the resources of this Colony, by means of direct\nIsland. faxati'on alone5 are amp]e to defray the expenses of Government, with the maintenance, if\nnecessary, of its free port; and that its financial condition on the whole is quite as\nsatisfactory as that of British Columbia. ' *\nThe form of Government under which these united Colonies could be most easily and\nsuccessfully governed is an important subject for consideration.\nThe form of Government at present existing in this Colony, namely, an Elective\nAssembly of 15 Members, and a nominated Legislative Council, does not, and in my opinion\nnever can work satisfactorily. There is no medium or connecting link between the\nGovernor and the Assembly, and the time of the Legislative Council (which comprises the\nprincipal executive officers) is mainly occupied in the correction of mistakes, or undoing\nthe Crude legislation of the Lower House,, who have not and cannot be expected to have\nthe practical experience or available time necessary for the successful conduct of public\naffairs. On financial subjects they are always greatly at fault.\nI would therefore recommend (should the opportunity for remodelling the form of\nGovernment occur) that there should be one Chamber only, composed of elective Members,\nas at present, with the addition of nominees of the Crown in the proportion of one third,\nwith power to resolve itself into two separate Chambers, when the state of the population\nwould justify or render it necessary, a contingency which is, I think, far distant.\nI believe that this change would find favour with the intelligent portion of the\npublic, and a large number, if not a majority, of the present Assembly, whose constitution\nit would affect.\nI have abstained from expressing any public opinion, or exercising any influence I\nmay possess, in encouraging this movement, but I have no doubt that the expression of\nthe former and legitimate use ofthe latter, if acquiesced in by Governor Seymour, would\nimmediately remove all serious opposition to a union of these Colonies, which I consider\na matter.of great imperial, as well as colonial interest.\nNo. 9.\nSir,\nNo. 9.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from Governor Seymour to the Right Hon.\nEdward Cardwell, M.P.\n(No. 30.)\nNew Westminster, March 21, 1865.\n(Received, June 29, 1865.)\nI have the honour to forward a printed Paper of which I have become accidentally\npossessed, containing certain resolutions passed and statements made by the Chamber of\nCommerce at Victoria.\n2. You will observe that these resolutions and statements, which attribute somewhat\nunworthy motives to the Government of this Colony, were transmitted to you before I\nbecame officially aware of their existence. I feel that. I should be neglecting my duty to Her\nMajesty's Government and to British Columbia were I to pass unnoticed statements emanating from a respectable source, and which have been published with something approaching to accuracy in the daily periodicals of the neighbouring Colony. Of the resolutions\nhad they been unsupported by the statements, I should not have had to complain They\nare the expression of the opinion of a beaten party. You are aware that the candidates on\nthe Tree Port side were rejected at the last Victoria elections. The beaten party have\nhowever, the support of the people of Vancouver, in so far as they advocate a union with\nthis Colony. With us, the Legislative Council has on more than one occasion unanimously protested against the proposed connexion.\n3. I will pass over the earlier portions of the statements, but must pause when I reach\nthe assertion that Victoria_I have no word to say against Esquimalt\u2014possesses \u00ab a\ncapacious and convenient harbour, approachable at all times, by night or dav for \u00abp\u00bb\n.JZl\u00b1^tZeZ^H1^ ^Sl P0i^ to ^e lighest authority I\ncan procure, that of Captain Richards, R.N., the present Hydrographer to\nuu.^,^^ ydpwtunxicnaras, h..in., tne present Hydrographer to the Navv\nhis sailing directions for Vancouver Island, page 20, I find, 1 The entrance tc\nvictoria Harbour is shoal, narrow, and intricate, and with S.W. or S.E. gales a heavy\nentrance to OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n21\nii\nrolling swell sets on the coast, which render's the\nvessels of burthen cannot run in for shelter unless at\nanchorage\na\n<<\na\n<(\n((\na\noutside unsafe, while\nor near high water. Vessels\ndrawing 14 or 15 feet may, under ordinary circumstances, enter at such times of tide,\nand ships drawing 17 feet of water have entered, though only at the top of spring\ntides.\" Captain Richards proceeds to state that in the harbour \" the space is so\nconfined and tortuous, that a long ship has great difficulty in making the necessary\nturn; a large per-centage of vessels entering the port, small as well as large, constantly run aground from these causes.\" Further on, $ it appears not a little remarkable that, with the excellent harbour of Esquimalt within two miles, Victoria should\nhave been continued as the commercial port of a rising Colony, whose interests cannot\nI but suffer materially from the risks and delays which shipping must encounter in\n\" approaching the commercial capital.\" He concludes his notice of the harbour, while\nallowing that Victoria suited the former wants of the Hudson's Bay Company, \" it has\n| been a fatal mistake at a later date not to have adopted Esquimalt as the commercial\ncapital.\"\n4. I will add my own personal testimony, though entirely unnecessary, to that of\nCaptain Richards. After threading in safety by the chart and compass on a dark night\nthe narrow channels among the islands of the Gulf of Georgia, I have found myself\nscarcely able to determine which of the indentations of the coast was the Harbour of\nVictoria. No light of any kind marks its entrance, and in a small steamer, drawing but\n3 feet 6 inches, we have shared the fate of the \" large per-centage of vessels, small as\n\" well as large,\" and run aground.\n5. I wish to dispose of the questions relating to natural features, raised by the\nChamber of Commerce, before following their arguments into political matters. Having\nthus lauded the harbour of Victoria, they proceed to deal in a less generous manner with\nFraser River. The statements assert that the \" intricate, narrow, and uncertain channel\nthrough the sand heads at the mouth of the Fraser is available only for ships drawing\n16 feet of water at the utmost, and then requiring the assistance of steam.\" They go\non to speak of the \" subsequent danger and delay attending river navigation to New\n\" Westminster, the currents during the summer's freshets being very rapid.\" Either the\nChamber of Commerce of Victoria or the Hydrographer of the Navy is very much\nmistaken. I beg leave to refer to page 97 of the book already quoted : | Fraser River,\n| in point of magnitude and present commercial importance, is second only to the\nColumbia on the North-west Coast of America. In its entire freedom from risk of\nlife and shipwreck, it possesses infinite advantages over any other river on the coast,\n| and the cause of this immunity from the dangers and inconveniences to which all great\n\" rivers emptying themselves on an exposed coast are subject is sufficiently obvious.\"\nCaptain Richards then alludes to the \" fixed and unvarying character of the shoals\n1 through which this magnificent stream pursues its undevious course into the Gulf of\nGeorgia; and there can be little doubt that it is destined at no distant period to fulfil\nto the utmost, as it is already partially fulfilling, the purposes for which nature meant\nit\u2014the outlet for the products of a great country.\" In descending the stream on\nreaching Langley, 12 miles above New Westminster, Captain Richards finds that | the\n\" river becomes a broad, deep, and placid\" stream, and, except during the three summer\nI months, the influence of the flood stream is generally felt, and vessels of any draught\n\" may conveniently anchor. The depth is ten fathoms; the current not above three\n\" knots. Vessels of from 18 to 20 feet draught may enter the Fraser, and proceed as\n1 high as Langley, or a few miles above it, with ease, provided they have or are assisted\n| by steam power. The only difficulty is at the entrance, and that is easily overcome\nI by providing pilots and the means of maintaining the buoys in their position.\" The\nChamber of Commerce speaks of the \" intricate, narrow, and uncertain\" entrance. I\nhave already quoted Captain Richard's expression of \" undevious.\" He adds later, | that\n\" the stream has forced an almost straight though narrow passage.\" I may strengthen\nthe refutation of the alleged \" uncertainty\" of the entrance. I had the channel\nrecently re-surveyed by Mr. Pender, R.N., charged with the Admiralty survey of this\ncoast. He found that it had sustained scarcely any appreciable change since the passage\nwas first marked out on the settlement ofthe Colony.\n6. The statements made by the Chamber of Commerce, on matters susceptiole of\nproof are somewhat remarkable. I hardly assume, in a body professing to represent the\ncommercial capital and intelligence of the two Colonies, an ignorance of a book oi\nsailing directions for their coasts, \" published,\" as the title page would show them, \" by\n1 Order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.\" If Captain Richards is m error,\nand his sailing directions calculated to lead ships into danger, his statements ought^ m\nthe interest of commerce, to have been boldly met. But he has been left\nC4\na\na\na\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\naside 22\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nunnoticed, and assertions directly opposed to those made public by the Admiralty have\nbeen officially forwarded to you. jj\nAlthough my own considerable yachting experience has led me to rely witn ttie\nthe directions of the Hydrographer of the Navy, the enclosed letters from Vice-\nmiral Kingcome, lately ' Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Squadron, and Captain\not\nAdmiral Kingcome, lately\nLord Gilford, commanding Her Majesty's ship \"Tribune, authorities worthy surely of\nweight with the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. These letters were published m\nthe official Gazette of this Colony.\n8. Admiral Kingcome notices that the arrival of Her Majestys ship \"Tribune,\ndrawing 19 feet 6, inches, opposite this town, most \"conclusively proves \"that direct\n\" communication with New Westminster can be carried on by ocean ships of large\n\" tonnage.\" He says further, \" the approach to the entrance of Fraser River possesses\nI many advantages over that of the Thames. In the first place, the water is much\n\" smoother, and it is not exposed to any sea such as that raised in the North sea by\n\" easterly gales, which, in many instances, has caused the loss of ships. Secondly, there\n\" are no outlying sands, and the channel is not near so tortuous, and marks can be\n\" placed on the land, which in the Thames is nearly impossible. Thirdly, the weather\n\" is much clearer, and the position of a ship more easily fixed.\" \"Fourthly, the anchorage\n\" in English Bay is far preferable to that in the Downs. In both rivers ships must wait\nI for the tides, and with the same or even half the precautions in the Fraser that are\n\" used in the Thames a perfect stranger would have noj difficulty in taking ships\nI drawing 19 or 20 feet to New Westminster.\"\n9. In leaving the river, the \"Tribune\" unfortunately grounded. Lord Gilford, in\nshowing that the accident was caused by the dull white colour of a pole which marks\nthe Channel, reports to the Commander-in-Chief on the station : \" I deem it my duty\n\" to state that, notwithstanding Her Majesty's ship under my.command having taken\n\" the ground on her outward passage, I am of opinion that vessels drawing from 18 to\n\" 20 feet could enter the Fraser in perfect safety, provided the channel be properly\nI buoyed with marks which can be seen at a reasonable distance.\" The Chamber of\nCommerce is aware that great improvements have, since Lord Gilford wrote, been made\nin marking the Channel; that iron buoys have been ordered out from England, and\ntenders are invited, not only in our local papers, but in those of Victoria, for the\nconstruction of a light-ship for the mouth of the Fraser.\n10. I admit that Esquimalt possesses all the advantages ascribed to it jointly with\nVictoria, but the \" fatal\" mistake alluded to by Captain Richards now causes irritation\nand inconvenience in both Colonies. I can see no objection to merchandise destined for\nus being transhipped in Esquimalt, but I do object to the present system under which\nour traffic is artificially conducted up the narrow and tortuous harbour of Victoria,\ncausing a great loss of time and increase of expense. I have no certain information as\nto the amount of delay, but I believe that a fortnight to three weeks elapses after the\narrival of a ship in Esquimalt harbour before any portion of her cargo reaches New\nWestminster.\n11. The 12th paragraph states that under a former rule the advancement of each\nColony was regarded as the benefit of the other. Unquestionably, even now, the legitimate advancement of each Colony is regarded as the benefit of the other.\n12. I am in ignorance of the motives which induced Her Majesty's Government to\nmake two Colonies of the British possessions to the westward of the Rocky Mountains,\nto lay out the plan of a city of vast dimensions near the mouth of the Fraser, and\nto sell the lots on the faith that on them would stand the future capital of B'ritish\nColumbia. If the mainland was to continue to be the dependency of an outlying\nisland, no second capital was required, and steps ought boldly to have been taken, regardless of the private interests of the Hudson's Bay traders and others, to erect a great\ncommercial town on the fine harbour of Esquimalt. Unquestionably, under the rule of\nmy predecessor, Victoria became the principal English port on this coast, and New Westminster commenced a retrograde course early in its history. It could hardly have\nbeen otherwise. The Governor and other public officers drew their full salaries from\nBritish Columbia and resided in Vancouver Island. Victoria escaped all indirect taxation\nwhile heavy duties were collected on all articles consumed on the mainland. The\nHudson's Bay Company ran their steam vessels to the Fraser to connect with the river\nsteamers, and draw down to the seat of government and of commerce the miners immediately on their arrival from the gold fields. The San Francisco steamers called at OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n23\nEsquimalt only, and thus passengers for California had no inducement of any kind to\nremain even a few hours, voluntarily, in this Colony. While waiting for the steamers the\nminers spent their money in Victoria, and thus billiard rooms and drinking saloons arose,\nand the place acquired sufficient importance to depopulate New Westminster without\nattaining any solid foundation or considerable prosperity for itself. The Chamber of\nCommerce speaks of the trade with China, the Sandwich Islands, Russian America, and\nother places. How, if this be important, is it that the prospect of a portion of the\ntraffic of British Columbia.^ taking the short and undevious route by the Fraser, shakes\nthe Whole of Victorian society to its foundations, and causes a state of political ferment\nsuch as the island had never seen ? Victoria did not attain any solid prosperity while\nhaving her interests set above those of this Colony and of the whole of Vancouver\nIsland not included in her town lots. Let me state how British Columbia fared.\n13. I had not seen even in the West Indies so melancholy a picture of disappointed\nhopes as New Westminster presented on my arrival. Here, however, there was a display\nof energy wanting in the tropics, and thousands of trees of the largest dimensions had\nbeen felled to make way for the great city expected to rise on the magnificent\nsite selected for it. But the blight had early come. Many of the best houses were\nuntenanted. The largest hotel was to let, decay appeared on all sides, and the\nstumps and logs of the fallen trees blocked up most of the streets. Westminster appeared,\nto use the miners' expression, 1 played out.\"\n14. But it would have been urged, before the late excitement in Victoria, that the two\nColonies prospered, and that, therefore, it mattered but slightly if those who bought\nland in New Westminster were losers by the speculation. It is not for me to report on\nthe condition of Vancouver Island, but 1 have to state that British Columbia did not\nprosper. You are aware of the passionate appeals for separation which came from this\nColony. The revenue of 1864 fell short of the estimate by 15,000\/., and, but for the accidental discovery of gold on the Kootenay, at the close ofthe year, the receipts would have\nshown a deficiency of 21,000?. on the estimated revenue. At the time of my taking over\nthe government there was a local debt of 53,858\/., in addition to that incurred in England,\ncomposed chiefly of Road Bonds and an overdrawn account at the Bank of British\nColumbia. The miners were not prosperous, and the labourers in Cariboo had diminished\n-in number. What class was then thriving ? Merchants there are but few. The Chamber of Commerce states (para. 22) that there is not at this moment a single importing\nmercantile establishment throughout the Colony. Yet the number of traders who have\ntaken advantage of the Insolvent Debtors Act was one-third greater in 1864 than in\n1863. Perhaps, however, the country gentlemen who had introduced large, capital and\nacquired land at a low price were the class who flourished while other interests drooped.\nNot so, I regret to say. Prosperity has not yet favoured their meritorious labours. The\nLegislative Council expressed a wish that some unpaid magistrates should be appointed.\nI offered a commission to three of the principal country gentlemen; one accepted the\noffice; a second told me frankly he had sunk everything, and was on the brink of insolvency, unless further remittances arrived from England ; the third sent me in a statement\nof his circumstances, showing that, if pressed by his creditors, he would be unable to\nmeet his liabilities.\n15. This is the state upon which British Columbia entered the London market as an\napplicant for a further loan of 100,000\/. What security had it to offer ? The merchants\nof Victoria were in no way liable ; the miners, owners of the most valuable claims, have\nno habitation in the Colony. The statement respecting the importing merchants is not\nwide of the truth. Our creditors have, therefore, but the hard pressed owners of the soil\nto depend on.\n16. It will hardly be cause for surprise if a document which deals loosely with facts\nshould exhibit carelessness when it comes to deal with motives. The Chamber of Commerce, without any communication with myself or the Legislature of this Colony, state\nthat our recent legislation has been \"intentionally antagonistic to Victoria.\"\nview\nthat town.\nI enclose a copy of the\nattached\n^his\npetition\nso\nittle\nwas adopted at a public meeting held in\nwhich they originated and of my reply. The Legislative Council\nweight to the signatures, that the petition was not even taken up by the House. My\nanswer will, I trust, dispose of the statements in the 23rd paragraph. As to the dissatisfaction supposed in the 24th to exist, I may at once say, that miners, like other men, are\nnot partial to taxation, but that, although they have been worked upon in every way by\nthe political agitators of Victoria, the only public manifestations of feeling which we have\nseen recently were the receiving the steamer (which, I believe, brought up the petition) in\nNew Westminster with three groans for the Hudson's Bay Company, whose agents are\nprominent among the agitators against recent legislation. The last batch of miners on\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nI\n14923.\nD 24\nPAPERS RELATIVF TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nlanding here spontaneously gave three cheers for the Governor, whom, had they attended\nto the directions of the Victoria press, they would have opposed by all means, fair or\nunfair. Immediately after cheering the Governor, three cheers were given for Mr.\nO'Reilly, the Gold Commissioner of Cariboo, who had, in the council, taken a prominent\npart in recent legislation.\n17. The 25th paragraph alludes'.to the circumstance of vessels having to clear at New\nWestminster instead of Victoria for the north-west trade. I would, venture to call your\nattention to the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch, No. 33, of 15th June I860, which states,\nwhat the Chamber of Commerce is well aware of, that the collecting of duties at Victoria\non vessels bound for this Colony cannot be enforced. If the commerce of Vancouver\nIsland is put to inconvenience by coming up the Fraser, I can only say it is by the action\nof my predecessor. His proclamation of Snd June 1859 declares New^ Westminster to be\nthe only port of entry in the Colony. I have induced the Legislative Council to give\nme, by ordinance, the power of creating additional ports, and I shall avail myself of its\nprovisions in relief of the north-west trade.\n18. You will observe in the 26th-paragraph a minute account of the inconvenience and\nloss to which a vessel was exposed by having no alternative but to clear at New Westminster when the doing so became physically impossible on account of the ice on the\nriver. I send a statement of the case, made by th\u00a3 collector of customs at this port,\nfrom which you will observe how widely inaccurate are the statements ofthe Chamber of\nCommerce. Mr. Hamley also disproves all the assertions respecting the closing of the\nriver by ice for four months in the winter. Without further explanation let me simply\nsay that, during an official experience of upwards of 20 years, I have not met with a\nseries of statements so carelessly made by so respectable a body.\n19- But I take this carelessness: or absence of candour as the most convincing proof of\nthe earnestness of the signers. There must be great feeling; respectable men must suffer\nmuch before they allow themselves to deviate, however \"slightly, from the strict paths of\ntruth. Doubtless, the old position of the merchants of Victoria, engrossing the whole\ntraffic of British Colombia without sharing in its burdens, was an enviable one, but the\nlarger Colony languished and grew weaker under the operation, and threatened to\ndeprive Victoria of its commerce by simply relapsing into wilderness. Let us hope\nthat a time will ere loog arrive, when, sharing equally in the public burdens, the\nmerchants of Victoria may derive a solid prosperity from the.increased vigour which a\nrespite from the exactions of absentee traders will give this Colony.\n20. I enclose an article from the \"North Paeific Times,\" of the 17th March, on the\nsubject of the resolutions and statements of the Chamber of Commerce.\nI have, &c.\nThe Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P., (Signed) FREDERICK SEYMOUR.\n&c. &c. &c.\nml\nEncl. I in No. 9.\nEnclosure 1 in No. 9.\nColonial Secretary's Office, 8th June 1864.\nThe Governor has directed the publication of the following letter he has received from Vice-Admiral\nKingcome, Commander-in-Chief, respecting the navigation of Fraser River. The suggestion containea\nin the early part of Admiral Kingcome's letter will be carried out, and a light ship will, in addition, be\nplaced on the Sand Heads. Jjjcf\nBy command,\njj|i#; Arthur N. Birch.\nSir> . : . *\u00a7^ \" Tribune,\" at New Westminster, 7th June 1864\nI deem it right to bring under your notice that, in coming to this {place yesterday,-I did not find\nany marks, except the ffljg outermost buoys, for the channel from the Sand Heads to New Westminster\nand that it was only through the ability and intimate local knowledge of Mr. Titcomb, pilot, that the\n\" Tribune \" was enabled to reach this port.\nAs it must be of vast importance to the future commercial prosperity of British Columbia that the\napproach to New Westm&ster\u2022should be made as easy of access and free from danger as possible, and\nthe presence of the \u00ab Tribune:' (dM 19 feet 6 inches) in these waters proving most conclusively that\ndirect communication with New Westminster can be carried on by ocean ships of large tonna-e I\nwould submit for your Excellency s consideration the expediency of having the channel carefullv\nexamined and marked out by large, spar buoys, distinguished by different colours, placed on the banks\nor edge of the shoal water on each side, and securely moored with running chains, on the plan su&ested\nby Captain Richards, late in charge of the Admiralty Survey of these coasts. The n\u00abS of\nthe. channel and the shoalest water is abbuft midway between Garry Point and the Sand Heads, and\nftmm OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n25\nhere I think two well-marked beacons should be placed on the landdh such a position that when in line\nthey would lead over that part of the bar where the deepest wateEigcte&e found.\nWith the aid of a powerful steam tug, ships can reach New Westminster with facility, for the\napproach to the entrance ofthe Fraser River possesses many advantages over that of the Thames. In\nthe first place the water is much smoother, and it is not exposed to any sea such as.that raised in the\nNorth Sea by easterly gales, and which, in many instances, has caused the loss of ships.\nSecondly, there are no outlying sands, and the channel is not near so tortuous, and marks can be placed\non the land, which on the Thames is nearly impossible.\nThirdly, the weather is much clearer, and the position of a ship more easily fixed.\nFoully, the anchorage in English Bay is far preferable to that in the Downs.\nIn both rivers ships must wait for the tides, ana with the same or even half the precautions in the\nFraser that are used in the Thames, a perfect stranger would have no difficulty in taking ships drawing\nfrom 19 to 20 feet to New Westminster.\nI have, &c.\n(Signed) John Kingcome,\nHis Excellency Governor Seymour, Vice-Admiral, Commander4n-Chief.\n\u25a0 '&e. &c. &c I\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nSir, H.M. Ship | Tribune,\" Esquimalt, 13th July 1864.\nWith reference to your communications of the 7th and 9th June to his Excellency the Governor\nof British Columbia, relative to the navigation of the entrance to the Fraser River, I deem it my duty\nto state that, notwithstanding Her Majesty's ship under my command having taken the ground on her\noutward passage, I am of opinion that vessels drawing from 18 to 20 feet could enter the Fraser in\nperfect safety, provided the channel be properly buoyed with marks that can be seen at a reasonable\ndistance.\n2. The | Tribune \" took the ground because the inner buoy (which is a pole painted a dull whitish\ncolour, only showing 4 feet above water), could not be seen until after a careful search with a spyglass for 10 minutes, although only 600 yards distant when the ship struck; the next buoy (No. 4,\nblack and red), a mile further down the channel, being plainly in view at the time. The colour of the\nwater and the inner buoy were almost the same.\n3. The Chart No. 1,922 was useless, and having no local knowledge, I could not judge by my distance\nfrom Garry Point that I was running into danger.\nI have, &c.\n(Signed) Gileord, Captain.\nThe Grovernor\nVictoria, praying\nreply.\nEnclosure 2 in No. 9.\nColonial Secretary's Office, 24th March 186^. '\ndirects the publication of a petition, with 321 signatures, forwarded to him from\nfor the amendment of the Customs Act of the present session, together with his\nBy command,\nArthur N. Birch.\nEncl. 2 in No. 9.\nTo his Excellency Frederick Seymour, Governor of British Columbia, &c. &c.\nThe petition of the miners, traders, and others, citizens of British Columbia, now in Victoria, and\nunanimously adopted at a public meeting held February 25th, 1865, j\nHumbly sheweth:\nWhereas our honourable Law makers have lately passed an Act increasing largely the duties on\nimports into our Colony, and we, the miners, traders, and citizens of the Colony, who have all our\ninterests there, and a natural earnest desire to see it progress and prosper, deem it to be our privilege\nas well as our duty to consider calmly, deliberately, and most respectfully this action, and to give the\nfull and honest expression of our views on the subject; therefore: -s^*)\nI. Resolved, That in our judgment the Customs Amendment Ordinance, 1865, is an act of legislation which is inopportune, unwise, impolitic, unjust, and inequitable in its general provisions.\nIt is inopportune: .\n1st. Because it largely increases the cost of living in the Colony at a time when the mining and\ntrading interests of the country can least afford to bear such an-increase. The past season was in every\nsense an unprofitable one. The miner's labour was to a great extent spent in preparing for future\noperations, and his profits were consequently small. The trader shared the small profits of the miner.\nThis has produced a general feeling of distrust and depression in the country. The increased taxation\nonly tends to add to this feeling, and thus deter both men and capital from going into the country,\nw'&nd. Because a gold export tax of three per cent, has just been imposed en all treasure leaving the\nColony, which is in itself a heavy increase upon our former taxes. When to this is added .a high tariff\non all the necessaries of life, it becomes a burden from which men regarding their best interest will flee\nwhen the first opportunity is offered.\nIt is unwise and impolitic: ft. . .\n1st. Because it will not increase the revenue of the Colony, The great diminution in the amount ot\nimports into the Colony caused by this tariff will diminish* the'aggregate revenue so much that there\nwill be a large deficit to be made up next year, when the mining population w$?-be so small under\noperation of onerous taxes that it cannot ue collected. No direct importations into the country\npreveirt this result, even if such importations should enable traders to furmsh supplies at the same cost\nthat.they could.h&yfe done undefrifche oldatasiiE, v<$ JisoaiachiJ\nD 2\nthe\ncan\n..bS&iSJ .\u00a3...: 26\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nrial.!)!\nii\niii!\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\n2nd. We believe there are rich deposits of gold in the wildest and most inhospitable portions of the\nColony. These gold fields are as yet unexplored and undiscovered; it will require men and capital combined to discover and develop them. In many instances large companies have been organized and other\npreparations made to send capital into the country for this purpose. This tariff discourages and cripples\nall such operations by an unfair increase upon all the articles and implements required for their work.\nProspecting in the Colony, upon which so much of our future success depends, is thus checked, it it is\nnot entirely prohibited. '. . ,\n3rd. There are hundreds of men in the Colony who have spent all their means and time d\u2122g tae\npast three or four years without success. Within the small distance of one and a half miles on Williams\nCreek, six hundred thousand dollars have been thus spent. These men have experience \"J the country,\nthey are not altogether discouraged, and they purpose to go again into the mines with the hope that\nthey will yet be able to get something in return for their lost labour and means. This tariff discourages\nsuch men, and will force them to gather up their small earnings for the season and leave the country\nfor ever. .\n4th. The small trader and packer, who has invested his means in provisions, and is now on his way\nor about to start for the Colony, will be compelled to seek another market. - He cannot pay a double\ntariff and compete with those traders now in the country. He will find a better and more profitable\nmarket in the neighbouring gold fields of Washington and Idaho territories.\nIt is unjust and inequitable:\n1st. Because the increase in the absolute necessaries of life far exceed that on the luxuries, thus\nmaking the labourer in the country bear the main, if not the whole, burden of the taxation. As an\ninstance, the tariff on beans, one of the principal articles of consumption by the miner, is increased froin\n3 to 20 per cent., while that on ale and porter is only increased from 10 to 40 per cent.; the tariff on\nflour is increased more than threefold, while that on wines is only doubled.\n2nd. The tariff is made to take effect at once, thus causing a sudden and quick rise in provisions in\nthe mines just as the season begins. By this means the miner will be forced to pay famine prices in\nthe spring, and perhaps be driven by necessity to leave the country before he has had a fair chance to\ngo to work profitably. A reasonable notice for the enforcement of such a measure is customary in\nother countries, as it is equitable and fair.\nII. Resolved, That in our opinion the idea that such a tariff will encourage direct importations to\nthe Colony from distant ports is a fallacy, with reference to British Columbia, which has no foundation\nin reason, and will result in no good to our Colony. The legislators of British Columbia cannot control the laws of commerce. Such legislation is not more onerous to the consumers of the country than\nit is impracticable and futile for the purposes for which it was enacted.\nIII. Resolved, That we will hereafter vote for no man who favours an increase of taxation in British\nColumbia, believing as we do that the burdens of the people of that Colony are greater than they can\nbear.\nIV. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be prepared for signature, and when signed by the\nminers and traders of British Columbia, now in this city, and by none others, they be forwarded to his\nExcellency Governor Seymour, who is hereby most respectfully requested to lay them before the\nHonourable Council and Legislative Assembly for their consideration, with this as our prayer, that\nwill cause the Customs Amendment Act to be revised, to suit the circumstances of the country.\nSigned by Joseph F. Pascoe and 320 others\nthey\n'IMP\nGentlemen, New Westminster, 23rd March 1865.\nI have had the honour to receive, on the 18th instant, from the hands of the gentleman\nselected by the people of Cariboo East to represent their interests in the Legislative Council, the\npetition adopted at a public meeting held in Victoria on the 25th February 1865. You object to the\nCustoms Ordinance lately passed in forcible terms, and give your reasons for the objections you entertain. You state that your expressions are full and honest. Of this I feel no doubt, and I am induced\nin return to give you some honest explanations. Though I do not observe appended to the petition\nmany of the names most familiar to me in Cariboo, yet the opportunities of direct communication\nbetween the Governor and the mining population are so few, that I am willing, for the purpose of\nreplying, to consider your petition as expressing in some measure the opinion of the miners of British\nColumbia.\nThe general principles of _ the Bill which has now become law were adopted by the Legislative\nCouncil before my arrival in the Colony. Understand that I am not wishing to throw any of the\nresponsibility that belongs to me on others. I shall not assent to any measure that I am not prepared\nto defend. The lawj found in force,'and which has now been repealed, contained the objectionable and\nunusual clause, that the value of the commodities introduced to this Colony should be calculated at the\nplace of import; thus taxing freight, and making the ship while on her voyage contribute to the\nsupport of the public institutions of this Colony. The rate of duty appeared in the tariff to be so much,\nwhereas at the Custom House a very considerable additional tax was added. Many of the miners of\nthe Colony were not aware of this arrangement, and a comparison of the schedules attached severally\nto the late and the present Acts was calculated, with them, to give rise to the impression that large\nadditional duties have been imposed\u2014an impression totally unfounded where articles are water borne\nto this Colony from the place of their growth or manufacture. In all such cases the duties are now\nlower than they were; and if you see the import duties estimated in our Ways and Means as more\nproductive than last year, it is because we expect to have a much larger population in the Colony, not\nthat we have a wish or an expectation to raise an additional cent in the import duties from any one of\nyou.^ But your own practical experience may lead you to say that at the present moment you pav a\nheavier import duty than you did last year. I reply that goods landed and stored at Victoria still pay,\nin conformity with the principle, ofthe new measure, a duty higher than those coming direct from the\nplace ot their manufacture or growth.\nI h WAiU+ lroh*hly !?e presented to you, in the town from which you address me, that the late Customs Act has been drawn upon principles hostile to Vancouver Island. ' Such is not the case. All the\nproducts raised by the agriculture or manufactured by the skill and industry of the sister Colony\nm\nmmm OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n27\nreceive, from her proximity, a protection in our markets. The beer, the cider, the carriages, whatever\nis made or grown on the island, enters on highly favourable terms into competition with similar articles\nintroduced from California or Europe. If Vancouver Island is not in a position to profit by this beneficial arrangement of our law, you will see that that is no reason why Victoria should, by doing the\nprincipal commercial operations of this Colony, levy a toll on all we use or consume.\nBut I by no means wish to deny that there is an appearance of unfriendliness towards the place from\nwhich you write, and I doubt not but.that the expressions of \" unjust and inequitable,\" which you\napply to our_ recent legislation, would find wide echo there. But the reasons which induced me to\ngive my sanction to the new law were exactly the reverse of those attributed by you to the\nof this Colony.\nIt is, beyond all things, just and equitable that a community, like an individual, should make\narrangements for the payment of the debts it may incur. You are aware that British Columbia has\nbeen a large borrower of money, laid out, you will allow me to say, almost entirely in facilitating access\nbt?\nwhich most of you gentlemen leave by\" the very first\nlegislation\nopportunity when the mining season closes, would have sufficient attractions to induce you to return to\n)ut, you will allow me to say, almost entirely in facilitating ace\nto the gold mines, and thus reducing the expense of living there. What is the security of this del\nWe can hardly flatter ourselves that the Colony.\nty\nour gold creeks if richer temptations offered themselves elsewhere. The non-resident traders, who\nderive nearly all the profit from the commercial transactions of this Colony, are not, of course, in any\nway liable for its debts. The best security would be in a resident population, and it is but reasonable\nthat those who have made of this Colony their home, at whatever risk, should have the larger share of\nthe profits of its commercial transactions. Let the merchants who wish to share in the benefits come\nto the Colony and share likewise the risks; and I would venture to remark that, if you and the other\nminers who now live but half the year in British Columbia were to remain here during the 12\nmonths, the taxation would fall much lighter on all.\nYou will perhaps here observe \u25a0 why do we not, by accepting tbe proffered union with the neighbouring Colony, extend our responsibilities and area of taxation over the merchants of Victoria and\nthe miners who spend their winter in that town ? I do not feel called upon to pronounce now an\nopinion on this subject, but I would observe that no proposal for union, which offered any prospect of\nacceptation here, was made in Vancouver Island until the formal notice was given of the Customs Act\nto which you object.\nI have, however, no fear as to the ability of the Colony to meet its present and probable prospective\nindebtedness ; but this should not be left to chance. The reduction in the cost of living, which, I will\nshow you, must take place at Cariboo, will make your labours more profitable, and thousands are now\napproaching our southern boundary to work our newly-discovered gold fields and share temporarily at\nleast in the public burdens.\nYou see that I do not assent to the main propositions contained in your address, therefore I will not\nfollow you into details. I know that the immediate operation of the new Customs law is disagreeable :\nits benefits not yet within your reach.\nYou have selected the article of beans specially for comment; an article bulky, but of small intrinsic\nvalue. Compare the price of beans at New Westminster and Williams Creek, and see what makes\nthem dear at the latter place. It is the transport, not the tax. If all the beans for future consumption\nwere to be stored in Victoria, introduced at the highest duty, and no improvements were made in the\ncommunications, the difference of price would be infinitesimal and utterly inappreciable in the miner's\ndaily meals. But we look for direct importation, which would, before the season is over, reduce the\nprice of all articles in Cariboo to a lower standard than yet seen there. With moderate charges, telegraphic communication, and a road completed, as I anticipate, through from New Westminster to\nWilliams Creek, the northern mines will present more attractions to the fortunate holders of claims\nthan they have yet done.\nI will only notice one other remark in your petition. You say | a reasonable notice for the enforce-\nis\n| ment of such a measure\" (the Customs Ordinance) | is customary in other countries, as it\n1 equitable and fair.\" You. may perhaps not be aware that when the Chancellor of the Exchequer's\nfinancial statement is made in the House of Commons, an order is at once given for the enforcement of\nany alteration of duties he may suggest in anticipation of an Act of Parliament for the purpose.\nHowever, in the instance of the British Columbian Customs Ordinance there was elaborate notice\ngiven. The principles were adopted by the Legislative Council on the 18th February 1864, before I\nreached the Colony. I stated on the 28th April that I should consider the question in the recess. On\nthe 12th December I gave notice that a measure of the kind would be introduced. On the 12th of\nJanuary I distinctly stated the Bill to be that of last year. No approaching measure could well have\nhad more thorough ventilation.\nAnd now that it has passed it must be allowed to be to a certain degree tentative. You and I differ\nwidely as to its merits. Let us give it a fair trial, and before the next session I shall be prepared, to\nreceive (I hope, personally, on Williams Creek), with every respect, your more experienced opinion.\nDepend upon it the last thing the Government of this Colony would desire to do is to discourage the\nminers from developing its resources, or allow any large body of our population to lapse into a state of\npolitical discontent. . . .\nThe Standing Orders which I framed for the adoption of the Legislative Council provide that no\ns \"perfectly\nms\nrespect:\ntui\nd deserving\npetition shall be presented without an endorsation stating that it i\n\" of presentation.\" I am half inclined to doubt whether the terms \" unjust and inequitable \" applied\nto recent legislation can come within this definition, but I have no doubt that respect for the presenter\nand to the petitioners, whom the Governor is willing to consider as, to a certain extent, representing the\nminers of Cariboo, will secure for it an indulgent reception when I lay the petition, together with a\ncopy of this letter, before the House.\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nMessrs. J. F. Pascoe, S. Hodge, Hugh Gartland,\nAnd the other signers of the Victoria petition.\nI have, &c.\n(Signed) Frederick Seymour.\nD 3 28\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nfflil\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nEncl. 3 in No. 9.\nEnclosure 3 in No. 9.\">\u00abW\nMemorandum by the Collector of Customs, New Westminster.\nAt the end of last January the schooner \"Onward\" went into Burrard's Inlet, and the master,\nMcKay, sent one of his hands across to the custom house to enter and clear the vessel for Queen\nCharlotte's Island. The man brought a manifest with two articles only entered on it. Of the provisions\non board that would be subject to duty he knew nothing, and I told him to return to the vessel and bring\nme a written account of them. He came back (the next day, I think) with the list I had asked for, but\nwith a message at the same time from the master to say that he had got a cargo of shingles at the inlet\nto take to Nanaimo, which suited him better than going north, and I gave him at once a clearance tor\nNanaimo. I would as readily, if he had asked for it, have given him a clearance for the north coast. It\nwas a matter entirely of calculation on the part of the master; and the statement of the Chamber of\nCommerce, that a clearance was refused unless the vessel came to New Westminster, is untrue.\nIn the same paragraph of the report of the Chamber of Commerce it is stated that New Westminster\nhas constantly received supplies from Burrard's Inlet when the river has been closed. It has happened,\nwithin my experience of six years, once, and once only, in 1862, when the weather was unusually\nsevere. .\nIn this present year the weekly steamer has missed but one trip, and that was not because of ice m\nthe river, but because the mail was brought to us by another vessel.\nCustom House, (Signed) W. Hamley.\n30th March 1865.\nP.S.\u2014On the 4th of January the \"Meg Merrilies\" went into the inlet with provisions for the\nworking party at Port Neville; the duty was paid here, and I sent Mr. Wylde across to examine and\npass the goods.\n(Signed) W. H.\nEnd. 4 in No. 9.\nEnclosure 4 in No. 9.\nThe \"North Pacific Times,\" Friday, March 17, 1865.\nResolutions of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.\nHitherto the outcry of the Victorians against the recent action of our Legislative Council has\nseemed to spring from a feeling of panic\u2014blind and without reason. Our own new tariff came close upon\nthe heels of the most exciting election ever held in Victoria, and at a moment when the party who were\nseeking to change its entire policy had emerged from the struggle flushed with success. De Cosmos\nand McClure, in their eagerness to establish their union and tariff sentiments as the voice of the people,\nand undoubtedly contending against the whole moneyed power of Victoria, can well be excused for\nforgetting in the heat of the contest that another party must be consulted in the affair, quite as much\ninterested in the question as the merchants of Wharf Street. This party so overlooked was the small\nColony of British Columbia\u2014the cause of the very existence of Victoria as a town of any importance,\nand at present the consumer of nearly three-fourths of its entire exports. When, therefore, by exertions\nfar surpassing any that had ever been made before they had achieved their return to the Assembly, we\ncan imagine how like a thunder-clap came our new revenue law, and can pass over the bitter things\nwhich have been said by them, impugning not only the judgments of our legislators, but their motives\nalso.\nNext to this came the \" miners' meeting,\" originating in political trickery, conducted by men who\nhave served a long apprenticeship in \" wire-pulling\" in the United States, and during the whole proceedings of which, although concealed by the intentional gloss of newspaper reports, we can see a very\nevident attempt on the part of all influential and sensible men to shirk the responsibility of joining in\nit. Would it be a difficult matter in arty community to persuade a mass of unthinking labouring men\nthat an apparent additional duty upon their supplies was a hardship, while the aim of such duty, and\nthe eventual expenditure of the money collected from it, was steadily kept out of view ? And' yet,\nafter all the manufactured enthusiasm which was brought to bear upon these men, and the insidious\nappeals which were made to their selfishness, at the last accounts the whole roll of names upon their\nmonster petition has reached only a little over two hundred!\nBut by the last express we are put in possession of an appeal of a different nature, viz., a series of\nresolutions by the Chamber of Commerce, addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and\naccompanied by a lengthy memorial explaining the causes of the resolutions. This is the voice of\ncapital\u2014a voice entitled to a hearing in every country, yet not apt to be more truthful or unselfish\nthan that of the rabble. In the present instance, we think, this plausible and specious document can\nbe shown to be onesided, not in all respects entitled to credence, and in every line breathing attachment\nto Victoria, without the slightest reference to the interests of our own Colony.\nOur limits preclude us from giving these resolutions at length. Suffice it, the first one proclaims\n| an equitable union between the two Colonies as essential to the maintenance of imperial and tocal\n\" interests on the North Pacific.\" The second one declares \" the maintenance of the free port svstem\nI to be of vital importance to the prosperity of Victoria and Vancouver Island,\" and \" direct taxation to\n\" be the only politic and equitable method of raisingt a revenue.\"\nIt strikes us that in the very outset of the report a strange error was committed by gentlemen of sn\nmuch intelligence, and representing as they do the commercial interests of so important a town as\nVictoria. They ask first m strong^ewn^oi-union-with-Britislr-eo-himbia; then, in the whole of the\nmm\nmm OF BRITISH COLUMBIANS!) VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n29\nsubsequent report, efr&f argument that is adduced is simply applicable to Vancouver Island alone, and\nnot the sightest reference is made to any measures or policy calculated to benefit us should union be\ngranted. Would not their report have been far more suggestive of their business habits if they had\nfirst urged the advantages of union, and then have proposed a code \" equitable\" and fair to both\nColonies in the event of such union taking place ? Either their present report is a piece of special\npleading, to attract the attention of the Home Government from the real point to be considered, or the\nastuteness of these gentlemen shows them that union will not probably take place against our will, and\nthat their only hope is to retain their free port. We are inclined to the latter view of the case.\nLet us consider this question passed over in so politic a manner by these gentlemen, and see what\nwould be an \" equitable union.\" Clearly in their minds, a single Government for both Colonies, whose\nhead-quarters should be in Victoria, and an amalgamation of their revenue of 30,0007., and our own of\n150,0007., to be used jointly for the support of both Colonies. Well may they ask for this for Victoria,\nfor it at once relieves the Government of the immense burden of that deficit shown in the recent\nestimates. But in return for the pecuniary favours received from this Colony, what is given ? The\nprivilege of being governed by absentees \u2014 a privilege, the value of which has in former years been\nfully tested. A continual struggle against the moneyed power of Victoria in all elections (and the\nunscrupulous manner in which the last election was conducted gives us a slight foretaste of what it\nwould be in other circumstances)\u2014a monopoly of all business, and all freedom from taxation for Victoria,\nto the entire ignoring of our own claims ! They are willing to consent to union with our revenue, but\nnot to give up their pet free port! Why, if we were one Colony, should the inhabitants of Victoria\nbe free from indirect taxation more than any other part of the country. Where would the line be\ndrawn, enclosing the favourite town within its limits, and excluding all the rest of the population of\nVancouver Island from its benefits ? Or would they admit Nanaimo and the other towns on the island\ninto their family circle ? We should then see the anomaly of the residents of one side of the Gulf of\nGeorgia paying 15 and 20 per cent, duties on their supplies, and the other going scot free. In no\nevent could the free port be continued without a gross injustice to all who were excluded from its\nprivileges.\nThe idea is advanced in this report that British Columbia is indebted largely to Victoria for its prosperity, because, forsooth, our merchants buy their goods of Victoria houses ! Is not this a strange idea\nfor mercantile men to promulgate ? What has built up Victoria but the mines of British Columbia ?\nWhat supports its extensive trade now but British Columbia demands ? What makes the price of real\nestate rise and fall like the tides, but reports from Cariboo ? And which is the most indebted \u2014 we\nwho may perhaps owe in dollars for the last shipments of bacon and beans that were made,\u2014or they\nwho owe their prosperity and even their very existence as a community to our exertions ?\nThere is not, as they say, a disposition on the part of our rulers \" to sacrifice the material interests\n\" of British Columbia at large,\" in order to elevate New Westminster above Victoria. Instead of that,\nbefore the passing of the last tariff, the question was carefully considered, and it was admitted on the\npart of the Government, that with a resident population of 10,000 persons in this Colony, sufficient to\ninduce direct trade, the revenue would be diminished instead of increased.\nBut our limits will not allow us to show up this report thoroughly. In addition to the points to\nwhich we have alluded above, we are sorry to state that in some instances they have seriously deviated\nfrom the truth. A paper emanating from so important a body as this one does is supposed to be based\nupon facts alone, and correct even in its minutest particulars. What weight will be attached to it by\nthe Secretary for the Colonies when it is proved that statements are made which are absolutely\nincorrect ?\nWe will refer briefly to two or three. They say, \" A case recently occurred in which a schooner\n\u00a7 bound for Queen Charlotte's Island, with supplies for some miners supposed to be short of provisions,\n\" went to Burrard's Inlet, a distance of seven miles overland from New Westminster, was refused a\n\" clearance unless she came to New Westminster, and ultimately returned to Victoria.\"\nThe facts, as we obtain them from the custom-house authorities, are simply these: about a month\nsince the schooner \" Onward,\" Captain McKay, came to Burrard Inlet, and sending a man into the\ncustom house without a manifest, asked for a clearance for Queen Charlotte's Island. He was\nsent back with directions to the captain to send the manifest of the vessel, and pay the custom duties\non the cargo, when a clearance would have been given him. Instead of doing this, he found a cargo of\nhis not being\nm\nshingles, and returned to Vancouver Island. No clearance was refused on account of\nport, but one would have been granted upon his payment of the usual duties.\n- Again, they declare that they are unable to avail themselves of New Westminster as a port of original\nshipment on account of \" the intricate, narrow, and uncertain channel through the Sand Heads, at the\n| mouth of the Fraser, available for ships drawing 16 feet at the utmost,\"\u2014\"the subsequent danger\n\" and delay attending the river navigation, and the closing of the river by ice from time to time during\n\" the winter season, extending over four months.\" Thus discourseth the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.\nAbout our navigation what says Captain Richards, who spent years in surveying the Gulf of Georgia\nand waters in this vicinity ? \" Fraser river, in point of magnitude and present commercial importance,\n| is second only to the Columbian on the north-west coast of America. In its entire freedom from risk\n1 of life and shipwreck, it possesses infinite advantages over any other river on the coast. Vessels of\n\" 18 to 20 feet draught may enter the Fraser and proceed as high as Langley, or a few miles above it,\ni with ease, provided they have or are assisted with steam power.\"\nWhich will be received as worthy of evidence at home, the ex parte and interested statement of a body\nof men seeking to establish the stability of their own investments, or the written testimonyof a navigator\nwhose charts are universally acknowledged to be singularly reliable and free from error ? The last\nparagraph, regarding the ice, is a very grave misstatement. Never, except during the winter of 1862,\nsince New Westminster was a cjfty, has the navigation been impeded a month during the winter ; and\nduring the present and the last two winters not a week has elapsed when it was impossible to reach the\ntown. Even di&ihg the winter of 1862, when the Columbia river was entirely closed, the ice blockade\ncontinued here but two months and four days, instead of four months. The same thing occurred to\nPortland, a town situated inland more than five times the distance that we are, struggling against the\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nD 4 BSBJBS\n30\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish same difficulties of navigation, threefold enhanced, and yet retaining, without an effort, its position of a\nColumbia commercial depot of supplies for a population of 75,000 people.\nand With these remarks we will leave this document. Its specious arguments, and its gross misstatements\nVancouver of facts, render it unworthy of the body from which it emanated. Its evident bias will destroy its effects\nIsland. upon those to whom it is addressed.\nNo. 10.\nSir,\n* These \"will be\nfound enclosed\nin Governor's\nDespatch,\nNo. 30, of\n21 March 1865,\npage 20.\nNo. 10.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from Governor Seymour to the Right Hon. Edward\nCardwell, M.P.\n(Separate.) New Westminster, March 29, 1865.\n(Received May 30, 1865.)\nI am aware that I have not communicated with you as fully and rapidly recently\nas I ought to have done. My first apology must be an extreme pressure of business\nduring the Legislative Session; my second, the extreme irregularity of the postal\narrangements. The American steamers are very irregular in their arrival at Esquimalt;\nand during the winter the Hudson's Bay Company run their steamers as seldom as they\ncan to New Westminster.\nI presume that the Governor of Vancouver Island will have informed you of the\nefforts made in that Colony to procure annexation to this. Here the feeling is strongly\nopposed to the proposed connexion. Indeed I cannot see how it could in any way\njbenefit British Columbia ; and it is impossible to avoid perceiving how, under the former\nGovernment, this Colony was unduly depressed to raise Victoria to an artificial prosperity. New Westminster presented a miserable aspect of decay and disappointment,\nwhile Victoria, though considerably more prosperous in appearance, astonished all\nstrangers at the little progress a town, through which had passed many millions of gold,\nhad made.\nAmong the means adopted by the people of Victoria for bringing about union has\nbeen that of trying to create in our mining population dissatisfaction with the financial\narrangements of this Colony. I enclose an address presented to me by a body of\nVictoria shopkeepers and Cariboo miners, together with my reply.* There are but three\nnames in the 300 which would carry weight in Cariboo, and it is by no means out of\nrespect for the petitioners that I have answered so fully. My answer appears to have\ngiven satisfaction, and I would beg leave very respectfully to call your attention to the\nstatements it contains.\nI learn, on inquiry from the Governor of Vancouver Island, that he sent on to you\nwithout notice to me, or comment from himself, certain resolutions and statements passed\nand made by the so-called Chamber of Commerce of Victoria. The statements are\nvery incorrect, and I have expressed to Governor Kennedy my regret that he should\nhave sent them on without my having the opportunity of refuting them.\nThere seems every likelihood of our having a rush to the newly-discovered gold\ndiggings. The season is, however, unusually unfavourable, and the upper roads blocked\nwith snow.\nThe Legislative Session is progressing satisfactorily, and I expect to prorogue next\nweek.\ncompleted in\nThe telegraph which will connect this place with Newfoundland will be\nabout 10 days. $|jp\nI trust that you will forgive this informal communication made just as the steamer is\nabout to sail.\nThe Right Hon, Edward Cardwell, M.P\n&c.\n&c.\n&c.\nI have, &c.\n(Signed) FREDERK\nnK\nSEYMOUR.\nNo. 11.\ns\nIR,\nNo. 11.\nCofy of a DESPATCH from Governor Kennedy, C.B., to the Right Hon.\nEdward Cardwell, M.P.\n(No. 92, Separate.) Government House, Victoria, December 1, 1865.\n(Received January 24, 1866.)\n(Answered, No. 6, February 1, 1866, page 34.)\nhave the honour to forward herewith a petition from certain merchant^ traders,\nia, Vancouver Island, which has been entrusted to me for\nand others resident in Victor:\ntransmission OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n31\n2. I have numbered the paragraphs of the petition to facilitate reference.\n3. It is to be regretted that this petition was not presented when the resolutions of\nthe local Legislature in favour of union with British Columbia were passed and transmitted to you in my Despatches Nos. 14 and 16,* dated 21st March 1865.\n4. It will be within your recollection that I then informed you that a very decided\nmajority of the electors of the city of Victoria were advocates for the union of the\nColonies, accompanied by a tariff, or the imposition of import duties, as evinced in the\nreturn of two members to the Legislative A ssembly, who at that time offered themselves\nupon those principles.\n5. I now observe with some surprise that several influential persons who supported\nand voted for those members, and whose influence contributed materially towards their\nreturn, have appended their names to the enclosed petition, praying for the \" continuance\n1 of the free port policy in its fullest integrity.\"\n6. The following analysis of the signatures appended to the memorial is substantially\ncorrect:\u2014\u25a0\nBritish subjects - - - 88\nAmericans - - - - 33\nGermans - - - - 21\nFrench - - - - 8\nUnknown - - - 7\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nISLANDi\n* Pages 6\nand 19.\n157\n7. You will also observe that many of the petitioners sign as the agents for absentees,\nwhether with or without their concurrence is not shown.\n8. I will now proceed to offer such remarks upon the petition as appear to me\nnecessary for your information.\n9. Paragraph No. 2. It is an undoubted fact that % great commercial depression \" has\nexisted, and still exists in both these Colonies, and I am sure that you would have been\nglad to have learned the petitioners' opinion of the cause or causes of it.\n10. These causes, in my opinion, rest with the petitioners themselves, and are beyond\nthe reach of any remedy which you can apply. They may be found in a system of\nreckless credit, competition, and over-trading. It is notorious that large quantities of\ngoods were thrown into Cariboo market^'this year by the merchants of Victoria which\ndid not realize the cost of carriage. The supply far exceeded the*demand. While this\nproved a great boon to the working miner, it left the Cariboo traders without means of\npaying their debts to Victoria, and the Victorian merchants without payment for the\ngoods they supplied. To this obvious cause for \" depression \" may be added the more\nstringent administration of the customs laws at San Francisco and neighbouring American\nports where a large amount of goods were formerly introduced from Vancouver Island\nwithout going through the formalties of the custom house.\n11. I may further remark that this 1 depression\" is by no means confined to British\nColumbia and Vancouver Island. Many thousand persons are departing monthly from\nSan Francisco, owing to the same causes which my experience leads me to believe are\ncommon to all mining or gold producing countries, and will continue more or less till\nmen become honest and prudent.\n12. Paragraph 4. As regards Vancouver Island, I am of opinion that the character\nand small number of the population render the present form of government inapplicable\nand expensive. The statistics and taxes, as shown in the annual blue book, will enable\nyou to judo-e whether it can be truthfully termed | a most onerous burden upon all\n\" classes.\" On this subject I would refer you to a recent Despatch of mine, No. 81,\n22nd September 1865.\n13. Paragraph No. 8. The proclamation declaring Victoria and Esquimalt fre<* ports,\nsimply declares that they J shall be (free ports) until otherwise determined by proper\n\" authority.\"\n14. Paragraph 9. The petitioners are obviously in error in stating or thinking that\n\" the vote of the House of Assembly praying Her Majesty to grant an union of these\nI Colonies on such terms as to Her Majesty may seem meet, is not inconsistent with\n1 the prayer of your petitioners for the continuance of the free port policy in this\nI Colony.\" A reference to my Despatches Nos. 14 and 16, 1865, together with the\nwhole tenor of the debates clearly point to \" union with a tariff.\"\n15. I concur with the petitioners in thinking that the uncertainty existing on this\nsubject is producing very ill effects upon the business and prosperity of these Colonies,\n14923. 32\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish but this uncertainty is, and has been mainly caused by the action of their own repre-\nColumbia Sentatives, over whom Her Majesty's Government has no control in this betiall.\n*** 16 Paragraph 10. My opinion on the subject of this paragraph will be lound m my\nVwSTB Despatch No. 16, 21st March 1865 JI see no reason to alter it.\nim^< \u2022 ^ j refrain from offering any opinion on the merits of the different systems ot\n\" free port\" or import duties as applicable to the circumstances of this Colony, as it must\nbe contingent upon union or no union of these Colonies, on which subject I look daily\nfor information or instructions from you.\n18. In conclusion I have only to state that I think this petition ought to have been\naddressed to the local Legislature rather than Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the\nColonies.\nI have, &c.\nThe Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P., (Signed) A. E. KENNEDY.\n&c. &c. &c\nEncl.inNo.il.\nPS!\n'-'Hi\nEnclosure in No. 11.\nTo the Right Honourable'Edward Cardwell, Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State\nfor the Colonies, &c, &c.\nThe humble Petition of the undersigned Merchants, Traders, and others, resident in Victoria,\nVancouver Island,\nHumbly sheweth, .\n1. That, your petitioners having expended a large amount of capital, time, and labour in this\nColony, are deeply interested in its welfare and success.\n2. That your petitioners view with much anxiety the great commercial depression which has existed\nfor some time, and still exists, both in this Colony and also in British Columbia.\n3. Your petitioners beg further to show, that, although the interests of British Columbia and Vancouver Island are identical, yet, since the appointment of a separate Governor for each, a policy (as\ninstanced by the imposition of \" ad valorem \" duties, amounting in effect to differential duties), has been\ninaugurated by the Government of British Columbia, which has unfortunately proved not only specially\nadverse to this Colony, but is operating most disastrously upon both, and in British Columbia even to\nthe extent of driving people to abandon houses and farms, and leave the Colony.\n4. Your petitioners further show that the number of inhabitants in the two Colonies is so small, that\nthe expense of separate Governments is a most onerous burden upon all classes.\n5. That only upon the faith of the permanent maintenance of Victoria as a free port, the mercantile\nclass, capitalists, and others, expended large sums in the purchase of land, and the erection of wharves,\nwarehouses, and buildings, and made Victoria so entirely the source of supply for British Columbia,\nthat up to this time there is not a single importing house in that Colony.\n6. With Victoria capital nearly the whole business of British Columbia is carried on, and almost\nevery enterprise in British Columbia, whether of trade, mining, or the building and employment of\nsteam boats, has been undertaken by the commercial community of Victoria.\n7. That Vancouver Island, as far as it has been already explored, does not contain much land fit for\nagricultural purposes, the greater portion of it being mountainous, and densely wooded, but it is known\nto be rich in deposits of coal, iron, copper, gold, and other minerals.\n8. From its commanding geographical position, Victoria is eminently adapted for a commercial depot\nfor the North Pacific, and owing to its free port, has attracted commerce from Mexico, California, the\nSandwich Islands, Oregon, Washington Territory, the Russian possessions, India, China, and Japan.\n9. Your petitioners are of opinion that the vote of the House of Assembly of this Colony, praying\nHer Majesty to grant an union of these Colonies on such terms as to Her Majesty may seem meet, is\nnot inconsistent with the prayer of your petitioners for the continuance of the free port policy in this\nColony, a policy which they fully believed when they settled here, and invested their means in permanent improvements, was fixed and decided upon by Her Majesty's Government, and strictly guarded\nby the instructions issued to Her Majesty's representative here, and published in a proclamation of\n18th January 1860, declaring the port of Victoria to be a free port. And your petitioners now pray\nthat in any union of the two Colonies which may be decided upon, the continuance of the free port\npolicy in its fullest integrity in this Colony, may be provided for and definitely settled, so that confidence in the policy of the Government may not be shaken, as the uncertainty existing in this respect\nhad been for some time past producing most disastrous effects upon the business, prosperity, and property of both Colonies.\n10. That the union of these Colonies that would be most advantageous for both, in the opinion of\nyour petitioners, would be one having the nature of a federal union, having one Governor, with one\ncivil list, as far as practicable, one code of laws, common jurisdiction of the law courts over both\nColonies, with a court of appeal, and leaving the financial matters of either Colony separate, as at\npresent.\n11. Your petitioners are strengthened in their opinion of the vital importance to this Colony of the\ncontinuance of the free port policy, by the views expressed in a report and series of resolutions of the\nChamber ot Commerce of Victoria, and of which your petitioners desire to be allowed to append a copy,\nand make part of this petition.*\n12. Your petitioners lastly urge, that in this Colony there are many engaged in commercial pursuits\nnot entitled to the exercise of the franchise, but whose interests are bound up in the Colony in which\ntneir capital is largely invested and employed, and whose voice cannot be heard unless in the way of\nK^J^ft MS\u00b0^ti0ni\/Se Samber 0f Commerce will be found as an Enclosure to Governor\nKennedys Despatch, No. 15, of the 21st March 1865, printed at page 13.\nKSSH OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n33\nspecial memorial like the present; and this, your petitioners beg respectfully to set forth will Appear by\na reference to the Government Real Estate Tax Lists of the city and district of Victoria, the list of\nvoters for the same, and the Governmental list of trades licences appended hereto, and which they pray\nto make part of this petition, by which they affirm that the bona fides of this petition will be fiilly\nestablished.\nAnd your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.\n(Signed) D. Babington Ring, Chairman, late Acting Attorney-General\nand Member of the Legislative Council in the Administration of Sir James Douglas; and 140 others.\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nNo. 12.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from Governor Kennedy, C.B., to the Right Hon. Edward\nCardwell, M.P.\n(No. 97, Separate.) Government House, Victoria, December 16, 1865.\nSlR, (Received February 12, 1866.)\nI have the honour to enclose the copy of Resolutions passed by the Legislative\nAssembly of this Colony, on the 13th instant, on the subject of union of this Colony with\nBritish Columbia.\nI have nothing to add on this subject beyond that which is contained in my Despatches,\nNos. 14 and 16,* ofthe 21st March 1865.\nI also enclose, for your information, copies of communications which have passed\nbetween the Legislative Assembly and myself on this subject.\nI have, &c.\nThe Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P. (Signed) A. E. KENNEDY,\n&c, &c, &c. Governor.\nNo. 12.\nEnclosure 1 in No. 12.\nVancouver Island.\n13thDec. 1865.\n* Pages 6\nand 19.\nResolution of\nLegislative\nAssembly.\n7thDec. 1865.\nMessage of\nGovernor\nKennedy.\n12thDec. 1865.\nEncl. 1 in\nNo. 12.\nResolution passed the Legislative Assembly December 13, 1865, read second time and agreed to,\nDecember 1865.\n11. Resolved,\u2014That this House fully endorses the union resolutions passed by this House on\nJanuary 25, 1865, and would again repeat its conviction, that an immediate union of Vancouver Island\nand British Columbia is necessary, beyond every other measure, to impart confidence to the public mind,\nand place both Colonies on a prosperous footing.\n12. Resolved,-\u2014-That although this House has already shown its willingness to accept whatever constitution i Her Majesty's Government may be pleased to grant,' it would fail in its duty to the people of\nthis Colony, as well as to Her Majesty, did it not express its conviction that no constitution would be\nadapted to the growing wants of these Colonies that did not embrace a lepresentative government that\nwould give to the people the right to determine the mode as well as the amount of taxation, and that\nwould make the official heads of departments responsible to the people of the United Colony.\n\" 3. Resolved,\u2014That the above resolutions be transmitted to his Excellency the Governor with the\nrespectful request that they be forwarded as early as possible to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for\nthe Colonies\n(Signed) R. W. Torrens,\nClerk of the House.\nEnclosure 2 in No. 12.\nVancouver Island.\nResolution passed the Legislative Assembly December 7, 1865.\n1 Resolved,\u2014That an humble address be presented to his Excellency the Governor, praying\nhim to lay before this House copies of all public despatches forwarded by his Excellency to Mr. Card-\nwell in reference to the resolution passed by this House in June 1864, in connexion with the Crown\nLands, and all Despatches sent to Mr. Cardwell in reference to the Union Resolutions which passed\nthis House in January last.\"\n(Signed) R. W. Torrens,\nClerk of the House.\nEnclosure 3 in No. 12.\nVancouver Island.\nNo. 92. Government House, Victoria, December 12, 1865.\nTo the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly :\nGentlemen,\nI have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of an address from the Legislative Assembly,\npraying that I would lay before the House \" copies of all Despatches forwarded to Mr. Cardwell in\n\" reference to the Resolution passed by this House in June 1864, in connexion with the Crown Lands\nE 2\nEncl. 2 in\nNo. 12.\nEncl. 2 in\nNo. 12.\n\u00ab<-\u25a0 34\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish \" and all Despatches sent to Mr. Cardwell in reference to the Union Resolutions which passed the\nColumbia \" House in January last.\" . . | \u2122 ., , - ,, .\nand With the most earnest desire to meet the wishes of the Legislative Assembly, and atiord the fullest\nVancouver information on these subjects, I regret that I am precluded from complying with the conditions ot their\nIsland. address without the sanction of Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies previously obtained.\n\u2014 I now upon my own responsibility, lay before the House extracts of Despatches transmitted by me\nNo. K>;l the country swarmed with eager prospectors, who\nrushed backwards and forwards as reports circulated that the gold which all knew to exist\nhad at last been found.\n15. Late in 1864 important discoveries had been made near the British Kootenay Pass\not the Rocky Mountains, in our territory. It was first through American newspapers\nSm .r0^1116 aware of a rich and prosperous mining town existing within our limits, about\n500 miles due east of New Westminster. Although the Kootenay mines could, at first\ne^only^ approached by passing through United States territory, we soon extended\nover the new diggings, established Courts of Justice, and collected\nBritish institutions\nmum\n___* OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n37\ntaxes. On the disruption of the mining camps of the Boise country, Kootenay received\na considerable accession of population, and in the season of 1865 the new diggings were\npaying to the Colonial Treasury, in taxes, upwards of a thousand pounds a week. Here\nwas a tangible benefit to British Columbia, which brought no immediate advantages to\nVictoria. On the contrary, the new mines, which were fed from across the frontier, took\naway many persons from Victoria's best customer, Cariboo.\n16. The American prospectors continued to pour in by every opening in our rugged\nfrontier, and the attraction of the Kootenay itself soon dimmed before the discoveries on\nthe Big Bend of the Columbian I had fortunately consented to license the running of\nsteamers, under the American flag, in the purely English waters of that river. Crowds\narrived, freights poured in, and the advent of winter alone prevented the general rush\nwhich is confidently predicted for this year. I am credibly informed that these latest\ndiscovered gold mines have, in some places, yielded as much as eight hundred dollars a\nday to the hand, without machinery. If such be the case we need fear no competition.\nVictoria has, however, in no way shared, as yet, in the profits; The customs duties\nlevied at Fort Shepherd, on the Columbia, belong to us British Columbians alone. In\nother parts of the Colony the prospectors have been successful.' Near Lillooet, in a fine\nagricultural district, a stretch of nearly 70 miles of rich auriferous ground has been\ndiscovered, and high hopes are entertained as regards the next mining season. I say\nagain that British Columbia is flourishing, and has a still brighter prospect in view.\n17- I may observe, incidentally, that the unsuccessful miners from Boise, or the Cceur\nd'Helene, are as valuable to us as an equal number of those who come by Victoria and\nthe Fraser. The citizens of the United States are our boldest prospectors, and not the\nleast law-observing portion of our population. They come to us across the frontier\nprepared to accept our institutions, their heads undisturbed by political agitation. The\ncarrying out of the last sentence of a Court of Lynch Law sometimes diminishes their\nnumbers as they approach the boundary line { but once it is passed, the revolver and\nbowie knife are laid aside, and perfect tranquillity prevails under our vigorous administration throughout the Colony. Crimes of violence are now almost unknown in British\nColumbia, and on the late circuit the Supreme Court did not find a single prisoner for trial\nat the Kootenay.\n18. While British Columbia is reputed to be languishing, it may be interesting for me\nto mention, though I write without official documents, some of the principal public works\nwhich have been accomplished by us in 1865. I premise with the statement that every\nsurveyor and every engineer in the Colony was in Government employ last year. Every\ndischarged sapper, possessing anything like adequate knowledge, was likewise induced to\nenter our service. A good trail for pack animals has been opened from the Fraser to the\nKootenay. The Cascade Range, the Gold Range, the Selkirk Range, have been successively surmounted; with what labour may be imagined, when I state that at the end of\nMay the cutting over the Cascade Mountains had, on each side, seven feet of snow. This\ntrail not only runs through English territory to a gold mine, but it affords, by the British\nKootenay Pass, an easy access from the Pacific to the Hudson's Bay lands beyond the\nRocky Mountains. Its principal value, however, to the colonists is that it already\nenables the merchants of New Westminster to undersell those of Lewiston and Walla\nWalla at the new diggings. A sleigh road has been opened from the seat of Government\nto Yale, running for upwards of a hundred miles through the dense forests of the Lower\nFraser. A bridge has, for the first time, been thrown over Thompson's River, on the\nmain road to the northern mines. Upwards of twenty thousand pounds have been\nexpended on the completion of the high road into Cariboo, allowing machinery at last\nto be introduced into William's Creek. A large sum in connecting, by a longstreet, the\nthree mining towns in that locality. A good road now connects New Westminster with\nthe sea at Burrard Inlet, and secures the inhabitants from inconvenience should an\nunusually severe winter close the Fraser. A light-ship, public libraries, new school\nbuildings, testify to the energy of the Government. If I add that in the year just passed\nsteamers have, for the first time, navigated the Upper Columbia, and that New Westminster has been brought into connexion with the whole telegraphic system of the United\nStates, Canada, Newfoundland, and with Cariboo, I point out an amount of work\naccomplished in a single summer, I should think entirely unprecedented in so young a\nColony. For the telegraphic communication, and the new line of steamers, the Government can only claim the credit of the earnest efforts it has made to second the enterprise\nof our republican neighbours. .\n19. I have endeavoured at considerable length to prove, first, that union with Vancouver Island, or the annexation of that Colony is not desired in British Columbia;\nsecondly, that the larger Colony is not in a depressed condition. Possibly external\nE4\n\"V\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nancouver\nIsland. British\nColumbia\nj\\| AND\nVancouver\nIsland.\n\u00a7\n38\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nagitation in connexion with the gold export duty may have to a certain extent impeded\nher progress. If, in the violent competition on the Pacific to make the mines in the\nColony or the States superior to each other in attraction, it be found that the British\nexport duty on gold acts unfavourably to us, I can only say that the tax\nonce repealed. Our great public work\nimpolitic, we will not suffer our miners\n20. In the face of the reluctance\nwill be at\ns are .done, and if the export duty, though just, is\nto 1\nofthe\nover weighted by it in the great struggle.\nColony over which I preside, to be drawn into\n{\u25a0:<\u25a0: Qion with Vancouver Island, some explanation is necessary of the motives which\ninduce me to entertain the question at all, instead of eonfining myself to backing the\nprayer of my Legislative Council that the existing separation may continue unimpaired.\nI consider, however, my duty to require of me, that I should not confine my attention\nexclusively to the internal affairs ofthe tract of country under my Government, but that I\nshould likewise see to the strengthening of British authority, British influence, and\nBritish power in the Pacific, and I at once admit that the existing division weakens all\nthree. The dissensions between the two Colonies are looked upon in the neighbouring\nI States, as rather a scandalous, but novel and amusing feature in English colonization. I\nam practically aware that it is extremely inconvenient for.the Commander-in-Chief of the\nPacific squadron to be in communication with two Governors of nominally equal position,\nclose to each other, but many thousands of miles from head-quarters. I see that the.\nIndian population of our north-west coast, wherever the schooner or canoe of the\nVictoria smuggler can reach, are withering and disappearing under the disastrous effects\nof the whisky traffic. I must remember that both British Columbia and Vancouver\nIsland have occasionally questions to discuss with their American and Russian neighbours, and that, as things now are, there is nothing to secure uniformity of action or\nexpression in the English representatives. The one may be on the most friendly terms\nwith adjacent powers; the other, in a state of reserve, pending a reference to Europe.\nr I find myself, under these circumstances, compelled to state that, in my opinion, England\nfought to be represented by one civil authority only beyond the Rocky Mountains. Her\nMajesty's prerogative could of course effect this, without the aid of Parliament, but if a\nLieutenant-Governor be appointed to the smaller and poorer Colony, the change, though\nan undoubted improvement, would still leave Vancouver Island with a staff of public\nofficers beyond her present ability to support. I fear that the bickerings would not cease,\nnor Victoria refrain from interference with the affairs of the neighbouring Colony.\n21. Without any specific recommendation, I proceed to consider the terms upon which\nunion could be carried out with moderate satisfaction to the one Colony and the least distaste to the other. The Imperial Act 21 & 22 Vict. c. 99. (whichhas been repealed) provided that, on the petition ofthe two Legislative Houses of Vancouver Island, Her Majesty\nmight declare that Island to be an, integral part of the Colony of British Columbia.\nThis appears to me to be the principle upon which union should be carried out. But\nBritish Columbia has since then been favoured with a Legislative Constitution, by an\nOrder in Council, and I am of opinion that no union should take place without the consent\n\\ of the Legislative Body created under it. This, I think, might be obtained should Her\ni Majesty's Government desire it and equitable terms be proposed. But I would here\nventure to state that if a return to the old state of things be sought to be imposed on\nBritish Columbia the outcry to which the Duke of Newcastle yielded but two years ago\nwill be renewed with increased volume.\n22. An Act of Parliament somewhat similar to that above referred to having been\nrecorded, the\nrould at once\nbe extended over the Island. An early revision of these laws would, however, be\nrequired. This would hardly be effected,'with a due regard to the interests of the newly\nacquired territory by the present Legislative Council of British Columbia. That bodv\nshould be dissolved and a new Legislature, with representatives from Vancouver Island\ncalled into existence. Then arises the important question, what shall be the Legislative\nConstitution ofthe one great English Colony on the North Pacific ?\n23. The Legislature of Vancouver Island, of which the extinct provision of the Act\nalready quoted, contemplated the disappearance, consists of a Governor, a nominated\nCouncil, and an elected Assembly. Theoretically, perhaps, the best form of government. It is not for me to inquire how it has worked in Vancouver Island ; I content\nmyself with saying that British Columbia is not ripe for such institutions. I found my\nopinion upon the following grounds -.\u2014First, on account of the vast number of aliens\nresident in the Colony, who would, I presume, be excluded from the suffrage were\n.symmetrical constitution to be established. Secondly, because there are but few persons\nwho could devote their time and attention to the public service. We should soon be\nobtained, the consent of the Legislature of British Columbia formally re\nGovernor's proclamation of incorporation issued, the laws ofthe main land wo\na OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n39\nreduced to pay our legislators, or fall into the hands of the professional politicians, of British\nwhom the neighbouring States furnish to us the model. Thirdly, because the uncertain Columbia\nmining\nallows of a \" rush \" here and a jfjj rush \" there, a^ rich leads are\nnature of gold\ndiscovered, or old claims \" cave in.\" Away goes the population from the \"played out\"\ntown. Magistrate and constables follow, and the surveyor and his road-gang have to\nbring the new diggings into connexion with the markets of the Colony. The Governor\nmust act at once on his own responsibility, and be able to rely with confidence on the\npassing of a supplementary Appropriation Act, to give a legal sanction to the unforeseen\nexpenditure. Fourthly, because our population of Indians is in a proportion of about\nten to one of ourselves. They will now obey the great white chief. They understand\nno division of authority. Lastly, because every one in British Columbia, Americans,\neven more than English, see the necessity of, and wishes for a strong government. All!\nlike the power to be mainly vested in one man, responsible to public opinion, and are \\\naverse to the professional politician. For the Colonies, if united, I would recommend\nan adherence to the principles of the legislative constitution of British Columbia, rather\nthan to those of that conferred on Vaucouver Island. I would, however, have a much\nlarger proportionate infusion of the popular element than we at present possess.\n24. Her Majesty has by Order in Council created a body authorized to make laws for\nBritish Columbia. It consists of 15 members, exclusive of the Governor, with whom it\nis optional to take his seat as a member of the Board, or to keep aloof, and by so doing\nconstitute himself an entirely separate branch ofthe Legislature. One-third of the Council\nis composed of the under-mentioned public officers, who are, by a separate instrument,\nconstituted likewise the Governor's Executive Council:\u2014\n1. The Colonial Secretary,\n2. The Attorney General,\n3. The Treasurer,\n4. The Surveyor General,\n5. The Collector of Customs.\nThe remaining two-thirds are selected by the Governor, but I believe that a Despatch\nfrom the Duke of Newcastle directs that five of the ten shall be chosen from the\nmagistracy of the Colony, and that in the appointment of the other five the Governor\nshall endeavour to be guided by the wishes of the people as signified in five distinct\ndistricts. Under this constitution the Government can command a majority of votes, \\\nbut the power has been rarely exercised by me, save in cases where demands were made I\nupon the Colony by the Imperial Treasury, which the Legislature, if not coerced, would\nhave rejected.\n25. I would wish to make some observations upon the three divisions of the present\nCouncil. The five executive members are in such close communication with the\nGovernor, that it is but rarely that one of them has an opportunity of asserting his\nindependence by a vote against a measure introduced by the Government. Hence,\nhowever useful as men of business in the House, they do not, with the public, possess\nthe same character for independence as the other two classes. I would recommend that\nin the new Legislature for the united Colonies the strictly official element be not\nincreased.\n26. Probably in British Columbia the section of the Legislature which possesses most\nthe confidence of the people is that of the magistrates. It is the right of the Governor\nto change the stations of the paid justices of the peace whenever he shall see occasion\nfor doing so, therefore, the best men are always selected for the most important trusts.\nAs the winter closes most of the miners' operations, several of the magistrates can be\nspared to attend the meetings of the Legislative Council in New Westminster.\nThe under-mentioned districts are represented in this manner :\u2014\n1. New Westminster.\n2. The Kootenay Gold Mines in the Rocky Mountains.\n3. The Gold Mines of Cariboo, nearly 500 miles north-east of New\nWestminster.\n4. The agricultural, and now mining district of Lillooet.\n5. The pastoral and mining country intersected by the Columbia,\nbounded on the south by the American frontier.\n27. The country magistrates, whose salaries are not sufficient to enable tliem to enjoy\nany of the luxuries of life in the expensive districts in which they are stationed, live in\n\u2022 the manly state of freedom of intercourse with all classes, characteristic of British\nColumbian society. The magistrates at the mines,\nAND\nVancouver\nIsland.\n14923.\nat the\nF\nhundreds of miles from head-\nm 40\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\nIff\nmagistrates\nnine seats\nquarters, are necessarily invested with duties of great variety and importance. The\nrepresentative of the Government, the sole referee or judge m mining disputes, gold\ncommissioner, bankruptcy commissioner, county court judge, the magistrate is constantly before the public. The smallness of the police force which we can allow to\ncarry'out his decisions, and to preserve tranquillity, compels him to rely much upon his\npersonal influence. It gives me great satisfaction to say that under these circumstances\na body of public officers has been trained, equally respected by the people and the\nGovernment. The miner looks upon the departure of the magistrate for his legislative\nduties with fully as much of happy confidence as he does on that of the men he has\nassisted in returning to the House.\n28. I would propose in the new constitution to increase the number of these valuable\nlegislators from five to nine. I would submit that the present discretionary power\nresident in the Governor of making his selection from the centres of population, for the\ntime being, be not interfered with ; nor would I withdraw the liberty granted to him by\nthe Duke of Newcastle to appoint, should he see fit, unpaid in the place of paid\nI. venture to submit a plan for a distribution, in the first instance, of the\n1. Victoria, V. I.\n2. New Westminster, B.C.\n3. Cariboo, B.C.\n4. Kootenay or Columbia, B.C.\n5. Douglas and Lillooet, B.C.\n6. Osoyoos and Southern Frontier, B.C.\n7. Nanaimo, V.I.\n8. Yale and Lytton, B.C.\n9. Comox or Cowitchen, V.I.\nIt will be said that this is not a fair distribution; six magistrates for British Columbia,\nthree for Vancouver Island. I reply that the former Colony now supports nine paid\njustices of the peace, the latter only two. My plan would entail the exclusion of three\nColumbian magistrates and the creation of one, for legislative purposes, upon the island.-\n29. The Duke of Newcastle directed the Governor to consult the wishes of the people\nin the appointment of one-third of the Legislative Councillors. My predecessor divided\nthe Colony into five electoral districts :\n1. New Westminster.\n2. Cariboo East.\n3. Cariboo West.\n4. Yale and Lytton.\n5. Douglas and Lillooet.\nThe mode of ascertaining the popular desire is as follows :\u2014A letter is written by command of the Governor to the paid magistrate of the district, directing him to call a\nmeeting of the inhabitants to select a person for a seat in the Council. Due notice of\nthe meeting is given in the Gazette, and locally by the magistrate. Seats in the Legislative Council are eagerly contended for. Electioneering addresses issue from the rival\ncandidates, and sometimes very considerable expense is incurred. Great discretion is\nleft with the magistrate and people of the district as to the votes which shall be accepted\nand reported to the Governor. In New Westminster, I believe, in consequence of a\nfeeling to that effect, aliens have abstained from voting; but in Cariboo, and I think\nother inland districts, every man who comes forward may record a vote, unless he be an\nIndian or a Chinaman. Indeed, I believe there are cases where some Chinese have been\n! allowed to vote. It meets with my approval that so long as a strong English Government exists in New Westminster, no disqualification on account of nationality should\nexist at the gold mines. I hold it as extremely desirable that we should know the real\ninterests and feelings of our many alien immigrants. That we should attach them to our\ninstitutions, and that, as we govern by moral force alone, not costing the mother country\na soldier or a shilling, we should have among our Legislators men responsible to alien as\nwell as English constituents. I like to hear any grievance which the American miner\nmay imagine he suffers from in Cariboo disposed of, as now, by the remark, \" Wait for the\nI next election.\" In the agricultural districts likewise I wish aliens to take part in the\nelections. Lytton, probably, does not contain a dozen English unofficial inhabitants.\nThe farmers on the Thompson and Upper Fraser are many of them French. The hotel\nkeepers throughout the Colony mostly belong to that nation or to the Italian. The\ntime has not yet arrived for me to consider whether, the Chinaman or Indian should be OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n41\nallowed to vote at the elections. I should be disposed to exclude both. Possibly an\nexception might be made in favour of those who took out their \" free miner's certificates.\"\n30. The election over, the magistrate reports to the Governor the number of votes t\neach candidate has received. It is by no means incumbent on the Governor to appoint\nto the Council the elect of the people, but it would require very special circumstances\nsuch as have not yet presented themselves, to justify his rejection of tbe man placed at\n. the head of the poll. The Councillor must take the oath of allegiance before his seat.\nA purely English Legislature is thus secured.\n31. Even if union is not to take place, I should wish to see the popular element\nincreased in our Legislative Council. It is by gradual concessions, freely made by the\nGovernment, that the desire for institutions practically unsuited to British Columbia will\nbe best kept under. It is in the gold mines that I should specially desire to see the\n\u2022representation increased. If the union of the Colonies should take place, I would suggest\nthat about 12 members of the new Legislature should be appointed by the Governor\non the recommendation of the people. If the Colonies remain separate I will address you\nat a future time respecting British Columbia. I must repeat the recommendation I\nventured to make when treating ofthe magisterial element, that the discretionary power\nof the Governor, as to the districts to be represented, should remain unimpaired. I,\nhowever, submit a rough suggestion as to the first apportionment of seats.\nVictoria, V. I. -\nNew WTestminster, B. C.\nNanaimo, V. I. -\nComox, V. I. -\nCariboo, East, B. C.\nCariboo, West, B. C. -\nKootenag, B. C.\nYale and Lytton, B. C. -\nDouglas and Lillooet, B. C.\nWilliams' Lake, B. C.\nOsoyoos and Columbia, B. C.\n2 members.\n1\n1\n1\n1\n1\n1\n1\n1\n1\n1\n5)\n5\u00bb\nJ>\nAs regards the electoral franchise, in the first instance, I would propose to leave the\nquestion as it now rests in the several districts. It might be dealt with hereafter by the\nCouncil. A property qualification and English nationality would, I believe, be required\nin the electors of Vancouver Island.\n32. I think it would be desirable that the Governor should have the power of appointing\ntwo unofficial members of the Legislative Council to the Executive Council.\n33. Should union take place in the manner contemplated by the Act of the 21 & 22\nVict., two important changes would take place in the condition of Vancouver Island.\nIts present legislative constitution would be abolished. The partial exemption from\nimport duties would cease. The loss of the House of Assembly would not, I think, be\nmuch regretted. The freedom of the port of Victoria has already been much impaired,\nduties being now levied on many articles of consumption. There is a certain charm in\nthe idea of a free English port on the Pacific destined to compete with San Francisco,\nand, perhaps, ultimately to establish a commercial pre-eminence for Great Britain on the\nwestern coast of America. But in reality few of the advantages expected from the\nfree port system have been secured, and the people of Victoria, having the issue\nfairly placed before them at the last elections, have, by a large majority, determined\nthat the system shall cease, and a tariff take its place. Victoria does not lie on any of\nthe great highways of commerce, and I do not suppose that a vessel ever entered the port\nwhich was not specially bound for it on the commencement of the voyage. Besides, if the\nfreedom of the ports had realized the expectations of the people of Victoria, would they\nnow be in so gloomy a state, or ready to make any sacrifice to secure union with British\nColumbia ? The last statistical returns show that ofthe imports to Vancouver Island only\none-twelfth is exported to countries other than the neighbouring British Colony. It may\nbe said that smuggling is carried on to a great extent. Possibly so, but I doubt whether\nthis advantage, of somewhat questionable propriety, counterbalances the inconvenience\nof the restrictions placed on British commerce in the western states of America. The\ncompulsion on every vessel to or from Puget's Sound to enter or clear at Port Angelos,\n40 (?) miles to windward, is I know found a serious evil in British Columbia. The\nships entering the Columbia or Golden Gate from Victoria are examined, I believe, with\na minuteness and suspicion not exercised on other traders. The collector of customs of\nCalifornia informed me that the commercial transactions of the British and American\nterritories on the Pacific will never be conducted on an entirely satisfactory condition so\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nanoouver\nIsland.\n14923.\nG 42\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PROPOSED UNION\nHlf p\nWml\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\n. Island.\nlong as we\nlook to the evasion of the United States laws as one of our regular sources\nof profit. Reciprocity, such as that existing between the eastern Colonies and the\nStates, would be most valuable to us; but we cannot hope to obtain it under a system\nwhich'contemplates the flooding, if possible, of the neighbouring territories with smuggled\ngoods. Finally, British Columbia cannot receive unto herself a community which declines\nto share equally in her taxation. Victoria might retain nearly all her advantages as a\ndistributing port, by the establishment of bonded warehouses, and the allowing of a drawback on all merchandise, over a certain value, passing out of the Colony.\n34. In the event of union taking place, a question which will locally excite some\ninterest is as to the seat of Government. Victoria is the largest town of the two Colonies,\nand is, in many respects, the most agreeable place of residence. I think, however, that\nin seekino- union with British Columbia, Vancouver Island relinquishes all claim to the\nposse ssion within her limits of the seat of Government. New Westminster has been\nchosen as the capital of British Columbia, and it would not be fair to the reluctant\nColony to deprive her of the Governor and staff of officers. Both these towns are'\ninconveniently situated on an angle of the vast British territory; but New Westminster,\non the mainland, has the advantage over the island town. It is already the centre of the\ntelegraphic system, and is in constant communication with the upper country, whereas\nthe steamers to Victoria only run twice a week. ?he seat of Government should be on\nthe mainland; whether it might not, w]th advantage, be\nbrought\nhereafter nearer to the\ngold mines, is a question for the future.\n35. Unmixed advantages would accrue from the amalgamation of the Supreme Courts\nof the two Colonies. There would be abundance of work for the judges now presiding\nin each Colony.\n36. It is premature for me to address you respecting the disposal of the public officers\nwho might be thrown out of employment on the union of the two Colonies.\n37. I have now endeavoured to lay before you a scheme for the consolidation of British\npower and interest on the Pacific, and for the suppression of the lamentable antagonism\nexisting between some of our fellow-subjects on that ocean. I am well aware that there\nare conflicting interests which I cannot hope to reconcile. The way of pleasing all parties\nhas not been discovered. The old system of union under a common Governor resident\nin Victoria broke down. The new one of entire separation seems intolerable to the\npoliticians of Vancouver Island. Whether the arrangements I now suggest would be\nacceptable to the Colonists I am much inclined to doubt. Victoria would probably\nexpect better terms, and British Columbia only wishes to be left alone.\n38. In a consideration of any suggestion I now venture to lay before you, I beg for\nthe indulgence which a letter written abroad, without access to official papers, may fairly\nclaim.\nI have &c.\n(Signed) 'FREDERICK SEYMOUR.\nNo. 15. No. 15.\nCopy of a DESPATCH from the Officer administering the Government to the Right\nHon. Edward Cardwell, M.P.\n(No. 16). New Westminster, March 3, 1866.\nK SlR' tit I (Received May 14, 1866.)\n\/ 1 have the honour to forward a petition addressed to Her Majesty by certain\nmerchants, miners, and others resident in British Columbia.\n2. The petition to which the signatures are attached was drawn up in Victoria in\nFebruary 1865. Printed copies were very freelv distributed, placarded on every wall\nand left for signature at every public house. After a lapse of more than twelve months\n1 the petition has been presented to me for transmission, bearing the signatures of 445\nj persons out of a white population estimated at 6,000, although every opportunity has\nbeen afforded, and I may say, some pressure has been brought to bear on the inhabitants\nas well as the migratory population, to swell the number of petitioners.\nThe result of this attempt to foster discontent has thus proved a complete failure\n3. The arguments used to arrive at a calculation ofthe taxation of the Colony in 1865\nare so fallacious as hardly to require explanation at length, more especially as the\ngentlemen who formed the deputation, on presenting the petition, stated to me that they\nwere satisfied the calculations were incorrect, and that their only object in now presenting\nthe petition rested m their desire for the union of the two Colonies \u00b0 OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER ISLAND.\n43\n4. I regret I am unable to furnish accurate statistics to refute the statement that the\nChinese and Indian population \" contribute in a very small proportion to the general\nj revenue,\" but I fully agree with the remarks made by the Chief Magistrate of this\ndistrict in a letter, copy of which I enclose, that a very large share of the taxation is\nborne by these two races.\n5. As regards the one object of the petition\u2014the desire for union of this Colony and\nVancouver Island,\u2014I am convinced from the information I received during my recent\ntour in the interior, that the people of the upper country care little whether there be\nunion of the Colonies, or continued separation, and a petition of opposite effect to the\none now forwarded would be signed by at least an equal number of the resident population.\nI have, &c.\nThe Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P., (Signed) ARTHUR N. BIRCH.\n&c. &c. &c.\nBritish\nColumbia\nand\nVancouver\nIsland.\n3d. March 1866.\nEnclosure 1 in No-. 15.\nTo Her Most Gracious Majesty, Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland\nand the Colonies thereunto belonging, Defender of the Faith, &c, &c.\nThe humble Petition of the undersigned Merchants, Miners, Traders, Farmers, Packers, and others\nresident in British Columbia.\nHumbly sheweth:\nThat your petitioners having expended a very large amount of capital and labour in exploring\nand developing the resources of the Colony, are deeply interested in its welfare and success.\nThat in the absence of any reasonable expectations of a commensurate increase in the population or\nin the \u2022wealth of the country, to justify new burdens, they view with alarm the great increase in the\namount of taxation proposed to be raised this year.\nThat your petitioners estimate the resident population of British Columbia during the winter months,\nexclusive of the Chinese and Indian, who contribute in a very small prop rtion to the general revenue,\nat about 4,000 persons, and the summer population, leaving the Kootenay district out of calculation, j\nregarding which they have no accurate information, at about 7,000 persons, and by averaging these\nfigures, they arrive at 5,500 as the mean population ofthe country.\nIn making any calculation of revenue or population, they are led to look upon the prospects of\nKootenay as too problematical to be taken into consideration in allotting the average share of the\ngeneral revenue which will be required from each individual resident in the older districts. There\nmay be, for a week or two, 3,000 or 4,000 persons at these mines, and there may not be as many\nhundreds a few weeks later. Again, the licence fees and duties collected at the boundary line may\ngive a handsome surplus, or they may not exceed the expenses incurred in collection.\n\"That the revenue of British Columbia from ordinary sources is estimated at 153,615\/., or 271. 18s. 6d.\nper head, as against 110,877\/. in 1863, when the mean population could not have been less than 6,500\npersons, the number of licence fees issued to free miners in that year being 4,066, consequently the\nproportion of taxation falling upon each individual did not exceed 171. 12s.\nThe total receipts for the present year, in aid of revenue, including balance of loan for making\nroads, bridges, and streets, are estimated at 230,255\/., and the expenditure for 1865 is estimated at\n240,525\/., or 43?. 14s. 7\\d., while that of 1863 was only 147,598?., and allowing for the more numerous\npopulation, was only at the rate of 22\/. 14*. \\\\d., or slightly more than one-half.\nThat this great increase in the burdens of a young country already heavily taxed, and with\na reduced population, must necessarily fall injuriously on the miner, who has to labour in the most\ninhospitable region of the Colony. Further, the climate of Cariboo is such that general mining\noperations are confined to about four months in the year; and it is only from the profits of this short\nseason that the miner can accumulate the means of living during the winter, and providing funds to\nmeet the demands which the Government makes upon him in the forms of a tariff, road tolls, licence,\nrecording, and other fees, and a heavy tax upon his gold.\nThat while your petitioners are fully aware of their obligation to contribute towards the support of\nthe Government which affords them protection, and which they have hitherto done without complaint,\nthey cannot help expressing their conviction that so large an increase of expenditure as is contemplated\nthis year under the head of civil list, &c, is out of all proportion to the number of the producing\npopulation. The total amount of salaries, &c, voted in 1865 being 42,317\/., against 28,590\/. in 1863,\nand with the further sum of 4,825\/. for travelling expenses, the total for this year is over 47,000\/.\nThat your petitioners believe that there are gold fields of vast wealth within the boundaries of\nBritish Columbia undiscovered, and which will employ a large population in their developm'ent, but\nthese will require energy, industry, and enterprize to bring to light, and your petitioners believe that\nwhen added to the natural difficulties, there are fresh, unnecessary, and vexatious taxes imposed upon\nthe miners who are the mainstay of the country, this industrious class will become discouraged and\nturn their steps to the neighbouring gold fields of Washington territory, Oregon, and California.\nThat your petitioners are fully convinced of the necessity of legislative union between British\nColumbia and Vancouver Island, on fair and equitable terms. That the accomplishment of this event\nas soon as practicable is an indispensable requisite for the progress and prosperity of both.\nThe following are some of the reasons which have lead your petitioners to take this view of the\nrelative position of the two Colonies:\u2014\nThe mean population of the Colony of Vancouver Island cannot be computed at less than 7,500\nEncl. 1 in\nNo. 15.\nm\nIn \n\n\n\n\n British\n\nAND\nVancouver\n\nEncl. 2 in\nNo. 15.\n44\nPAPERS RELATIVE TO BRITISH COLUMBIA, &c.\npitedns, and this number added'tb fihat of British Columbia gives 13,900 as the united population of\nthe two Qojonie\u00a3. r.If the ordinary revenue of eaph were added together, and the taxationjaflotted fairly\namongst i\u00a3e inh^jsfljnts of both Colonies, it would so far equalize the weight of the present burdens, as\nto reduce the sliffire of the miners of British Columbia by at least 10\/. a year.\nThere^woulaoe nothing unjustfin such a redisWrbtrtion ofthe burde'ns'of the State, as the people of\nVancouver Island partake of the prosperity of the miners of Cariboo quite as much as the inhabitants\nof British Colrftftl5fa.iC\niffljfhe uniqn of i$fa tEKO Cglppijesiwould altffyjfcty&f the (fivil lists, which are now bearing heavily 09\ntoth couhteieliaff^iee,staff of officials will be lessened, and only one central Government would be\nrequlredj\nThe people of Vancouver Island have expressed thei\u00a3 Willingness to unite with the sister Colony,\nand :i#hen your pe$rt!i6ndf& consider the proximity of the two countries, and their mutual dependenoiea\nupon each other, they cannot but believe that protracted separation will militate against the best iqtfse^t$\nof both, and weaken British&nfluenfcelin this portion of the Empire.\nYour petitioner^ jiherefore humbly pray that your m<|sfe<3rraoious Majesty,mav\u00a3>e pleased to takersuch\nsteps as are necessary for an immediate reduction o!F the expenditure for this Colony, and for an early\nunion of British Columbia and Vancouver Island under one government.\nAnd your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray, &c.\n\u2014 Signed by 445 persons.\n'Enclosure 2 in Np. 15,\nto I oT\nThe Magistrate, New Westminster, to His Honour A. N. Birch.\nMy dear Mr. Birch, New Westminster, March 3, 1866.\nI have made many inquiries, but I find it almost impossible to ascertain with any approach to\naccuracy the proporacm $f exciseable articles used and consumed by the Indians in the Golonyi . There\nare I believe about 10,000 Indians on Fraser River, and all of them in greater or lesser quantities use\nand consume exciseable articles.\nMany of the young men spend as much as \u00a3300 a year. The Indians now use almost everything\nused by .white men,njbut the chief ^commoditieStwhich they purchase are blankets, flour,! rea, coffee'\nsugar, molasses,,b^ujis, dried apples, gunpowder, shot, muskets, axes, simple agricultural implements,\nverm^pja\/toySj.ppeap ornaments, and male and female wearing apparel.\n, Tel the best shojfSjix^this town J-am informed that the Indian women buy more dresses and finery\nthan the white people of the place.\nA great number of the Indians from the United States territory come here to procure their\nsupplies.\nI am vang. sorry that I. cannot afford you more precise information on this subject; but of this you may\nfeel a^mjie^fhat a very large grbportion of the taxation is paid by thelndfan and Chine se population\noiTthe Colony\nI have, &c.\n(Signed) C. Bre^.S\n\nt, LONDON*\nPrinted by 6-eok.ge E. Ei