{"@context":{"@language":"en","AggregatedSourceRepository":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/dataProvider","AlternateTitle":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/alternative","CatalogueRecord":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isReferencedBy","Collection":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isPartOf","Creator":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/creator","DateAvailable":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued","DateIssued":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued","DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/aggregatedCHO","FileFormat":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/elements\/1.1\/format","FullText":"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2009\/08\/skos-reference\/skos.html#note","Genre":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/hasType","Identifier":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/identifier","IsShownAt":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/isShownAt","Language":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/language","Provider":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/provider","Publisher":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/publisher","RBSCLocation":"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/currentLocation","Rights":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/rights","SortDate":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/date","Source":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/source","Title":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/title","Type":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/type","Translation":"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/description"},"AggregatedSourceRepository":[{"@value":"CONTENTdm","@language":"en"}],"AlternateTitle":[{"@value":"Addresses and memorials, together with articles, reports, etc., etc.","@language":"en"}],"CatalogueRecord":[{"@value":"http:\/\/resolve.library.ubc.ca\/cgi-bin\/catsearch?bid=1587138","@language":"en"}],"Collection":[{"@value":"Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection","@language":"en"}],"Creator":[{"@value":"[unknown]","@language":"en"}],"DateAvailable":[{"@value":"2016-01-05","@language":"en"}],"DateIssued":[{"@value":"1864","@language":"en"}],"DigitalResourceOriginalRecord":[{"@value":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/collections\/chungpub\/items\/1.0056499\/source.json","@language":"en"}],"FileFormat":[{"@value":"application\/pdf","@language":"en"}],"FullText":[{"@value":"    !\u00a7\nI\nI \u25a0-'-\u2014^=7=\nADDRESSES AND MEMORIALS.\nTOGETHER   WITH\nb\nARTICLES,   REPORTS,   &c,   &c.\nFROM    THE    PUBLIC    JOURNALS,\nUPON THE  OCCASION  OF THE RETIREMENT  OF\nSIR  JAMES  DOUGLAS,  K.C.B.\nm\nFROM    THE\na\nGOVERNORSHIP     OF     THE     COLONIES\nVANCOUVER'S     ISLAND,\nBRITISH    COLUMBIA.\n:o:\ndeal:\nEDWARD HAVWARD, VICTORIA PRINTING OFFICE,  BROAD STREET.\nt\\ Many of the addresses, articles and notices connected with\nthe retirement from office, of SIB JAMES DOUGLAS,\nare not now accessible. The following, however, comprise the\nmajor portion, and are now collected and printed in a combined\nform, strictly for private circulation, at the earnest desire of\nmany friends tvlio hare been unable to obtain the local journals\nin which they are to be found. mjfM~\nMM\nADDRESSES   AND   MEMORIALS,\nTOGETHER WITH\nARTICLES,     REPORTS,     &c,   &c.\nFROM THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,\nUPON THE OCCASION OF THE RETIREMENT OF\nSIE  JAMES  DOUGLAS,   K.C.B,\nFROM    THE\nGOVERNORSHIP     OF    THE     COLONIES\nOF\nVANCOUVERS     ISLAND,\nAND\nBRITISH    COLUMBIA.\n1864.\n-:o:-\nDEAL :\nEDWARD HA.TWA.RD, VICTOBIA. PalNTEHG OFFICE,  BROAD STREET. I\n2)6   #& i 1\nCORRESPONDENCE    WITH     A    MEMORIAL    TO     THE    DUKE    OF\nNEWCASTLE,    FROM   THE    INHABITANTS   OF    VANCOUVER'S\nISLAND.\nVictoria, Vancouver's Island,\nSeptember 18th, 1863.\nMay it please Your Excellency,\nWe have the honor, on behalf of the inhabitants of\nVancouver's Island, to present to Your Excellency the\nenclosed memorial (or rather address) with the respectful\nrequest that Your Excellency will be pleased to transmit\nit to the Duke of Newcastle, Her Majesty's principal Secretary\nof State for the Colonies.\nYour Excellency will perceive that the signatures\nappended, represent the wealth and intelligence of the Island.\nNone but representative names have been sought, and among\nthese Your Excellency will find all the Bankers, leading\nMerchants (with the exception of one or two,) and professional\ngentlemen.\nWe know that Your Excellency will value highly\nthe views of the gentlemen who signed the enclosed memorial,\nand that you will place a high estimate upon this deserved\ntribute of respect, coming, as it does, from those whose position, wealth, and intelligence, entitle them to represent the\nopinions of Vancouver's Island.\nWe beg also respectfully to request Your Excellency\nto transmit a copy of this letter with the Memorial, to His\nGrace the Duke of Newcastle.\nWe have, &c,\n\u00ab.      ,    (JAMES DICKSON,\nfeigned.   (SELIM FRANKLIN.\nTo His Excellency,\nGovernor Douglas, C.B. 1\n(reply.)\nVancouver's Island,\nVictoria, 19th September, 1863.\nGentlemen,\n-1 have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your\nletter of yesterday's date, inclosing for transmission to His\nGrace the Duke of Newcastle, Her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, a Memorial signed by many\ninhabitants of Vancouver's Island, expressive of their appreciation of my services, whilst administering the government\nof this Colony.\n\u2022 I beg you will acquaint the signers of that Memorial\nthat I shall forward the same, at an early date, to the Secretary of State, in compliance with their desire.\nI also beg that you will convey to the signers of the\nMemorial, my sincere thanks for so flattering and spontaneous\nan expression of opinion in respect of the past and present\nvalue of my public services. So far as any further public connection with these Colonies is concerned, my mind has been\nlong made up and the Secretary of State is aware of my feelings upon that subject. I have, also, every reason to believe\nthat the arrangements of Her Majesty's Government in this\nrespect are completed, and that within a few months, I shall\nbe relieved in the administration of the Government.\nUpon retiring into private life, it will always be a\nsource of satisfaction to me, to view this Memorial as substantial evidence that I have not been unmindful of the high trust\nreposed in me by my Sovereign, and that I carry with me\nthe respect and good wishes of my fellow subjects.\nI have &c,\nSigned,   JAMES DOUGLAS.\nTo JAMES DICKSON, Esq., M.D.\nSELIM FRANKLIN, Esq. FROM  \"BRITISH  COLONIST\"  OF  OCTOBER  13th.   1863.\nUpon the arrival of the last Mail Steamer, we were\nmuch gratified at being enabled to publish the Gazette, announcing that the honor of Knighthood had been conferred\nupon the Governor of these Colonies, and we take the present\nopportunity of His Excellency's return to Victoria, to offer\nour most sincere and hearty congratulations to himself and\nhis family. The distinction was so looked for by the Public\nthat they would have been as apt to feel its omission as a\nslight upon the Colony, as they are now disposed to take a\nsmall share of the compliment to themselves.\nWe have conceived it our duty upon some occasions,\nto differ from the policy pursued by Mr. Douglas, as Governor\nof this Colony, and we have from time to time, had occasion\nas public journalists, to oppose that policy : we trust, however,\nthat such opposition has at no time been factious\u2014personal to\nthe Governor himself, it has never been. If we have opposed\nthe measures of Government, we have never in our criticisms\nof the public acts of the executive head of that Government,\nfailed in our esteem for the sterling honesty of purpose which\nhas guided those acts, nor for the manly and noble qualities\nand virtues which adorn the man. The intimate relations\nwhich have so long existed between Sir James Douglas and\nthe people of Victoria, will shortly undergo a change, and we\nare quite sure that we echo the sentiments of the public of\nVictoria, in saying that His Excellency will carry into private\nlife the honest esteem and hearty good wishes of all\nVancouver.\nHis services to his Country as Governor of these\nColonies, will not be forgotten for many years to come, and\nwe believe that nothing will be remembered of his adminis-\ntration of the Government that will tend to tarnish the name\nof Douglas.   Her Majesty in conferring the honor of Knight-\n**\u25a0*\u25a0\u00ab\nel hood   upon our  Governor has paid him a well deserved\ncompliment, which the Colony will thoroughly appreciate.\nThat all prosperity may attend Sir James in his\nretirement, is our sincere desire.\nFrom | British Colonist \" and from i Daily Chronicle \"\n11th March, 1864.\nGRAND BANQUET TO SIR JAMES DOUGLAS.\nThe grand Banquet given by the citizens of Victoria to his\nExcellency Sir James Douglas, K.C.B., on the occasion of his\nretiring from the government of the colony, took place last\nnight in the Theatre, and was a glorious and brilliant affair.\nThe Theatre was most elegantly decorated by Mons. Driard\nof the Colonial Hotel who had the entire management of all\nthe arrangements under the supervision of the Committee, and\nit is but due to that excellent purveyor to say that nothing\nwas wanting to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of the\nguests.\nThe entire building was boarded level with the Stage, and\na horse-shoe table spread the whole length. At the end of the\nstage, behind the chairman, was a large cartoon of the Royal\nArms, supported by 'two smaller cartoons, and national flags.\nOverhead were festoons of evergreens and artificial flowers ;\non either side of the proscenium were cartoons of the American\nArms; the dress-circle was also chastely festooned, and decorated overhead with flags of various nations.\nHis Excellency entered the room a few minutes after the\nhour named, and shortly before seven, at a signal from the\nchair, at least 200 persons took their seats.\nThe chair was filled by Alfred Waddington, Esq., on whose\nright sat Sir James Douglas, His Honor Chief-justice Begbie,\nB. O, Captain Hardinge, R.N.    Hon. W. A. G. Youn\nS3 Colonial Secretary^ &c, and on the left, Thomas Harris, Esq.,\nMayor, His Honor Chief-Justice Cameron, Dr. Helmcken,\nSpeaker of the House of Assembly, &c.\nGrace having been said, the dinner was served, and lasted\nuntil about 9 o'clock.\nDuring the repast, the dress-circle and boxes were filled\nwith ladies, and the proceedings were enlivened by the admirable performances of an excellent band, under the skilful\ndirection of Messrs. Palmer, Sandrie and Allen.\nAs soon as the table was cleared, the Chairman proposed\nthe \" Queen \" and \" the Prince and Princess of Wales, and\nall the Royal Family,\" which toasts were received with unbounded demonstrations of loyalty.\nThe Chairman then proposed \"His Excellency the\nGovernor, the Guest of the Evening.\" Drank amid\nvociferous cheering.\nThe Chairman said that he was happy and proud of the\npresent opportunity. It was a pleasant subject\u2014the revival\nof friendships on such occasions. When he saw the Governor\nof two incipient Colonies, composed of every nationality,\u2014\nsometimes disappointed men\u2014when he saw that Governor,\nwithout attempting to court popularity, (Applause.) treated\nto such an ovation as to-night, it told him that that Governor\nmust have been deserving of it. (Applause.) We all knew\nthat in his younger days he became acquainted with the wants\nof these Colonies, that he was the founder of these Colonies.\nArrived here in the Cadboro, the vessel anchored in Cadboro\nBay; he came overland to this place and chose this town site\nthis very day twenty-one years ago, and events have proved\nhis wisdom when he chose Victoria as a future metropolis of\nwealth. (Applause). The rush of '58 took the Colony by\nsurprise. The Governor had to do everything, he had to\norganize and re-organize and create. (Applause). There was\none monument to his worth\u2014the noble roads which he had\n1\n*&**m w\ncaused to be opened in the sister colony. His administration\nhad been one alive to the interests of all, and deaf to the\nclamor and vituperation of interested parties. Sir James\nDouglas is the oldest Governor in Her Majesty's employ.\nThe Chairman acknowledged that he had belonged to a party\nopposed to the Govornor at one time, but was every man perfect? And if in eight or ten succeeding Governors whioh\nwe may have, we get one Sir James Douglas' equal we shall\nbe very fortunate. All party feeling was now buried,\n(Applause) and the feeling now was one of general esteem.\n(Prolonged applause).\nRev. Dr. Evans, Chairman of the Committee on Address,\nsaid that he felt the anomaly of his position\u2014that as a minister of Christ he had been called on to stand here to-night and\nto propose the address, because he held it to be imperative with\nthe clergy to hold themselves aloof from all political parties.\n(Hear, hear.) But he also held his mission on earth to be \"one\nof peace and good will to all men,\" and the duty devolving\non him to-night he considered to be essentially so. (Applause.)\nHe had resided here five years, and wished to bear testimony\nto the universal kindness of His Excellency towards him. He\nfelt pleased to stand here to-night and return thanks to His\nExcellency for his kindness. (Hear, hear.) Dr. Evans here\nproceeded to read the following:\nADDRESS.\n\"May it please your Excellency, We the undersigned, British\nsubjects and other inhabitants of the City of Victoria, V. I.,\nand its environs, after a earful review of your administration\nof this Colony, during nearly six years that many of us have\nlived under it, feel much satisfaction in declaring our' conviction that your Excellency's constant efforts have been exerted\nfor the welfare of the Colony and the happiness of its inhabitants ; that though they may not always have been crowned with the desired success, we attribute it to the very extraordinary and difficult position in which your Excellency was\nplaced on assuming the arduous task of organizing and administering a government in a new Colony so remote from the\nmother country, with a heterogeneous population, requiring\nmore than human efforts to form at once political institutions\nthoroughly adapted to it.\nWe cannot, however, doubt your Excellency's uniform\ndesire to promote the interests of the Colony, nor can we deny\nourselves the happiness of offering a just tribute to a gentleman whose talents and energy have raised him to the highest\nposition amongst us, in which he has sustained himself so\nhonorably, that Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen has\nbeen pleased to acknowledge it by a very flattering mark of\ndistinction, to the great satisfaction of the British and other\nresidents of this city.\nYoung and insignificant, compared with many other of\nHer Majesty's Colonies, as Vancouver's island is; far distant\nfrom the mother country and dependent on foreign aid for\nprompt communication with it; with a sparse population and\nlimited means to compete with the older and more productive\nneighbouring settlements, and beset by many other- serious\ndifficulties, it has nevertheless, under Divine Providence, by\nyour Excellency's prudent administration, made such wholesome progress, that we consider the foundation has been laid\nfor its becoming in the course of time, taking into account its\nimportant geographical position, one of Her Majesty's most\nvaluable possessions. We hope your Excellency may live to\nsee the day when the fruits of your labors shall have become\nmatured, and that you will have just cause to look back with\nincreased pride and satisfaction on this interesting Colony.\nIf your Excellency depart from among us we shall consider\nwe have lost a friend who will carry away with'him our regrets\nand esteem ; if you remain with us we trust that the Govern- 10\nI\nment will be still aided by the wisdom and prudence of your\ncounsels.\nMay the Almighty, who has guided your Excellency and\nsustained you in the arduous duties you are about to relinquish,\ncontinue to pour down his blessings upon you and your\nfamily, to whom we sincerely wish every happiness.\nWe have the honor to be, with the most distinguished consideration, your Excellency's friends and obedient servants.\nHis Excellency remained standing 'during the delivery of\nthe address, which was received with applause and enthusiastic\ncheering.   Music\u2014| Lang Syne.\"\nHis Excellency thanked the inhabitants of Victoria for this\nexpression of kind feeling, and the endorsement of his policy\nof government. He also thanked them for the cordial support\nwhich he had received from them during his protracted\nadministration; this document was very precious to him\nindeed. It told him of their friendship\u2014of their desire to\ndo him honor, and through him to honor that noble Queen\nwhom he had the honor to represent. It told him that his\nadministration had been successful; that they were prepared\nto support free trade and the developement of the resources of\nour country. It told him that no legislation to sap those\nmeasures would be successful; and perseverance in the same\ncourse would place the Colony at the summit of its ambition.\nHe felt that the community were disposed to place a higher\nvalue on his services than they deserved (loud cries of No, no.)\nThe progress was due rather to the efforts of their highly patriotic Legislature.    (Applause).\nHe should always remember with the warmest gratitude\nthe efforts of the inhabitants in assisting him to maintain\ngood order in the Colony.    (Hear, hear, and Cheers.)\nIn closing his relations with this colony, he would ever\nretain a grateful recollection of this day's proceedings, and of\nthe high honor conferred upon him, and in whatever part of 11\nthe world he should spend the remainder of his days, he\nwould ever rejoice 4o hear of the welfare and progress and\nprosperity of this colony.    (Tremendous cheering.)\nThe Chairman proposed \" The Army and Navy.\" Music,\n\" The Red, White and Blue.\"\nCapt. Hardinge, of H.M.S. Cameleon, returned thanks for\nthe honour conferred upon the branch of the service which he\nhad the honour to represent, and said that orders had come\nfrom Home to increase the establishment here. (Hear, hear) :\nhe was also glad to hear that a graving dock was about to be\nconstructed at Esquimalt. A great number of his men whose\ntime of service had expired, were desirous of settling here,\nbut if the people wished to keep them, they must promote\nfemale immigration. (Laughter and cheers for \" Franklin.\")\nDuring the time which he had had the honour of acting as\nsenior officer of the fleet, he had received numerous evidences\nof the regard of the colonists. Captain H. paid a glowing tribute to the services of Mr. Pender of the surveying expedition,\nfor which that gentleman returned thanks.\nCol. Foster, M.L.A., responded in behalf of the Army, and\nsaid that a British soldier never turns his back on friend or\nfoe.    (Applause).\n\"The Legislative Council,\" was proposed by A. C.\nAnderson, Esq., in a brief speech. Music\u2014\" Victoria March.\"\nHon. Chief Justice Cameron, Senior Member of the Council,\nresponded\u2014the Members of the Council present remaining\nstanding. His Lordship's remarks, which were no doubt effective, and were well received by those within the sound of\nhis voice, were inaudible to our reporter.\n\" The Legislative Assembly,\" was proposed by Mr. J.\nJ. Southgate, who paid a tribute to the services of the Members of the assembly, coupled with the name of the Hon.\nSpeaker.    Music\u2014\" Cheer, boys, cheer.\"\nThree cheers were given for Dr. Helmcken, who said that\n. *\nthe House of Assembly had been profitably engaged and had\npassed the Telegraph Bill. (Cheers.) H*e hoped the apparatus would be soon in working order. Twelve years ago the\nonly communication this Colony had with the outer world was\nby a canoe going to Puget Sound and thence to the Columbia.\nHe attributed the improvement, in a great measure, to His\nExcellency, (Cheers.) who had instituted the system of\nGovernment now in force. Having been connected with the\nLegislative Assembly for many years he could bear testimony\nto the uniform courtesy of His Excellency, and it was due to\nhis energy and work that the Colony was in a position to pass\nsuch a measure as the Telegraph Bill.    (Cheers.)\nI The Bench and the Bar.\" Proposed by Dr. Tolmie.\nThe Bench, coupled with the name of David .Cameron, Esq.,\nwho had been connected with the Bench since the days when\nthe site of the present theatre was a potato-field and the red\ndeer paid nocturnal visits to Spring Ridge. The Bar had\nmany noble representatives present who could speak for themselves.    (Cheers.)    Music\u2014| The Cameronion March.\"\nThe Hon. Chief Justice Cameron responded. He felt grateful for the kind manner in which his friend Dr. Tolmie had\nalluded to him. He was honored in responding to the toast\nof the Bench, the Bar he would leave to younger men. The\nhon. gentleman alluded to the early period in which he had\nbeen called to the Bench in this Colony, and to the arduous\nduties he had performed, representing half a dozen judges in\none. (Great applause.) How he had done it he would leave\nto the public to say.    (Immense applause.)\nAttorney General Cary being called, said that he regretted he had been called on to respond to the toast of the\n\" Bar,\" when \"he was hated by one half of Victoria and feared\nby the other half.\" But he could bear testimony to the genius\nof His Excellency on all occasions. For three years he had\n\u2022worshiped that genius, and he hoped that all would join with 13\nhim in endeavoring to bring the Colony to that height, when,\nshould His Excellencey ever return to this Colony he would\nfind that it had reached the highest point of his ambition.\nAll he would say, if he had to choose another master,\nthat master should be Sir James Douglas.    (Applause.)\nLoud calls being made for Mr. Ring, that gentleman rose\nand said, although unprepared with any remarks, he would bear\ntestimony to the ability and unswerving courage which had\nmarked the administration of His Excellency Sir James\nDouglas. Gentlemen, what more do you want from me ?\n(great laughter.)\n\" The Mayor of Victoria.\" by Dr. Dickson. He had great\npleasure in bearing testimony to the earnest and honest\nmanner in which the Mayor had filled the civic chair. (Hear,\nhear.) Although the Corporation was in that state which\nphysicians call \" atrophy,\" a new act would soon set them\nright; but the maturity of manhood could not be expected in\nso young a child. (Laughter). The Corporation was only a\nchild eighteen months old. (Great laughter.) And we must\nnot expect too much from it. The Dr. sketched the rapid\ngrowth of the colony in an elaborate manner, amidst uproarious\nmirth.\nBand\u2014\" For he's a jolly good   fellow,\" joined by the\ncompany.\nMayor Harris responded to the toast.    He thanked the\ncompany for the handsome manner in which they had received\nthe toast. He could look back to the time, 5 years ago, when\nhe and many of his fellow citizens landed near to that spot\nwhere they were now standing which was then covered\nwith tents. Did they then expect to see a city such as we\nhave now ? It' showed the wonders of the works of the\nAlmighty. (Applause.) This being the only British soil on\nthis coast, we can boast of all the institutions of civilized countries.    (Hear, hear.)    He hoped all his friends before him\n-ty*m EJUfP^AifeN\n14\n1\nhad grown as the colony had, and that our children and\nchildren's children would still see the country flourish after\nus. When he saw a community like Victoria select a humble\ntradesman like himself as the first Mayor of the city, it was an\nheirloom for him and his children to carry down in ages yet\nto come. (Applause). He would ask when again would a\ncommunity like this meet together to do honor to the distinguished gentleman whom we had now met to honor.\n(Applause). He thanked the company individually and collectively, and would drink each of their good healths. (Great\napplause).\n\" Our Sister Colony.\" Proposed by Selim Franklin,\nEsq., M. L. A., who said, that an account of the brilliant\nscene before him, would form a bright page in our history.\nThat Colony, only six years ago, was a \"howling wilderness.\"\nNow what was it ? Steamers mounting her rapid rivers ; and\nwe find gentlemen of British Columbia here to night offering\ntheir tribute of respect to worth. We are all brothers ; whatever contributes to the advantage of one contributes to the\nadvantage and interest of the other, creating harmony and\ngood will between the citizens of both Colonies.    (Cheers.)\nChief Justice Begbie, of British Columbia, rose to respond.\nHe was greeted with loud cheers. He had differed with His\nExcellency in almost every point of policy advanced. They\nhad met as man to man on public questions, he trusted they\nhad parted friends. On every point he had met him as a man,\nand His Excellency had met him as a man, and he\ngave the verdict in favour of His Excellency. A year ago\nthe verdict would have been against him. To-day he believed\nhe would be sustained. (Some confusion here occurred,\namidst which Mr: Begbie sat down.)\n\" Our Foreign Residents,\" by Hon. D. B. Ring, was\nproposed amid vociferous cheering. Mr. Ring said it was a\ncatholic toast, and from the applause with which it was re-\nTir^fay 15\nceived, he judged that the clouds of bigotry and national prejudice which had so long hung over us , were being dispelled.\nForeigners, when they came here, felt that they were placing\nthemselves in a country where they would be respected and\nprotected. He believed that their presence there was a tribute\nto the worth of His Excellency. (Hear, hear). National\nbigotry was being dispelled by the rays of enlightenment, as\nthe morning sun dispelled the mists of night. He rejoiced to\nsee rising a feeling of brotherhood between all nations, and\nhe had great pleasure in proposing the toast. Music,\u2014\"Star\nSpangled Banner,\" \" Partant pour la Syrie,\" and \" Deutschen\nVaterland.\"\nMr. P. M. Backus felt this to be the proudest day of his life.\nOn the part of the foreign residents, particularly the Americans,\nhe thought he could say they had comported themselves well.\n(Hear, hear). They came here in '58 to make money\u2014some\nof them had made two or three, himself among the number,\nthanks to the Victorians and the Hudson Bay Company \u2022\n(Laughter), that famous monopoly of which he took good\ncare to be on the right side. This Colony's prospects were\nimmense, England was nothing to it. (Laughter). The\nmineral wealth of this Colony exceeded that of any other\ncountry of equal proportion in the world. (Hear, hear). Only\ngive the wealth of old England to back us, (Great laughter.)\nand the Colony will show what it has got within it. Mr.\nBackus concluded with a high encomium on Sir James\nDouglas' excellence and retired amidst great cheering.\n\"Our Commercial, Mining and Agricultural Interests,\" was proposed by W. A. G. Young, Esq., Colonial Secretary, in a few effective and encouraging remarks. The future\nof the Colony he believed to be very bright, its commercial\ninterests should be well guarded and fostered. Although we\nhad some croakers among us, we still had reason to feel that\nour progress was most satisfactory ;*our commerce was in a\nX CD v    '\n1 16\nmost flourishing state; our mines were so promising that shares\nof one of our companies were bought in San Francisco, in\npreference to Washoe. (Applause). As to the agricultural\ninterests, he was sorry he could not say much yet, but as soon\nas we had roads through the colony, our farmers would find\nan ample market in Victoria for all they could produce. The\nhon. gentleman closed with a hearty tribute to our foreign\nresidents, who had ever been found foremostin all enterprises\nto develope the country, and he considered our special thanks\nwere therefore due to them, for without energy and enterprise\nno commerce would reach our shores, our mineral wealth would\nbe for ever hidden in the primeval rock, and our land would\nnot give forth its produce.\nMr. J. D. Walker responded on behalf of the commercial\ninterests. Commerce had been the mainstay of the Colony,\nand its prosperity was due to the wisdom of His Excellency\nin creating this a Free Port. He believed that the Americans\nwere generally in favour of Free Ports, and the general belief\nin San Francisco was, that the day when our ports were dosed,\nwould be a dark one for Victoria.    (Applause).\nC. B. Young, Esq., (Monitor), responded on behalf of the\nmining interests in a brilliant speech, which frequently brought\ndown the house, and convulsed his hearers with laughter. He\nhad great faith in Vancouver, and believed that the day was\nnot far distant when we should not only be independent of\nBritish Columbia, but of all the world, and in proof of the\nassertion, produced a gold ingot, the product of Gold Stream\nMines. Many men went at mining as they went at love;\nif they didn't get a return in three days they were discouraged\nand abandoned it. But patience was required. Mr. You]\nretired amid much applause.\nA. C. Anderson, Esq,, responded in behalf of the agricultural interest. It was hard to be witty on the subject of\npotatoes and turnips.   He would endeavour therefore to be\noung 17\nwitty in another way, viz. \" brevity was the soul of wit.\" and\nhe would sit down.    (Laughter)\n\"The Press.\" Proposed by Mr. J. G. Shepherd. The\nPress of any country is undoubtedly a great power, and it has\nbeen called in England the Fourth Estate. The comments\nand opinions expressed in the Press have much weight with\nthe people. Few important steps in legislation are taken\nwithout previous ventilation in the Press. An extraordinary\ninstance of the power of the Press was given in the Free Trade\nagitation. Although they thought it at the time, I do not\nknow any landed gentry in the country whose interests are\njeopardized by their wordy war. It was better that writers in\nthe public Press should exercise their calling with due caution\nand with some judgment. He did not know any place of the\nsame size and of like population which could boast three\npapers such^as are now published in Victoria, and it said much\nfor the enterprise of the gentlemen who conducted them. He\ncalled upon them to pledge The Press cordially.\nMr. Harris responded in a few words.\nCalls being made for Mr, Bell, that gentleman rose, and\nspoke in response to the toast for a few minutes.\nI The Ladies.\" proposed by Mr. Cruickshahk.\nMr. Franklin responded to the toast. He congratulated the\ncompany upon the fact that even with the excitement of the\nladies above them, they had conducted themselves with so\nmuch propriety. But the ladies had come there with other\nfeelings, with feelings of loyalty and respect to Sir James\nDouglas, and he was sure that no inhabitants of the Colony\nwere more loyal, or more enthusiastic in their expressions of\nloyaltyj than the ladies.\nMr. Holbrook was called upon to respond on behalf of the\nladies of British Columbia. The ladies were there, he said, to\ndo honor to the same great man that the British Columbians\nhad come down to do honor to.   They were certainly not op- 18\nposed to \"union.\" (Roars of laughter). They were willing to\njoin them on the present occasion, and he knew the ladies of\nBritish Columbia would have been ready to join themselves.\nThe British Columbians were proud of their ladies. They\nwere pioneers like the men. He was only sorry that none of\nthem had been present on this occasion.\nThe band then played \" God save the Queen,\" and the\nassembly, after giving three hearty cheers for the Governor\nseparated quietly.\nFrom \" Evening Express,\" Saturday, March 11, 1864.\nPresentation of an Address to the Governor, by the Legislative\nAssembly.\nThe House met at noon to-day. Present, the Speaker, and\nMessrs. Young, Trimble, Tolmie, Dennes Franklin, Bailey,\nStreet. The House rose and proceeded to the Government\nBuildings, where the Speaker presented to Sir James Douglas\nthe address. His Excellency received the Hon. Members very\ngraciously, and at the conclusion of the address, which was\nread by the Speaker, made the reply given below.\nAddress from the Members of the Legislative Assembly.\nTo His Excellency Sir JAMES DOUGLAS, K.C.B.,\nGovernor of Vancouver's Island and its Dependencies,\n&c, &c, &o.\nWe, the loyal and faithful subjects of Her Majesty, the\nmembers of the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver'slsland and\nits Dependencies in Parliament assembled, desire on the occasion of your Excellency's retirement from office most\nrespectfully to express our high appreciation of the great administrative qualities, and the uniform urbanity shown by\n**m 19\nyour Excellency during the many years you have filled the\nresponsible position of Governor of the Colony. We consider\nthe great prosperity of this portion of Her Majesty's Dominions during the past few years, is mainly asoribable to the\nwise policy which your Excellency inaugurated, and we trust\nthat the continued advancement of this Colony may be equal\nto your Excellency's good wishes in its behalf. Whilst sincerely regretting your departure, we earnestly hope that your\nExcellency may long live to enjoy the honours so worthily\nbestowed upon you by Her Majesty the Queen, and we trust\nthat health and happiness, peace and prosperity, may attend\nyou for many years to come.\nHIS EXCELLENCY'S REPLY.\nMr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Legislative Assembly.\nI thank you for this gratifying mark of your confidence and\nregard; I also thank you for the zeal and diHgence with which\nyou have on all occasions applied yourselves to the discharge\nof your public duties, and for your cordial and active co-operation with me in every useful measure, connected with the prosperity and well-being of the country, a circumstance to which\nthe Colony is mainly indebted for its present prosperity.\nDiscord has been the bane of many countries: you have wisely\nkept down the evil spirit in this Colony, and I trust it may\"\nnever mar the mutual harmony and good feeling existing\nbetween the Executive and the Legislative. It is through\nwise counsels that countries flourish and thrive. This Colony\nhas been prosperous, and may justly be proud of the ability\nand public spirit of its Legislative Assembly. I do feel, as\nyou have justly observed, a deep interest in the welfare of this\nColony, and I sincerely trust that the blessing of God may\never rest upon your efforts to promote its moral and material\ninterests. I\n20\nTHE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.\nThe Legislative Council presented the following address to\nHis Excellency Sir James Douglas.\nTo His Excellency Sir James Douglas K.C.B,, Governor of\nVancouver's Island and its Dependencies 8rc, fyc,\nMay it please your Excellency,\u2014We, the members of the\nLegislative Council of Vancouver's Island, in prospect of yonr\nExcellency's retirement from the high office which your Excellency has so long and honourably filled, desire to express\nour high estimation of the policy which has guided your\nExcellency in originating and administering the Government\nof this Colony; of your noble appreciation of the duties and\nresponsibilities devolving upon the representative of our\nMost Gracious Queen, and of the moral qualities which have\nadorned your actions and endeared you to the people of Vancouver's Island.\nThat your Excellency may long live to enjoy the approbation of our Most Gracious Sovereign, and the esteem and respect of every colonist is the prayer of each member of the\nCouncil.\nDAVID CAMERON.\nPresident of the Counoil.\nHis Excellency's Reply to the President and Gentlemen of the\nLegislative Council.\nI cannot allow you to depart without expressing my  deep\nappreciation of the honor you have done me, and of thanking-\nif 7 O\nyou for the cordial aid and assistance I have received from\nyou during the course of my adrninistration. I feel how much\nI owe to your valuable counsel and advice, and to vour active 21\nand hearty co-operation in all matters connected with the well\nbeing and prosperity of the country, a happy circumstance\nto which the colony owes much of its present prosperity. Discord has been the bane of many countries, your care and\nprudence has - kept down the evil spirit here, and I trust it\nmay never arise to mar the harmony and good feeling now\nexisting between the Executive and the Legislature.\nI thank you most sincerely for the many kind allusions you\nhave made to my public services in the highly complimentary\naddress which you have presented to me. I shall preserve it\nas a memorial of your kindness and regard, and of the cordial\nfeeling which has marked all our official intercourse,-\nI sincerely hope that the Colony may continue to prosper,\nand I feel assured that no efforts will be wanting on your part\nto promote its true and substantial interests.\nAddress of the St. Kjidreufs Society to the Governor.\nThe following address was presented to His Excellency the\nGovernor by the officers of the St. Andrews Society:\u2014\nHis Excellency Sir James Douglas, K.C.B.,\nMay it please your Excellency,\u2014In anticipation of your\napproaching retirement from the high trust so long and\nefficiently sustained by you in this colony as representative of\nHer Most Gracious Majesty,\nWe the officers and members of the St. Andrew's Society,\nin this city, in common with all other fellow subjects who\nhave shared the advantages of your Excellency's Government,\nbeg to tender you our heartfelt congratulations on the signal\nprosperity which has distinguished the country during the\nperiod of your administration, and to record the warm esteem we\ncherish for the illustrious virtues of your Excellency's personal\ncharacter, and while contemplating amidst an honourable\nseclusion aud repose, the rapid progress made by the colony\nE35E5535C UJBU 22\nin wealth and enterprise, we trust that not the least gratifying\nreminiscences of your official connection with Vancouver\nIsland, may be that so large a measure of success has attended\nthe benevolent exertions of the national association we represent, under the direction of your Excellency as its first Honorary President.\nWhile deeply regretting the termination of your functions as\nGovernor, already extended much beyond the usual time prescribed by the Imperial Government, we venture to indulge\nthe hope that your residence among us may be continued as a\nprivate citizen, and that this Colony planted chiefly through\nyour agency and hitherto developed under your care, may\nreceive as^ formerly, the benefit of your local experience^ and\nvaluable counsel.\nMay you be long spared to enjoy the honors with which the\nlabors of your public life have been rewarded by an approving\nSovereign,  and your future be crowned with tranquility  and\nhappiness.\nHis Excellency replied as follows :\u2014\nGentlemen\u2014I can assure you that I feel greatly obliged\nto you for this visit, and I am truly sensible of the great honor\nyou have paid to my public service, in the highly complimentary address which you have now presented to me.\nThis compliment is the more appreciated, coming as it does\nfrom a large body of friends and countrymen, whose good\nopinion I so highly value and deeply respect. I assure you that\nmy chief regret in retiring from office, arises from the prospect\nof being separated from friends whose society I shall miss, and\nI shall often recall with gratification the many pleasant days I\nhave passed among you.\nI shall have much pleasure in preserving this address as a\nmemorial of your kindness and regard.\nI hope, Gentlemen, that prosperity may ever attend you,\nand that the St. Andrew's Society may always be as warmly\nand respectably supported as it is now at Victoria. 1\n23\nFrom \"Daily Chronicle\" of 11th of March, 1864,\nPresentation of an Address by  the Fire Department to  the\nGovernor.\nYesterday morning, the Fire Department assembled in full\nuniform, without apparatus, to present an address to His\nExcellency Sir James Douglas, on the occasion of his retirement from office. The Deluge, Tiger, and Union Hook and\nLadder Companies met at their respective engine houses at\nnoon, and having mustered, fell into ranks, and with banners\nflying, marched down to the rendezvous (the Hook and\nLadder Engine House) where the procession was formed as\nfollows :\u2014Mr. Maguire's band.\nThe Deluge Company, James S.  Drummond, Foreman;\n32 members present.\nThe Tiger Company, Sam. L. Kelly, Foreman; 20\nmembers.\nUnion Hook and Ladder Company\u2014W. H. Thain, Foreman ; 28 members.\nThe Department was under the direction of Chief Engineer\nJ. C. Xeenan, and assistant Engineer, S. B. Abbott.\nThe procession marched up Bastion-street, and through\nGovernment, across James' Bay Bridge, to the Government\nBuildings, when a halt was called, and the Department having\nbeen ranged two deep along the front of the building, the\ncommittee appointed to present the address, advanced. The\nChief and Assistant Engineers of the past year, Messrs. John\nDickson, and John Malowanski, accompanied them. As His\nExcellency appeared at the head of the steps, the band struck\nup \" God save the Queen.\" The air was listened to with uncovered heads by the assembled spectators, and at its conclusion, Chief Engineer J. C. Keenan stepped forward and in an\naudible voice read the following address:\u2014\n\u25a0*a\u00bb.TgLl>KL MJfc,   \u00abw 24\nfireman s    address.\nTo His Excellency Sir James Douglas.\nMay it please your Excellency. We the members of the\nFire Department of Victoria, V.I., who consider that valuable\nInstitution owes its existence to Your Excellency, under\nwhose fostering care it has attained its actual respectable and\nefficient condition, should think ourselves deficient in common\ngratitude if we did not before Your Excellency's retirement\nfrom office, make a public acknowledgement of the promptitude with which all the reasonable requirements of the establishment under our charge have been attended to; of the\ncourtesy which our officers have ever received at your hands,\nand of the paternal interest Your Excellency has always\ndisplayed in the welfare of an institution of which a gentleman\npossessed of your sagacity could not fail to perceive the importance. Thanks to a kind Providence our services thus far\nhave been but little needed, and we pray that this young and\ninteresting city, which has reached its present proud position\nunder your Excellency's auspices, may be long spared from\nthat devouring element, which in a case of great emergency,\n^f it ever should be our painful task, to be called upon, we trust\nthat provided as we are, we shall be enabled to render efficient\nservice, and to convince the inhabitants in general, that they,\nas well as ourselves are laid under obligation to your Excellency\nfor the wise and prudent precautions taken by you to arrest the\nprogress of an enemy which has so often committed its fearful\nravages in a neighbouring country, and by which we know\nnot at what hour we may be assailed. With the assurance\nthat a retrospect of our relations with your Excellency is and\nwill long be a source of pleasure to us, and with best wishes\nfor the health and happiness of yourself and your family,\nWe have the honor to be your Excellency's devoted and\nobedient servants. mm\n25\nJ. 0. Keenan, (Chief Engineer,) V.F.D. J. A. Mc'Crea.\n0. W. Wallace. J. S. Drummond. Charles Gowen. Wm.\nWilson.    Philip Hall.   S. L. Kelly.   John Dickson.\nCommittee on behalf of the Fire Department.\nVictoria, V.I., March 10th, 1864.\nHis Excellenoy replied.\nGentlemen,\u2014I feel greatly obliged to you for this visit.\nI thank you most sincerely for the great honour you have now\ndone me, and also for the many kind allusions to my public\nservices contained in the very flattering address with which\nyou have just presented me. I know that I have always befriended you, that 1 have ever been a friend and supporter of\nthe Fire Department. I am happy to be enabled to say that\nI have never had cause to regret the confidence I have reposed\nin you, and I might add that your conduct as a body has\nalways been most exemplary. You have never been backward in rendering assistance when it was required. You have\nalways been ready to rush to rescue and protect the lives and\nproperty of your fellow-men. I can only say that I hope you\nwill continue to do as you have done heretofore, and you may\nrest assured that you will ever have in me a warm friend and\nadmirer, and must always possess the confidence of a grateful\npublic.\nAt the conclusion of this reply, three hearty cheers were\neiven for His Excellency, and when they had subsided, the\nband played \" Rule Britannia.\" Three cheers were then proposed by the Chief Engineer for Her Most Gracious Majesty,\nand were responded to with enthusiasm. The band then\nplayed the National Anthem, and the Department fell in and\nmarched back to town. 26\nI\nFrom \" Evening Express,\" Saturday, March 28th, 1864.\nThe Colony is about to lose its founder and best friend.\nEre a week has elapsed, the present Chief Magistrate will\nhave no more authority on the soil of Vancouver's Island than\nthe humblest British subject. A new man, a total stranger,\nwill fill the high position which Sir James Douglas vacates.\nThe change comes, naturally, in the common course of events;\nand yet, like the loss of a beloved relative by some sudden\nvisitation of Providence, those who miss the departed can not\nbut mourn their bereavement. We have no desire to depreciate in any way the merits of his successor, but we feel it\nincumbent upon us to give expression to the universal sentiment of regret that the administration of Gov. Douglas is to\ngive place to a new regime, The public see nothing to hope,\nhave nothing to gain from the change; and it is not to be\nwondered at that reflections upon the past, excite some\nmisgivings for the future. It is now universally admitted\nthat to the wisdom of Governor Douglas, the commercial\nposition of the city of Viotoria is alone attributable; and His\nExcellency may well feel proud afc he glances at the result of\nhis foresight and fostering care. But His Excellency has\nhigher cause for gratification. \"A good name is rather to be\nchosen than great riches.\" Governor Douglas has not only\nwon respect from the public for his capacity, but he has gained\nthe affection and esteem of the people over whom he has\npresided for so many years; moreover \"without having sought\npopularity,\" as the president at the late banquet remarked\nadvisedly.\nThere was a time in Victoria, only two or three years aeo.\nwhen a clique, who within the last twelve months have\nsuccumbed to the pressure of more enlightened public opinion,\nsought by every means to render the name and rule of Hia\nExcellency unpopular.    This class through the columns of 27\nthe ribald newspaper then published, endeavoured by aid of\nthe pen of a scurrilous and unprincipled writer, not only to\nbring the administration into disrepute, but to impugn the\nhonour and integrity of Her Majesty's representative. Not\nsatisfied with attacking the public acts of the Governor, the\nsanctity of his home was assailed, and even his personal attire\nmade the subject of coarse criticism. But let us be thankful\nwe live in more enlightened times. The Governor had also\npolitical enemies, who opposed his course of government\nboldly and independently; such men were Waddington,\nYoung, and Hicks. These gentlemen were honest in their\nactions, and erred in judgment through lack of information.\nSurely the happiest moment of His Excellency must have\nbeen that on which he found that his honourable opponents,\nconvinced that they, themselves, were'in error, came forward\nlike men to confess they had done him wrong, and to seek\nhow they best might do him honour. It is a remarkable fact\nthat the gentlemen who were most energetic in getting up the\nlate demonstration, were some of those whose eyes were first\nopened to the true conduct of his Excellency when they read\nthe despatches relating to the disputes between the Hudson's\nBay Company and the Government in respect to the colonial\nlands.\nWe should leave our subject sadly deficient if we neglected\none circumstance which it is most important to note, viz., the\nestimation in which Sir James Douglas is held by our foreign\nresidents. Intimately associated as we are with our pushing\nAmerican neighbours, how much has depended upon the tone\nadopted by the Executive towards fellow colonists whose\npresence is so highly valued I It might have been thought\nthat the attacks, before alluded to, upon the character of a\nhigh official, would have been pleasing to those who came\namongst us, more or less prejudiced against British Government ; such,  however, was not the  case.    Long before the .28\nmajority of the English upon Vancouver's Island, learned to\nappreciate the true worth of Governor Douglas, he was\nthe idol of the American residents, who, have gained a higher\nestimation of our people, our laws, and our rulers', the more\nthey have held intercourse with their valued friend Sir James\nDouglas. By the uniform kindness and courtesy which His\nExcellency, has shown to all, he has become endeared to the\npeople; and has fostered in the foreign adventurers who are\namong us, a spirit of loyalty to our Government and of fellowship with our own nationality which we hope never to see\ndiminished. Such spontaneous enthusiasm as was manisfested\nat the late Banquet when Sir James Douglas's name was\nmentioned, we have scarce seen equalled any where, and it reminded us forcibly of similar bursts of loyal affection we have\nheard when Her Majesty's presence has been perceived. In\nbidding, on behalf of all classes in Vancouver Island, a regretful farewell to the retiring Govornor, we feel consolation in\nthe thought, that after years of arduous administration, he\nhas succeeded far better than the average of rulers, by gaining the goodwill of the people, and the confidence of his\nSovereign. And we can but express a hope that, when he is\nsucceeded in the adnunistration of British Columbia, he may\nbe held in as high estimation by the people of that Colony as\nhe is now by the settlers of Vancouver's Island.\nFrom \"Evening Express,\"   of the 14th of March, 1864.\nDeparture of SIB JAMES DOUGLAS, K.C.B.\nAbout 11 o'clock this morning His Excellency accompanied\nby the members of the official staff of both Vancouver's Island,\nand British Columbia, left the Government House, and proceeded into town on foot.  Upon reaching Fort-street, he was 29\nreceived by Mr. Maguire's excellent band. They led the way\nplaying the appropriate air of \" For He's a Jolly Good\nFellow,\" The party continued their course through Yates-\nstreet, to the Hudson Bay Wharf.\nEvery flagstaff in town was ornamented by a display of\nbunting, and the people on the side-walk paid him the utmost\nrespect as he passed, universally raising their hats as he came\nopposite. Many citizens also joined the procession. On reaching the Wharf his Excellency was greeted with spontaneous\nand hearty cheers, which were taken up by different portions\nof the crowd during his progress to the Enterprise, which,\ngaily decked with colours, had steamed up ready for starting.\nAs Sir James Douglas crossed the Gang-path, shouts arose\nanew and he had as much as he could do to grasp for a moment the many hands extended to him. As the splendid\nsteamer moved from the wharf, the band stationed on the\nOtter, struck up \" Auld lang syne,\" and at the same moment\nthe first gun of a salute of thirteen was fired by the Hudson's\nBay employes, under the direction of Dr. Tuzo. Another\nsalute of guns ad libitum was also fired from the wharf of\nMessrs. Dickson, Campbell and Co. As the Enterprise,\nhaving turned finally started for her destination, the band\nplayed the National Anthem, when cheers again rang through\nthe air.\nNone that witnessed the demonstration of to day could\ndoubt for one moment the high esteem and good will which\nis felt for Sir James Douglas by the pubhc at large.\nHis Excellency, whose family accompanies him to his new\nhome in New Westminster, carries with him the best wishes\nof the people of Vancouver's Island for his own and their\npresent and future welfare. It is not certain when Governor\nDouglas will again visit Victoria; but it is probable that the\nevent will not occur for some time. 30\nFrom  \" British Colonist,\" 11th of April, 1864.\nBRITISH    COLUMBIA.\nThe Fete given by SIR JAMES DOUGLAS, K.C.B.\nOn Thursday afternoon Sir James Douglas gave a fete to\nthe elite of the inhabitants of the Colony. His Excellency\nin proposing the toast of \"The Queen,\" remarked as follows:\nLadies and Gentlemen :\u2014As this is a time for cheerfulness and hilarity more than for a serious business, I shall\non this occasion propose but three* toasts, and three toasts\nonly. The first toast I have to propose, and the dearest to\nevery loyal heart, is the health of Her Most Gracious Majesty\nthe Queen.\u2014It does not become an humble individual to\npass eulogy on a sovereign so well known and distinguished\nfor her personal virtues; but I may remark without presumption, that if ever a country had cause to be proud of its\nsovereign and of the family of that sovereign, that country is\nEngland; and I may add, with equal truth, that if ever\nsovereign had, cause to rejoice in the love and respect of a\nloyal and devoted people, that sovereign is our own noble\nQueen. Who has not heard of the touching speotaole of the\nWidowed Queen in. her bereavement; of the exemplary\npatience, the. noble fortitude, the christian spirit, which shone\nforth, throughout all her sorrows, and excited the deep\nsympathy and a(lmiration of her sorrowing people? We\nfondly hope that the auspicious event we are now here to\ncelebrate, may bring comfort and joy to that desolate heart,\nso sorely tried by the fires of affliction; and I know that\nevery loyal heart in this assembly will respond with fervor to\nthat prayer. 31\nHis Excellency also proposed the health of the \"Prince and\nPrincess of Wales\" and the \"Infant Prince.\" Respecting\nthe latter he said :\n\"Ladies and Gentlemen :\u2014Life is a sore trial, and life\nis yet all before our Infant Prince. May the blessing of\nGod rest upon the future hope of our country, and may he\ngrow up to man's estate in the ways of righteousness and\nbecome as dutiful a son and as good a man as the Prince his\nfather, a Prince who has exhibited a maturity and solidity of\njudgment, a firmness and rectitude of character, which augur\nwell for the future peace and happiness of his country. May\nour Infant Prince be the worthy inheritor of the valour, the\nwisdom, and the throne of his ancestors, and may he ever be\nthe firm supporter of those constitutional principles of civil\nand religious liberty which are the Briton's pride and dearest\nbirthright.\"\nTHE   BANQUET\nThe banquet in honor of the retiring Governor came off at\nNew Westminster on Friday evening. Seventy-nine guests\nsat down at the table. Attorney General Crease, ably assisted\nby Dr. Black, presided. The whole affair was highly successful. The only unpleasant circumstance occurred when \" the\nPress\" was proposed, a storm of hisses drowning the proposer's\nvoice. Mr. Walkem immediately rose and responded on behalf\nof the Victoria Press, and was received with vociferous cheering. The following is a list of the toasts:\u2014Chair, 1st.,\nQueen\u2014Band \" God Save the Qeen;\" Chair, 2nd.., \" Prince\nand Princess of Wales and the Royal Family;\" Band. Chair,\n3rd., \" The Governor; \" Band. Reply; Vice-Chair, 4th,\n\" The Legislative Council;\" Song; Reply by the Hon. Mr.\nSmith; Vice-Chair, 5th, \" Army and Navy ;\" Song. Reply\nby Captain Hall; Chair 6th., \" Clergy, of all denominations;\"\nBand. Response; Vice-Chair, 7th., \" The Bench and Bar,' 32\ni\nSong; Reply by Judge Begbie and Mr. Walker ; Chair, 8th.,\n\" Our Sister Colony;\" Band; Reply by Mr. Wood; Chair,\n9th., \" Our Foreign Residents;\" Reply by Captain Fleming;\nVice-Chair, 10th., The Press;\" Band; Reply by Mr. Walkem;\nVice-Chair, 11th; \" The Ladies;\" Song; Reply by Mr. Hol-\nbrook; Song*; Farewell; \" God Save the Queen.\"\nThe following bodies also presented Addresses to His Excellency on Friday; The Legislative Council, The Government Officials, the Fire Department, the inhabitants of Hope\nand Yale, and the Hyack Fire Company, New Westminster.\nA beautiful medallion likeness of Sir James Douglas was\npresented on Friday to Lady Douglas, by the Hon. Messrs.\nSmith, Orr, Holbrook and Black.\nPEOPLE S    ADDRESS.\nOn Friday a deputation consisting of the following named\ngentlemen: Hon, R. S. Smith, Hon. W. S. Black, and Messrs\nEdgar Dewdney, Walter Moberley, Charles T. Seymour,\nThomas H. Cudlip, F. G. Richards, and John J. Barnston,\nwho waited on his Excellency Sir James Douglas, K.C.B., and\nread the subjoined address, to be forwarded to the Duke of\nNewcastle. The address was signed by upwards of 900 residents of British Columbia:\u2014\nTo His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, Her Majesty % Principal\nSecretary of State for the Colonies, 8fc., Sfc, 8cc.\nWe the undersigned, inhabitants of British Columbia, bee-\nto approach your Grace for the purpose of conveying to you\nour sense of the energy, ability, and wisdom, which have\ncharacterized the administration of his Excellenqy Sir James\nDouglas, the Governor of this Colony, and of representing to\nHer Majesty's Government that it is with feelings of keen\nregret we learn that he is about to be relieved.\nDuring the period His Excellency has been in office, he has 33\nassiduously devoted his remarkable talents to the good of the\ncountry; ever unmindful of self, he has been accessible to all,\nand we firmly believe that no man could have had a higher\nappreciation of the sacred trust vested in him, and none could\nhave more faithfully and nobly discharged it than he has.\nThe great road system which Governor Douglas has introduced into the Colony, is an imperishable monument of his\njudgment and foresight. It has already rendered his name\ndear to every miner, and future colonists will wonder how so\nmuch could have been accomplished with such small means.\nThe colony already feels the benefit resulting from his unwavering policy in this respect, and year by year will the\nwisdom of that policy become more manifest.\nDuring his term of office the laws have ever been rigidly,\nfaithfully, and impartially administered; the poorest man has\nalways felt, that in a just cause he would not have to seek\nredress in vain, and the country has in consequence enjoyed\na remarkable exemption from crime and disturbance.\n. \" Under these circumstances we cannot resist thus spontaneously and heartily laying before your Grace, our appreciation of the services of a noble and wise man.\"\nHon. R. T. Smith, who read the above, said: \" This deputation begs to hand to your Excellency the enclosed address,\nfrom the inhabitants of British Columbia, as a mark of their\nappreciation of your Excellency's services as Governor of this\nColony.\"\nHis Excellency was visibly affected, and in reply, said :\nGentlemen,\u2014Envy and malevolence may be endured, but\nyour kindness overwhelms me; it deprives me of the power of\nutterance; it excites emotions too powerful for control. I\ncannot indeed, express, at this moment, in adequate terms,\nmy sense of your kindness. This is surely the voice and the\nheart of British Columbia\u2014here are no specious phrases, no\nhollow or venal compliments.   This speaks out broadly,  and\nsi am \u25a0a*\n34\nhonestly, and manfully. It assures me that my administration has been useful ; that I have done my duty faithfully ;\nthat I have used the power of my Sovereign for good and not\nfor evil; that I have wronged no man, oppressed no man; but\nthat I have, with upright rule, meted out equal-handed\njustice to all men ; and that you are grateful. A pyramid of\ngold and gems would have been less acceptable to me than\nthis simple record. I ask for no prouder monument, and for\nno other memorial, when I die and go hence, than the testimony here offered that I have done my duty; to use our own\nemphatic words \" faithfully \" and | nobly \" done my duty.\nGentlemen, I claim no merit for these acts; it was clearly my\nduty to promote the interests of all Her Majesty's subjects,\nand the good of this colony in particular; and I cannot help\nfeeling that your kindness has placed a higher value on my\nservices than they deserve. I have been fortunate in the selection of officers, who have ably assisted me in administering\nthe government; but it is to yourselves, gentlemen, it is to the\npublic of this colony at large, that I owe a debt of unutterable\ngratitude for their ready obedience to the laws; for their signally good and exemplary conduct in maintaining the peace\nand order of society; for their regard of the public good; and\nfor the cheerful support they have given to every public enterprise. In closing my public relations with this colony it is no\nsmall consolation to know that my public services are highly\nappreciated by those who are so well qualified to judge of\ntheir real worth and importance. Assure the people of\nBritish Columbia that they have my heartfelt thanks for this\ngratifying expression of their opinion; assure them that I shall\never rejoice to hear of their prosperity, and of the progress of\nall that relates to the moral and material interests of this\ncolony.\n- \u25a0 35\nFrom \"Evening Express,\" of the 10th of March, 1864.\nSIR JAMES DOUGLAS, K.C.B.\nThe aborigines, who had held undisputed sway in Vancouver, beheld in the year 1839, the quiet waters of Esquimalt\nharbour ruffled by the pioneer steamer, Beaver, on board of\nwhich was James Douglas, Esq., Chief Factor, who had come\nto select a spot upon which to erect an establisment of the\nHudson Bay Company, rendered necessary as well by the\nOregon treaty as by the many inconveniences of Fort\nVancouver. He was about fixing on the southern side of\nEsquimalt for this purpose* but hearing from the Indians of\nwhat is now termed Victoria harbour, he .proceeded thither,\nlanded, wandered over the foundation of Victoria City, park,\nand surrounding country, was much pleased therewith as\nbeing suitable for the purpose intended, and decided upon\nplacing the-establishment where its remains now stand. Had\nthe future greatness of the country been foreseen, Esquimalt\nwould have been chosen, and then Victoria would have been\nwhere she ought to be now. Ten years elapse, during which\nFort Victoria had been erected; the Oregan treaty signed, by\nwhich Vancouver's Island continued a British possession. In\n1848, the island was transferred to the Hudson's Bay Company, upon condition that they should establish a colony of\nBritish subjects, sell the land at twenty shillings per acre, and.\ndefray all expenses of government; but that if her Majesty's\nGovernment resumed possession, which they could do at the\nend of five or ten years, they were to reimburse the Hudson\nBay Company, for all expenses incurred. In 1849 Mr.\nDouglas returned to Vancouver's Island, now being the chief\nagent of the Company, and having charge of Fort Victoria\nwhich he had founded, and which had not been free from 36\nIndian attacks. A few months afterwards, Richard Blanchard,\nthe first Governor, made his appearance on board H. M. Ship\nDriver, and entered upon his duties, which appear in the main\nto have been the settlement of disputes of the Hudson Bay\nCompany's servants, who seem to have come out under great\nexpectations of being supplied with abundance of beer, beef,\nand plum-pudding, which they did not obtain. From some\ncause or other an antagonism arose between Governor Blanchard and Mr. Douglas, which was brought to a point in some\ndispute. The latter having signed the \"register\" of the\nCadboro upon the change of ' masters,' a right supposed to\nbelong only to the former, but which the Hudson's Bay Company officers had done from time immemorial, the Governor\nsummoned Mr. Douglas to appear before him, which he obeyed\nbut the affair was never settled, for the governor, who had\nbeen in India, seems to have been troubled with a disordered^\nliver and enjoyed very indifferent health, resigned and left\nthe Colony in 1851. Previous to this event a petition was\npresented to him by the settlers asking the appointment of a\ncouncil to protect their rights from being usurped by the\nHudson Bay Company. This was done. The colonists at this\ntime, who had no connection with the company, seem to have\nbeen less than twenty, but they made more row than a much\nlarger community, having among them a political parson,\ncarpenter, and sailor, who had been company's servants.\nFrom that time the troubles in Liliputia commenced, the mal-\noontents probably having no other amusement. A considerable amount of this wrangling apparently arose from the\ndisturbed condition of men's minds arising from the gold discoveries in California; everything was turned topsy-turvy.\nThe Hudson's Bay people attempted to, or did desert, and\nproceeded to the gold regions, and there were plenty of\narrivals here that tempted them so to do; great irritation existed on all sides.   Governor Douglas now came upon the\nnv 37\nstage, and although his term of office  commenced in Sept.\n1851, he did not take the oaths of office until November of\nthe same year. The first notable act of his reign appears to\nhave been the collecting of all the Indian tribes around\nVictoria, and paying them for their lands in Victoria, Lake,\nSaanich, Esquimalt, Metchosen, and Sooke districts. They\nappeared in full costume, received their blankets, shirts, &c,\nsigned the deed of conveyance, and left quite jolly. The scene\nis said to have been very impressive, and the Indians being\narmed, apparently, not free from danger. Both parties have\nmaintained the settlement,but some of the natives doubt whether\nthe trees were conveyed with the soil upon which they grew.\nThe times were not peaceable, for the Indians committed\nvarious depredations upon the cattle, &c, for which, however,\nthey were invariably brought to justice; but in the fall of\n1851 the first murder took place; a shepherd at Christmas\nHill was shot. The perpetrators were found to be Indians, who\nhad fled to Cowichan; they must be brought to judgment. The\nGovernor's qualities of bravery, determination, perseverance,\nand tact were to be put to the test.  A little after Christmas,\n1852, an expedition was organized, consisting of marines and\nblue-jackets from H.M.S Thetis, and the Vancouver's Island\nVoltigeurs, which was conveyed to the scene of action in the\nHudson's Bay Company's vessels Recovery and Beaver.\nThe Governor took charge. At this time the weather was\nexceedingly cold, and a large quantity of snow covered the\nground. The people landed at Sock-a-lin's Village, a proverbially strong place, and demanded the murderer. After a\ngood deal of diplomacy, one was given up; the other had\ngone to Nanaimo. Upon proceeding thither, the Indians\nwere much excited, turned out armed, said the man was not\nthere, but had escaped up the river. After they had been\npacified by the Governor who exerted his well-known\ninfluence over them, part of the expedition went up the river 38\nto the village, but the murderer had gone, his track being\ndiscovered in the snow; it was traced to the river and then\nlost. The voltiguers (half-breeds) crossed the cold water,\nfound the track again far up the river, and after some time\ndiscovered the fugitive hidden under a log in the woods quite\nexhausted. The pair were tried and executed at Nanaimo.\nThe Governor afterwards made a speech in which he deolared\nhis regret that these poor fellows should have committed so\ngreat a crime, but warning bis hearers that he was determined\nto have the white man respected and protected. The expedition returned covered with honor. Not long afterwards, a\nwhite man living among the Indians at Cowichan was shot at,\nand severely wounded. The power of the white man must be\nproved and maintained. As this Ladian lived far up Cowichan River, where the tribes were very numerous powerful and\nhad but little acquaintance with the Pale-faces, his capture\nrequired great caution and good management, for the Governor always maintained, that the great object was to obtain the\nculprit without bringing on any disturbance with the tribes.\nThe sacrifice of innocent blood should be by all means avoided.\nOn this occasion H.M.S. Trinoomalee was towed to Cowiohan\nby the Otter. The Governor again took charge of the\nexpedition; a party of marines and blue jackets landed, to proceed by land, carrying with them a heavy field piece. There\nnot being any roads the journey through the bush, and over\nfallen logs, was most harassing and fatiguing. Boats were\nlikewise sent up the stream, but on account of the shallowness\nof the water they failed. The land forces reached the villae'e\nthe Indians turned out armed, naked, and covered with paint,\nall very much excited; every one expected hostilities to commence forthwith; all held their breath and their muskets; the'\ncombatants were face to face. The smallest mistake now and\na battle ensues; in such a country who could foretell the\nresult ?   The Governor in front of the forces now beckoned 39\nthe chiefs, who, after some moments hesitation, responded to\nthe summons; the danger for the time is arrested; the Governor explains the object of the expedition, the seizure of a\nmurderer, not the molestation of the tribe; he is informed\nthat the Indian had gone, no one knows where; this is not\nbelieved, further parleying ensues, night comes on, and the\nproceedings of the day are ended, campfires are lighted for a\ntime, but soon they are all extinguished, the Governor knowing this to be necessary. Pickets are placed around, and\nmilitary laws maintained. On the following day negotiations\nare resumed, in the meanwhile the natives are astonished by\nthe firing of the big gun, and precision of the aim. On the\nfollowing day the Indians are again in battle array, the whites\nlikewise ; in front of them stands the murderer naked, painted,\nand armed, brandishing his knife and his gun undismayed :\nhe presents his musket, is about to fire at the Governor, a\nsignal for a general engagement; he is suddenly seized by\nsome of his tribe and handed over to be tried. The moment\nof seizure was a critical period, but the chiefs averted the\nimpending mischief. This man was tried and hung. About\nthis time there appear to have been several minor Indian\ndisturbances which occasioned some annoyance, but which\nwere settled satisfactorily. These items may appear of but\nlittle importance, but the truth is the safety of the colony\ndepended upon peace being kept with the natives, and that\nwas done. The influence the Governor exercised over the\nIndians was truly surprising, and that influence has been\nof vast benefit to the Colony no one will deny. Political\nagitation nevertheless went on. The Governor had his enemies\nand his friends, the former determined upon sending home a\ndelegate to lay their grievances before her Majesty's Government. What their supposed grievances were it is not\nnecessary to consider, neither is it necessary to bring the\nnames of the imaginary sufferers into notice; the delegate left, 40\nbut the ship, a rotten old tub, met with a gale of wind outside\nthe   straits,   became water-logged, he and the whole crew\nperishing. One survived for a time; he was found by a passing\nvessel in the cross-trees, rescued from his frightful position,\nbut died on his arrival at Puget Sound; from him the sad\ntale was learned.    Indians for some time had been taking\ngold to Fort Simpson, and they had in their possession large\nmasses of a pound or two in weight.    A gold excitement was\ngot up here.    The Governor raised an expedition upon shares,\nfitted out the Recovery and sent her to Queen   Charlotte\nIsland, where the gold had been found.    They arrived at a\nplace   now   called   Gold   Harbour,    and    set    to     work\nand   discovered    auriferous     quartz   leads,    which   they\nblasted, and brought back several tons of gold-bearing rock;\nbut they failed to find the spot where the large nuggets had\nbeen found. The Indians were very troublesome, and the lead\nappeared to have been worked out, so the expedition returned.\nThe Governor had, however, sent up a war vessel for their\nprotection.    At this time also one or two American vessels\nwent there also, but with no better success.    As there was no\none having authority, Governor Douglas was now appointed\nLieut-Governor of Queen Charlotte's Island.    We now pass\non to the year 1856, a notable period, as being that in whioh\nrepresentative institutions were granted to the colony, the\nresponsibility of initiating them as usual being thrown upon\nthe Governor and his council, which at this time consisted of\nJohn Tod, James Cooper, John Work, and Roderick Finlay-\nson.   The House consisting of seven members was   called\ntogether, June, 12th 1856.    The Governor in his opening\nspeech said, (the colony) \" self supporting and defraying all\nthe expenses of its own government,  it presents a striking\ncontrast to every oolony in the British Empire, and like the\nnative pines of its storm-beaten promontories, it has acquired\na slow but hardy growth.\" 41\n*'Negociations are now pending with the Government ofthe\nUnited States which may probably terminate in an extension\nof the Reciprocity Treaty to Vancouver's Island.\n\"So unbounded is the confidence which I place in the\nenterprise and intelligence possessed by the people of this\nColony, and in the advantages of their geographical position,\nthat with equal rights and a fair field, I think they may enter\ninto successful competition with the people of any other\ncountry.\nI The extension of the Reciprocity Treaty to this Island\nonce gained, the interests of the Colony will become inseparably connected with the principles of free trade, a system\nwhich, I think, it will be sound policy on our part to encourage.\nI The Colony has been again visited this year by a large\nparty of northern Indians, and their presence has excited in\nour minds a not unreasonable degree of alarm.\n\"I shall continue to conciliate the good will of the native\nLadian tribes, by treating them with justice and forbearance,\nand by rigidly protecting their civil and agrarian rights.\n\"We know from our own experience, that the friendship of\nthe natives is at all times useful, while it is no less certain\nthat their enmity may become more disastrous than any other\ncalamity, to which the Colony is liable.\"\nThe arrival of Indians here spoken of has only of late taken\nplace, formerly such advents were all but unknown: and as they\nwere foreigners and but little known to the colonists, they were\nnaturally looked upon with much distrust, many of [them\nwere however employed as labourers, and curiously enough\nthey displaced the natives of the place in that employment,\nthey being found far superior and more intelligent.\n'The early policy of the Governor is the one. not only\nmaintained, but is supposed to be the only one beneficial to\nthe colony. 42\nAt this period no taxes had been imposed save perhaps,\nlicense to public houses. The object of calling together a\nLegislature was to raise money by taxation. The House,\nhowever, finding that the H. B. Co., had to bear all the\nexpences of the colony, and that they would be reimbursed\nwhen the Government resumed possession, refused to vote\nany taxes whatever, and so instead of assisting the Governor\nthey only rendered his position more irksome. Their main\nforte seems to have been in finding fault\u2014but they never\napplied any remedy. They occasionally asked the Governor\nto send the Indians home again, which was complied with,\nbut at length great opposition arose to their being sent away\non account of the money they spent in the town.\nOwing to the want of money many necessary improvements had to be dispensed with, and as far as the Legislature\nwas concerned, the country received very little benefit excepting indirectly\u2014for they maintained the inviolability of free\ntrade, and the very avoidance of taxation and the non-\nresponsibility for debts incurred were very great advantages,\nwhich however they did not foresee. The Governor therefore\nhad to spend money upon his own responsibility: about this\nthe Governor ordered the lands at Esquimalt to be sold in five\nacre sections, the conditions being settlement and building-.\nThe object of this step being the inducement of settlement\nthere, in order that a town might arise, for at this time it was\nsupposed, that the chief city would be at Esquimalt, and in\nthis opinion Governor Blanchard it is said also believed ; in\nfact at one time it was proposed to place some Government\nbuildings there. We shall soon fall upon a more stirring\nperiod, so it may at once be said, that the Governor and one\nclerk, with some aid from the Hudson's Bay Company officers,\nperformed all the executive work of the Colony, and it is said\nhe often, worked until after midnight, his clerk likewise ; he\nlooked to all the details, attended to- almost every matter 43\nhimself. The roads that existed had been ordered by him,\nand he often went to look after the work, in fact he took great\ninterest in everything, and liked to see the Colony progress.\nEconomy was the order of the day. Of course he had enemies\nto the most of whom he had done nothing but kindness, and\nas they could not repay it, they became foes. He had friends\nalso, but as in everything else, the growling of the dissatisfied\nwas far more loud than the praise of his friends, but he made\nno public demonstration of either, they each were allowed to\ntake their own course, which rendered the ill feelings of the\nformer still more rancorous. Although accessible at all times,\nalways polite and urbane, he never allowed familiarity in public affairs, seldom decided anything upon the spot, but always\ntook time to consider. However, either owing to his virtues\nor his faults, he received a second commission in 1857.\nAbout the Autumn of 1857 a small parcel of gold dust, of\nthe value perhaps of five dollars, was received from British\nColumbia acquired from Thompson's River. Very little notice\nwas taken of the matter. In the spring of the following year\na cargo of coloured gentlemen made their appearance to seek\nan asylum on British soil, which it is said some of them went\nso far as to kiss. About the end of May, a large influx of\nminers from California suddenly took place, steamer after\nsteamer crowded with passengers, until probably not less than\nten thousand were landed upon the shore. Previous to this\nVictoria was a quiet village of perhaps 500 people, but now\neverything was turned topsy turvy; there was no accommodation for so great a number; people slept and got provisions\nhow, and the best way they could, and paid very large sums\nfor even that privilege. Victoria was covered with tents, and\nthe weather being very fine, rendered this no unpleasant mode\nof living, the place was like an ant-hill, excitement visible in\nthe face and action of every one. Why this enormous crowd\ncame, was and is perhaps  still a mystery; no one knew so \u25a0up\n44\nmuch of the gold as themselves, and as far as Vancouver's\nIsland was concerned, no one had made any reports thereon.\nThe miners, however, believed Fraser River to be full of gold;\nthey had to get there, but steamers and vessels assisted not,\nand at this time the entrance to the River was not as well\nknown as now; otherwise, the California steamers might have\ngone there. Every canoe and boat was rapidly bought off,\nand people went off to the Fraser. Wharf-street became like\na boat-builder's yard; everybody seemed to be building\nboats, many of these merely consisting of boards nailed\ntogether, and when finished exactly resembling coffins; and\nin these frail vessels many set out for the Fraser, without\nknowing its situation, and it is needless to add, many were\ndrowned or murdered on the voyage. At this time the\nFraser was rising, but some who had gone earlier had found\npretty good diggings on the bars, the gold being very light.\nIt was now generally supposed that as soon as the river fell,\nthere would be found abundance of gold; they likewise\nSupposed the River would fall about July or beginning of\nAugust : the River, however, would not fall until its proper\ntime. Crowds continued to abide in Victoria to await that,\nbut were fast becoming dissatisfied with its delay. The more\nthe miners were told the people knew little or nothing about\nthe gold, the more they were disbelieved, it being imagined\nthey wished to keep the thing quiet either for some ulterior\nobject or for the advantage of the Hudson Bay Company.\nWe find on July 14th, | some miners met the Governor in\nthe street, and asked him advice.\" He made a long speech :\nI You wish to ask my advice about going to Fraser River ;\nnow I tell you all plainly that I will not take the responsibility of giving you any advice upon the subject. Had you\nasked my opinion about Fraser River before you left\nCalifornia, I should have told you, one and all, not to\nleave your quiet homes, and to wait patiently until some- 45\nthing more definite was known. Now, suppose I were to\nadvise you to return immediately, without going further,\nwhat would the answer be ? Why, you would all refuse to\ndo so : you would all say, that course would never suit, after\nall the expense and trouble we have had in coming here ; we\nmust go to the end, we must see the Elephant. And perhaps\nyor might think that I had some object to gain in keeping\nyou from going to Fraser River.\n\" Now I know what you wish me to tell you. You wish\nme to say there are lots of gold on Fraser river, but that I\nwill not say, because I am not certain of the fact myself.\nBut this I will tell you as my own settled opinion,\u2014that\nI tfiink the country is full of gold, and that east as well\nas north and south of Fraser River there exist gold\nfields of incalculable extent and value.\n\" Remember I do not give that statement as an established\nfact, but simply as an opinion. Now what more can I say\nto you, but go and prospect, and in a few short weeks you\nwill be able to tell me what Fraser River is.\"\nThere then we have a plain statement of the whole case ;\nthe men acted exactly as the Governor had stated, they\nwent to the River, but by this time the dangers of navigation\nhad ceased, for the steamer Surprise had arrived and was\nrunning from Victoria to Fort Hope.\nWith this crowd of people, provisions began to be scarce,\nand ran up to an enormous price. Merchants wished to buy\ntip the Company's stock, but the Governor, who was still\nManager of the Company, prevented that and ordered the\nprovisions to be sold to the miners at a very moderate charge,\nand not more than a certain quantity to each individual. At\nthis time crowds beset from morn till night the Company's\nstore, and had to wait their turn to be served, a sight much\nresembling that seen at the Post Office when the mail arrives.\nThere is no doubt that this action of the Governor prevented 46\na great deal of suffering\u2014and the miners acknowledged the\nsame\u2014the profits of business were sacrificed for the good of\nthe country. The place swarmed with' people, houses rose in\nevery direction ; the Hudson Bay Company sold town lots\nat 100 dollars per lot, and so great was the demand that each\nperson was only allowed to buy four or five, and that in\nrotation to their ticket,\u2014the fact was the surveys could not\nkeep pace with the demand for lots. There again the\nGovernor did the place a good turn,\u2014he ordered those lots\nto be sold at that price to fix the city. Had he considered\nthe Company before the country, those lots would have been\nsold at auction, and doubtless would have realised a very\nmuch larger sum. It is to be regretted, that reserves for\npublic buildings had not been made; but in such a state of\nexcitement is it wonderful that that should have been forgotten. The Government reserves had been made at Esquimalt, where the town would have been had the Company's\nstore been there, and had the lots been surveyed and sold at\na low figure. The fact is, the first of the rush came to\nVictoria; here they could get all they wanted, but could not\nget anything at Esquimalt. The people crowded together,\nthey wanted supplies, and so the merchants followed to trade\nwith them. Thus the town rose, no design, no premeditation, but the result of circumstances. It is unnecessary to\nfollow out the scene. In a few months the tide changes, and\nthe rush back to California was as great as the tide hither.\nDuring this exciting period, many cities were projected\nupon the American territory : many of them received large\nnumbers of passengers, but in the end one and all failed.\nThe fact is, there being no duties upou goods, no internal\ntaxation of any description, very light charges upon ships,\nthe beauty and excellence of the location of Vancouver Island,\nso astonished and pleased the Americans, that they preferred\nsettling here to anywhere else; but it must not be forgotten MM\n47\nthat the Governor, by making this the port for British\nColumbia and other innocent devices, maintained the trade\nin Victoria. Among these devices may be mentioned the\nhead money levied upon and the licenses required by miners\ngoing into the country, the stationing of H.M.S. Satellite at\nthe mouth of the Fraser to enforce those dues, the mining\nlicenses were granted at Victoria; in fact, everything\nnaturally enough had to be done at Victoria.\nNotwithstanding this multitude of people thrown suddenly\non our shores, under circumstances the most exciting, and\nsuffering very many inconveniences, the greatest order prevailed\u2014peace was not kept, but they kept the peace. It is a\nmistake to suppose they were all Americans: many were\nEnglish, French, or German, still the majority were from the\nUnited States ; and never did a people pay a greater compliment to their country than did these in their behaviour in a\nforeign land. Recollect also, that according to the Californian\npapers, numbers of thieves and vagabonds had accompanied\nthem ; in fact, the Courts in San Francisco had nothing to\ndo. It is true that a few policemen were appointed, and Mr.\nPemberton was indefatigable, but the people were law\nabiding. Whenever the law was required it was enforced ;\nnone resisted. On one occasion, however, there seemed a\nprobability of a very serious riot. The celebrated (or\nnotorious) Ned Mc Gowan and his party got up a sort of\nrow: they marched through the streets, and it is said, intended to hoist the \" stars and stripes.\" It would seem as\nthough the quiet citizens of Victoria had heretofore been\ntimorous lest the Americans should take possession of the\ncountry\u2014filibustering being at that time not an uncommon\namusement among restless spirits. Whether Ned McGowan\nwished to have (to him) some fun or not is doubtful, but the\nGovernor took a determined stand.   He ordered the Plumper 48\nfrom Esquimalt; she came round in a very short time, and\nlay in the harbour with her guns loaded and her ports open.\nMarines and sailors were landed and kept in the Fort yard\nready for use, and everything was prepared to quell a great\nrow. Whether this determined action prevented it, or\nwhether there was really any serious intention of making one,\nis now of little consequence; the ebullition subsided without\nany decided interference,\u2014the only dispute remaining being\nwhether Mr. Pemberton or Col. Hawkins, R.E., should have\nhad command of the troops in case they had been required,\na question yet perhaps not settled. There is, however, a\nnotorious circumstance that cannot be omitted, but which\naffords a very striking contrast to the good feeling that existed\ngenerally with the American population. A person, called\nspecial agent of the United States, whose name is not worth\nmentioning alongside that of the Governor, but who, it would\nseem, had been appointed by the United States Government\nto report about Fraser River and probably the treatment of\ntheir citizens, thought fit, just when he was about leaving the\nColony, to publish a manifesto, containing not only groundless charges, but the most wanton insult against the Governor,\nHudson Bay Company, and officials of this Colony. They\nneed not be reiterated, but it deserves special mention that on\nthat occasion, at least nine-tenths of the American citizens\nresident here were indignant and considered their country\ninsulted by his conduct. He left, and was never heard of\nmore.\nWe must now return again to the advent of the miners :\nthey did not come to make Victoria, but to proceed up Fraser\nRiver. At this time the Hudson Bay Company had exclusive control over that country by virtue of their \" license\" to\ntrade ; no roads existed, save, perhaps, one by way of Fort\nHope to the interior, a very difficult and impracticable route.\nThe   Governor had no  authority there,  while there  were gBSSSgcSaSaKti\nM^tHGSirS\n49\nthousands determined to seek the supposed gold, no wonder\nthen, if the Governor should take a little time to consider as\nto the best steps to be taken ; he did not hesitate long, but\nacted, and soon showed himself master of the occasion. He\ntook authority as being Her Majesty's officer, and as Chief\nagent of the company consulted some of their people\u2014the\nminers should not be obstructed in their progress. At first\nhead money was charged, and shortly after this was changed\nto mining licenses, five dollars per head, which had to be\ntaken at Victoria. The free navigation of the river was not\nallowed, but \"sufferances\" were granted to certain American\nvessels to navigate those waters. The Satellite was stationed\nat the mouth of the river to see that the unlicensed did not go\nup, and also to be at hand in case of necessity. At this time\nWhatcome seemed to be the most likely of all American\ntowns to get on. The Governor's own words were to the\nfollowing effect; that his advices from the home government\nleft no doubt that the Hudson's Bay Company did possess the\nexclusive right of navigation and trade ; as representative of\nthe Crown, he had taken measures to preserve law and order\nand had made regulations enforcing the navigation laws of\nGreat Britain, had appointed custom-house officers and\nJustices of the Peace, had granted licenses to mine, and had\ncalled upon H.M.S. Satellite to assist in preventing any\nviolation of the navigation laws. That he had not abrogated\nand could- not diminish any of the rights or privileges of the\nHudson's Bay Company, but that as far as he had gone, he\nhad received the sanction of the officers of that body in this\nregion. As to the sufferances of vessels, they had been granted by him acting as H.M. Representative, and as Agent of\nthe Hudson's Bay Company. That the company had not\nthe means of supplying the numerous people, so he had given\npermission to American vessels to carry passengers and\nprovisions.     Necessity had compelled this action, and had m\nHSKS^Sl\n50\nalso forced him to act more or less illegally, but not unjustly.\nShould any further emergencies arise, permits would of course\nbe granted to other vessels for like purposes, and every possible\nmeans adopted for the prevention of suffering in the mining\nregion. He had been actuated by two motives : to do full\njustice to the Hudson Bay Company, and to promote by every\nlegitimate means, the welfare and prosperity of the country.\nThis was a very prudent course to take, for otherwise the\ncompany might have claimed compensation for the infringements of their rights. On the other hand even if it had been\nwished, no power could have prevented miners from going up\nthe river, but the real danger existed in the possibility of\nstarvation, for the country yielded nothing; but the Governor\nhad ordered very large supplies of provisions from California\nin the company's name. These few restrictions, imposed upon\nall alike, created considerable bad feeling, and the old cry of\nthat odious monopoly the Hudson Bay Company was freely\nused. Governor Stevens of Washington Territory even went\nso far as to represent to his government \" that the Hudson\nBay Company intended to set on foot a blockade and make\nother impediments to the access of American citizens to the\ngold mines of Fraser and Thompson rivers:\" he knew no\nbetter,misrepresentations from all quarters being very common.\nWhatcome still went on, but gasping for breath, she reported\nhaving made a road to the upper Fraser, and used all kinds of\ndevices to delude people into that idea, kept a mule or two\nfor the purpose, the same mules being kept constantly going\na short distance and returning, had a semblance of much business, she likewise carried on considerable trade in boats up\nthe river Fraser. The Governor was determined upon the\nimposition of ten per cent duty upon goods going up, such\nduties to be paid at Victoria, and permits taken out. This\nedict caused great consternation and indignation at Whatcome, and proved to be the feather that broke the camel's\n!9WI 51\nback. Whatcome caved in and was no more ; the Indians\ntook possession of the Buildings. The Governor saw his wish\nfulfilled, the trade had centered in British Territory, all rival\ntowns had disappeared. The great excitement cooled and\nmen now wondered why so much abuse had been heaped upon\nthe Executive.\nThe next step-was to open the country, the Douglas-Lilloet\ntrail was surveyed, and negotiations were entered upon for\nopening the same rapidly, in order that miners should reach\nthe upper Fraser quickly, for even by this time the miners\nsupposed the source of the gold to be in the interior. By all\nthese various means the miners did not suffer any great hard-\nships excepting a few who had penetrated into the interior\nHeaven knows how. We now find Her Majesty honouring\nhim by making him a Companion of the Bath, and afterwards\nGovernor of British Columbia, as the country was now called.\nIt was however stipulated that the Governor should cease to\nhave any connexion with the Hudson Bay Company, and he\ntherefore \" sold out.\" The company's license in British\nColumbia was now revoked, the whole being converted into a\ncolony under the name of British Columbia. About November 1858 the Governor had caused a town to be laid out at old\nLangley on the Fraser, which he named \" Derby.\" The lots\nwere sold, and there appeared every probability of its becom-\n-ing a large city, and the capital of British Columbia, had it\ngone on, it would have been the rival of Victoria ; but soon\nafter Col. Moody and his staff arrived, the former very quickly\nfound many reasons, chiefly of a military nature, why Derby\nwould not do, and he being chief commissioner of lands, had\nthe location changed to Westminster, which possessed very\nnumerous points of attraction to a soldier, but not to merchants. The city was laid out in process of time, purchasers\nof Langley lots being allowed to exchange, and a dispute\narose whether it should be called Queensboro or Queenboro. The name having been reported home, came out altered to\nNew Westminster ! The change of locality had a disastrous\neffect upon the weal of British Columbia, had it been left where\nGovernor Douglas placed it, it would have been of some importance now. Westminster lots were sold in June 1859,\neight months had been wasted during which Victoria progressed rapidly, and became pre-eminent. By this time she\nrequired suitable public buildings, for none of a public nature\nexisted, so those at James's Bay were designed and a bridge\nleading thereto erected. Although the legislature was not\ncalled upon to pay any money for this purpose, true to their\ninstincts they complained most loudly of the unconstitutional\nproceeding, passed a sort of no confidence resolution which\nthey afterwards rescinded. British Columbia had hitherto been\ngoverned from Vancouver's Island, but now that she had a\ncapital, the Custom House and most of her officers were removed thither; the system, however, that had sprung up was\nmaintained, and the Governor taking a one colony view of the\nwhole, still considered the two as merely parts of one, and iixe\nsystems of both were so intimately interwoven, that there was\nas far as practicable but one Government. A custom house\nofficer was placed in Victoria, so as to allow vessels going upon\nthe coast to clear there, instead of going to the Fraser for her\npapers. It may probably be regretted that the two colonies\nhad not been united in the first instance, without however\nallowing the legislature at first any control over British\nColumbia, the two would have grown in unison, and there\nwould not have been any disputes afterwards or rival capitals.\nSo far, the Governor had shown himself oapable of instituting\nand organizing governments.\nWe must now pass on to 1859, about July of that year a\n\u2022settler upon San Juan Island committed a theft; on the 27th,\nthe place is startled by the intelligence that United States\ntroops, had taken possession of the Island (presumed to be 53\nBritish territory.) The Governor immediately ordered H.M.S.\nSatellite thither and appointed Major de Courcy, Justice of\nthe Peace. The Satellite returned and announced the report\nto be correct. H.M.S. Tribune was ordered as it was supposed\nto drive off the soldiers and to take possession by force. By\nthe beginning of August the Plumper was there also, as well\nas the Engineers from British Columbia. The commander of\nthe United States troops, had issued an order. \" This being\nUnited States territory, no laws other than those of the United\nStates, or courts, except such as are held by virtue of the\nsaid laws, will be recognized on this Island.\" Intense excitement at this place reigned, and public patriotic meetings were\ncalled, and every moment hostilities were supposed to be\nabout to commence, and as there were but 66 soldiers on the\nisland, the result would not be doubtful, but no one wished\nthe two countries to rush into war, nevertheless every one was\nin a fearful state of suspense the more particularly as fresh accessions of troops were expected from Oregon, and one or two\nsmall U.S. vessels of war lying in San Juan harbour. About\nAugust 6th H.M.S. Ganges unexpectedly arrived with\nAdmiral Baynes on board, which altered the whole aspect of\naffairs, the war rumours diminished and it was reported that\nthe Admiral asserted that no war should take place, until the\nmatter had been referred home. The Americans had done a\nwrong, the British might do the same, but two wrongs could\nnot make one right. H.M.S. Pylades, was sent to San\nFrancisco, with Colonel Hawkins on board,bearing despatches\nto Her Majesty's Government, the weather being bad she had\nto return and the Colonel went in the mail steamer a few days\nafter. About November General Scott arrived in these waters\nhaving been sent by the United States Government to arrange the dispute. He did not land at Victoria. Up to this\ntime a belligerent attitude had been maintained, (a sort of\nreview, forthe officers of both sides mingled together) but now 54\nit was resolved that the island should be left in joint occupation, the British military occupying the \"northern end, and\nthe American the Southern, until the affair should be finally\narranged by the respective Governments. That arrangement\nhas never been completed and the troops remain there still.\nIt should be mentioned, that previous to this, the Boundary\nCommission appointed by both Governments to settle the disputed boundary between the American and British possessions,\nhad arrived and had been some time engaged in their work,\nbut the commissioners could not agree as to the channel\nthrough the Haro Islands. The English thought it would be\nVancouver's channel, and the Americans thought it ought to\nbe by the Canal de Haro ; each supported their ground by\nvery good reasons: neither side would give in and the\nquestion would have to be referred to their respective Gover-\nments. (The Satellite was attached to this commission.) The\ndisputed territory was supposed to be under the jurisdiction of\nthese parties, and therefore the more surprise at the seizure by\nthe Americans under the orders of General Harney. The\nUnited States Commission however had not done anything\neither to advise or encourage the step. It may further be\nmentioned that General Harney had been in Victoria a few\ndays before the seizure, had dined with the Governor, but had\nnot said a word to him upon the subject. Now here was a\nmatter requiring great judgement, discretion 'and dignity, a\nposition certainly difficult enough for any man to be placed\nin. How did the Governor support the honor of his sovereign\nHere is a message to the Legislature : \" I have to communicate for your information the intelligence of the landing of a\ndetachment of United States troops on the Island of San Juan\navowedly for the purpose of asserting the sovereignty of the\nUnited States to that Island.\nHaving received no information from any quarter that W*S\u00bb*\u00bb\u00abW\u00bb\"~T\n55\nthe government of the United States even contemplated\ntaking military possession of any part of the disputed territory,\nwhile the boundary line remained unsettled, I am forced to\nbelieve that the late unwarrantable and discourteous act, so\ncontrary to the usages of civilized nations has originated in\nerror, and been undertaken without the authority of that\ngovernment * * * Convinced that any officious or unjust\nassumption on either side of exclusive right to the disputed\nterritory, would simply be a mischievous waste of energy,\nneither detracting from nor adding force to the claims of\neither nation, wise and considerate policy enjoins upon us the\npart of leaving so important a national question for settlement\nby the proper authorities and of avoiding complications foreign\nto the views and wishes of both governments. * * * Entertaining such opinions I have not failed to impress on H.M.\nNaval officers now stationed at San Juan, the desire of H. M.\nGovernment to avoid every course which might unnecessarily\ninvolve the suspension of amicable relations existing between\nGreat Britain and the United States. At the same time those\nofficers have been instructed and are prepared to assert the\nrights, and to maintain the honor and dignity of our sovereign\nand her Dominions.\"\nCapt. Pickett had asserted that if an attempt were made to\nland troops, he would resist, of course knowing very well\nthat he could be easily beaten. It was supposed that the\nBritish soldiers had orders to land by force, but for some\nreason or other, they did not. Probably H.M. officers would\nnot undertake the responsibility of declaring war. They\nbelieved that Capt. Pickett would; oppose them. This Capt.\nPickett is now in the Confederate service.\nA week or two after a letter was received from General\nHarney who was stationed at Fort Vancouver, in answer to a\nprotest received from Governor Douglas. 56\n\" As the military commander of the department of Oregon,\nassigned to that command by the orders of the United States,\nI have'the honour to state for your information, that by\nsuch authority vested in me, I placed a military command\nupon the island of San Juan to protect the American citizens\nresiding on that Island from the insults and indignities\nwhich the British Authorities of Vancouver's Island, and the\nestabhshment of the Hudson's Bay Company have recently\noffered them, by sending a British ship of war from Vancouver's\nIsland, to convey the Chief Factor of the Hudson Bay Company to San Juan for the purpose of seizing an American\ncitizen and forcibly transporting him to Vancouver's Island,\nto be tried by British laws.\n\" I have reported this attempted outrage to my Government\nand they will doubtless seek the proper redress-from the\nBritish Government. In the meantime, I have the honor to\ninform your Excellency, I shall not permit a repetition of that\ninsult and shall retain the command on San Juan Island, to\nprotect its citizens in the name of the United States, until I\nreceive further orders from my Government,\n(Signed),\nW. S. Harney.\nThe Governor writes August 13th 1859 * *\n\" In reply to your Despatch, I must thank you for the\nfrank (sic!) and straightforward manner in which you\ncommunicate to me your reasons for occupying the island of\nSan Juan, with a portion of the United States forces under\nyour command.\n\" You state that the reasons which induced you to take\nthat\nBritish etc. etc.\ncourse   are the \" indignities and insults\" which the 57\n\" To the reported outrage on an American Citizen, I beg\nto give the most unhesitating and unqualified denial.\nNone of H.M. Ships have been sent to convey the Chief Factor\nor any officer of the Hudson's Bay Company to San Juan\nfor the purpose of seizing an American Citizen, nor has any\nattempt ever been made to seize any American citizen and to\ntransport him forcibly to Vancouver's Island for trial as\nrepresented by you.\n\" I deeply regret that you did not communicate with me for\ninformation upon the subject of the alleged grievance ; you\nwould then have learned how unfounded was the complaint,\nand the grave action you have taken might have been avoided.\nI-also deeply regret, that you did not mention the matter\nverbally to me when I had the pleasure of seeing you at\nVictoria last month, for a few words from me. would I am\nsure, have removed from your mind any erroneous impressions,\nand you' would have ascertained personally from me, how\nanxious I have ever been to co-operate to the utmost of my\npower with the officers of the U. S. Government in any\nmeasures which might be mutually beneficial to the citizens\nof the two countries.\" * * * \"It is needless to say more on this\nsubject, the Governor was not found wanting. The U.S.\nGovernment did their best to settle the affair amicably and the\nappointment of so great and estimable a man as Gen. Scott,\nshowed them to be in earnest in the matter. A few days after\nhis arrival, the whole question was arranged and from that\ntime no further trouble has ensued\u2014but the troops are there\nstill and apparently are likely to be for some time longer.\nNotwithstanding their belligerent attitude the Plumper\nwent on surveying for the light-house to be erected at Rocky\nPoint. The Governor had been indefatigable to obtain\nthe Lighthouses from H.M. Government, and had succeeded,\nand now they stand a monument to his exertions. 58\nLet us return to British Columbia. A Government was\norganized and, by the import duties imposed, a considerable\nrevenue collected. This revenue was, however, far too small,\nfor the country required so much to be done at once, that a far\nlarger outlay was immediately needed. He asked the Home\nGovernment for money but was refused. He asked to be allowed to negociate a loan which they should guarantee, this\nwas refused also. His invention was now taxed to the utmost,\nbut again he proved himself master of the position, he obtained\nroads without money, by the ingenious mode of giving those\nwho would make the roads certain tolls, large it is true, but\nnot more than sufficient to induce any one to undertake the\nrisk. Americans for the most part embarked in the enterprise.\nThe roads of British Columbia are the result. Is there any\ncountry in the world that can show such works in so short a\ntime with so small a revenue, so small a population ? They will\nremain a monument of his talent. Look at the cutting from\nYale ! would any but a man of iron will, and determination\nhave carried out such a work ? Added to this we find courts\nof law and magistrates all over the country; a code of mining\nregulations which have been annually improved until they\nhave become of the most liberal character, and at the same\ntime, a protection to the poor miner. At length liberty is\nobtained from the Home Government, a hundred thousand is\nborrowed, at six per cent; how great a proof is this of the\nconfidence reposed in his Government. Municipal institutions\nwere granted to New Westminster, before Victoria could boast\nof them; and liberal regulations for the admission of colonial\nlawyers which Victoria does not even now possess, and last of\nall, even for the establishment of representative institutions in\nBritish Columbia, as the crowning effort of his reign. He had\nit is true despotic power. Has it not always been used to\nadvance the country? Such a form of Government was\nwisely adopted in the first instance. Oh! fortunate for British oy\nColumbia that she had a despotic or if you please a paternal\nGovernment; for if she had been blessed with Representative\nInstitutions at first, she might have had a house equal to the\nfirst one of Vancouver's Island. Nothing would have been\ndone, and the country would have remained a wilderness.\nWhereas now .she is traversed by roads in every direction and\ntravelling has become as easy as it was before ajl but impossible. All this in five years. Truly if posterity should wish\nto know what kind of man Governor Douglas was, British\nColumbia will afford him a much higher standing than Vancouver's Island as far as works performed are concerned, for\nthere they may see the great talent which he individually\npossessed. The comparison is not favourable to representative\ninstitutions.\nWe must now return to Vancouver's Island. The first\nlegislature expired with the year 1859. There is little to be\nsaid in its praise, but they continued to the last true to their\nmotto, that they would neither grant taxes nor become responsible for any debts incurred. Although the conditions of\nthe country had changed, they had not the ability to change\nwith them. The second legislature met in 1860. The connection between the colony and the Hudson Bay Company\nhad been servered. The question now arose who should pay\nthe debts. The House resolved that as the previous house\nhad not incurrred any responsibility, the new house would\nhold to the same and leave the claims of the Hudson Bay\nCompany to be settled by the Home Government as per\nagreement between the contracting parties; this decision, probably wise, had a peculiar effect, it threw great responsibility\nupon the Governor, and was the only cause of many of the\nattacks made upon him. During that session however, many\nvery liberal measures relating to foreigners were enacted. The\nGovernment of Vancouver's Island had now to be organised,\nand this was done.    No doubt the Governor was unfortunate 60\nin some of his appointments: had the island been under a despotic Government would the same have happened? The\nGovernor had left the Hudson Bay Company's Service,\nhitherto he had been almost the head of both colony and company, and had used the latter for a furtherance of the best\ninterests of the colony; but another king now arose, from\nvarious causes the Governor and the company became estranged & many things that would otherwise have been settled\namicably, with justice both to the Government and company\nnow became sources of dispute and annoyance. The Governor\nhad done many other things which his successor knew not,\nand the latter in due course did many things without the\nknowledge of the former: both doubtless were honourable\nmen but complications ensued. For all this, the Governor was\nbelieved by some to be most favourable to the Hudson Bay\nCompany, and they made the most of their supposition, and\naccused bim in the public prints of what would really amount\nto crimes. He had nevertheless a very great number of\nfriends, many of whom had large and comprehensive\nminds, and being honest themselves, firmly believed the\nGovernor to be so also. He withstood the accusations of his\nfoes and the praises of his friends alike. Silently he endured\nfor years the vilest misrepresentations, and stood even accused\nof almost criminal connivance with the Company, in that he\ncould not lay the despatches relating to the subject, before\nthe legislature without the consent of the Crown. The assent\nwas obtained, the Blue Book published. The sequel is of\nso recent date as to need no mention. Who now so popular\nas Governor Douglas! his very enemies bow before him, and\nmany have manfully confessed their error if not their contrition. There are still a few minds as narrow as their hearts\nare cold, more whose prosperity is owing to his kindness that\nare too mean to acknowledge their error, rather indeed have\nbecome more rancorous the more their benefactor rises in public 61\nestimation. The Governor has been accused of using British\nColumbia for the furtherance of Victoria, but the charge is\ngroundless. He being the Governor of the two Colonies took\na one Colony view of the whole, both Colonies have prospered.\nBritish interests have been protected, and the trade of the\ncountry has gone through the British settlements. Is anything more required ? Governor Douglas no doubt has his\nfaults, and has probably committed errors, he is only a man,\nbut such a man ! although there may be, and there are some\nhis superiors, how many, however, are below his standard. He\nis not to be praised, such would be too contemptible, let\nhistory speak his virtues and his faults.\nThe Governor's commission for Vancouver's Island terminated in September last, and that for British Columbia would\nhave expired in September next, but long since he asked permission to retire. That H. M. Government hold a very high\nestimate, may be presumed from the high honour so recently\nconferred upon him.\nHere then we have a man, who has risen from the position\nof clerk in the Hudson Bay Company's service, to the position\nhe now occupies, by reason of his own integrity and talent,\nthe founder of two Colonies, the builder of two governments,\nthe institutor of two legislatures. A man who has risen as occasion demanded, has supported the honour and dignity of his\nSovereign, and maintained peace with the native tribes occupying a territory of hundreds of miles. A man who guided the\ntiny feet of infant Colonies, and as they grew older instructed\nthem in their duty, slow in progress at first, the older they became the faster they went until now they are in a position to\nadvance with geometrical progression. The city of Victoria\nis a witness of his exertions, the gold, copper, and coal mines\nare the result of the liberahty of his rule. The future can\nonly tell how great will be their benefit. He resigns the\nguidance too too soon for the Colony for which he has done 62\nso much. Honoured by the Queen, valued by her Government, beloved by the people, be they British or foreign, known\nand respected from Bkering straits to Cape Horn, looked upon\nand admired as one of natures noblemen, he rallies around him\nfriends innumerable.    This is not retirement, but elysium.\nFrom \" Victoria Daily Chronicle\" of'23rd ofApril, 1864.\nLETTER FROM YALE-LYTTON ROUTE,\nIn Camp, March, 1864.\nMy Dear Chronicle.\u2014The larger portion of your\nreaders are familiar' with the scenery along the Fraser, yet,\nbut few of them, perhaps, have ever enjoyed the pleasure of a\nmoonlight ride over the road winding along the base of the\nCascades. Your correspondent left Lytton ' in the evening,\nand by the time he had ascended the highest point reached by\nroad on \" Jackass\" mountain, the moon shone forth in all her\nglory. The high peaks on the opposite side of the Fraser\nwere covered with deep banks of snow. Upon their soft and\npillowy whiteness the light of the moon shone with splendid\neffect, while far beneath lay the rapid Fraser, seeming, down\nthrough the hazy light, still and motionless, shining like a\nthread of molten silver. The stillness of the night, and the\nwild grand scenery, ifiuminated with the soft and tranquil\nbrilliancy of the \" bonny moon,\" alone can awaken thoughts\nand feelings seldom experienced or indulged in, in a care\ncreating country. The cloud-capping pinnacles of the Alps,\nthe giddy path of the chamois hunter, and the defiant yet\nmelancholy form of Manfred loomed up before the imagination so vividly, that we almost seemed to hear his voice\nringing into the breeze, when expressing thoughts and\nfeelings he would not deign to unfold to mortals. 63\n\" And you, ye crags, upon whose extreme edge\nI stand, and on the torrents brink beneath\nBehold the tall pines' dwindled as to shrubs,\nIn dizziness of distance, when a leap,\nA stir, a motion, even a breath, would bring\nMy breast upon its rocky bosom's bed\nTo rest for ever.\"\nIt is too frequently a fault of many small minds to feed\nupon the grand thoughts and sublime description given to the\nworld by their masters; your correspondent belongs to that\nclass, and is but too apt, when indulging in sentimental\nadmiration for fictitious personage, to loose sight of the real;\nbut, after all, fancy is but the \" bead \" which rises to the\nsurface when the volume is agitated; for in the depths of\nfeeling exist the things tangible, tilings practical and things\nimportant. As we rode leisurely and safely over the broad\nand solid road, the visionary magnificence of Manfred fled\nour thoughts as the portly and noble form of\nSIR  JAMES  DOUGLAS\nloomed up in comparison. The practical greatness and\nsolidity of the man, whose far-seeing wisdom and indomitable will had unlocked the primitive gates of a wilderness,\nand thrown open to industry and civilization a wide and\nextensive domain, pregnant with gold and silver, and only\nwanting the care of the husbandman to be made to bloom\n-*with fruits for both man and beast, caused the splendid\nshadow wrought by unhappy Byron, to sink into insignificance. We naturally remembered the \" old Indian path \"\nor \" mule-trail\" over which was done all the land-carrying\nof freight between Yale and Lytton. We thought of its\nnarrow, rough, tiresome and dangerous windings, and tried\nto compare the past with the present.    But! though recently\n1 64\nso familiar, the complete wretchedness of the old trail could\nno longer be realized. We could sit securely on our ponies\nand suffer our thoughts to keep time with the clattering of\ntheir hoofs, without experiencing the terrible apprehension\nthat one false-step, and we, horse and rider, would be hurled\nthousands of feet down the merciless Fraser. The building\nof a wagon road from Yale to Lytton was thought an insane\nundertaking by a few, an impracticable work by many, and\nan unprofitable project by the majority. There was a\nmighty influence opposed to the enterprise ; but the interests\nof these Colonies were intrusted to a man, wise and good,\nwho has sown that which future millions might reap\nabundantly. On history alone can the character and worth\nof Sir James Douglas depend for due appreciation, and a just\nmeed of praise. In the general summing up of his character\nand deeds, but one great fault will ever tinge upon his name,\ni. e.\u201e he was too good, too honest, and too wise for the inferior\nfew who lived to mar, but who were not able to thwart his\ncourse and -ends. His works compose a solid pathway and\nguide to his successors which will exist as a monument of\nrespect and renown to his memory, long after the vain,\nenvious, and selfish dwarfs of Victoria and Westminster have\n. turned to dust and are forgotten. Sir James Douglas, like\nCoriolanus, knew himself, and was far too proud to humble\nhimself to \" curs that can judge as fitly of his worth as I can\nof those mysteries which Heaven will not have Earth to know.\"\nFrom \" Daily Chronicle,\" of Saturday, May 14th, 1864.\nPBESENTATION\nThe beautiful casket of colonial woods, inlaid with gold,\nwhich was prepared some time ago for Sir James Douglas,\nwas presented to him at his residence yesterday by a deputa- 65\ntion from the subscribers, Messrs. C. B. Young, J. J.\nSouthgate, G. Cruickshank, J. G. Shepherd, and ,C. J.\nHughes.\nMr. Young, in handing this little souveniorto the   late\nGovernor, said r\n\" Sir James Douglas, We have great pleasure in being\ndeputed to present this casket to you as a becoming receptaole\nfor an address for which you have expressed great satisfaction,\nand which we trust is a faithful record, alike honourable to\nyourself and those who subscribe their names to it. We could\nconceive no material more acceptable to you than various\nwoods, the growth of the Colony, of which you may be considered the founder, and over whose destinies you have presided for many years. It is adorned with the precious metal\nfrom the treasures of Cariboo, which had laid dormant in the\nwomb of time for innumerable years, but which your Excellency has rendered accessible to the sturdy miners by judicious\ngovernment, and opening up roads to the mines. For these\nreasons we hope, when removed from us, if you should cast your\neyes to this object it will prove a source of agreeable recollections to you; and if you should, ever be asked from whom it\ncame, you will feel proud in saying that it was presented to\nyou by the inhabitants of Victoria. May you enjoy long life\nand health to possess it; and when it shall descend to your\nchildren, and children's children, we hope they will not regard\nit as the least honourable portion of their inheritance.\"\nSir James returned his sincere thanks, and desired them to\nbe presented to his friends and fellow-citizens for the handsome\noffering ; and said, that although he admired the good, taste\nand skill displayed in the workmanship, and recognized the\nintrinsic value of it, it had a far greater value in his estimation from the kind feeling in whioh it was presented, and he\nrejoiced to think that it would serve to remind him that those 66\nwho presented it, believed he had endeavoured to use his best\nexertions for the benefit of the Colony ; that it would be carefully preserved to be handed down to his children, who, he\nfelt convinced, would prize it as he did.\nFROM   GOVERNMENT  GAZETTE   OF   BRITISH   COLUMBIA.\nTHE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.\nOPENING    OF    THE    FIRST     LEGISLATIVE     COUNCIL\nAt New Westminster, on the 21st January, 1864.\nGentlemen of the Legislative Council.\u2014I have great\npleasure in meeting the Legislative Council of British Columbia, assembled this day for the first time, by authority of Her\nMajesty's Order in Council, dated at the Court at Windsor on\nthe 11th day of June, 1863; and I offer you and the people\nof the Colony at large, my sincere congratulations on this\nevent, the'Jirst step towards a perfect form of representative\nGovernment, and the establishment of those popular institutions, which we all revere as our birthright and inheritance;\nand which Her Majesty's Government saw fit to withhold in\nthe infancy of the Colony, only, from a sincere regard for its\nhappiness and prosperity.\nIn reviewing the condition of the Colony, it is with an irrepressible feeling of thankfulness that I allude to the success\nwhich has attended our efforts in improving the publio roads,\nand removing those difficulties of access which have hitherto\nfettered enterprise, and retarded progress; and that feeling is\nenhanced as I look forward with well grounded hopes to a\nperiod of accelerated prosperity, which  will  both aid and ST\n67\nstimulate our exertions for the development of the great\nmaterial interests of the Colony.\nWhile all recognise the benefits resulting to the public from\nfacilities of intercommunication, and their obvious effect in\ncheapening food, in reducing the cost of transport, in developing the Gold Fields, in attracting population, and giving to\nthe waste lands of the Colony a value which they do not now\npossess, I think it superfluous to urge by any further considerations the vigorous prosecution of public works of such\nacknowledged merit and utility; but I wish on this occasion\nto place on record my deliberate opinion of the vital importance of such works to the Colony. I wish to impress upon\nyour attention that no measure can be more fraitful of\nprosperous results, than that of improving the thoroughfares\nuntil the Railway and Locomotive supercede the existing\ncumbrous modes of conveyance on all the main lines of road\nfrom the Coast to Alexandria, whence there is a practicable\nwater communication, through the valley of Fraser River,\nto the Rocky Mountains; a route which moreover presents so\nmany facilities of ground and general position, that there is\nevery probability of its becoming the main line of overland\ncommunication with Canada.\nThe state of the Colony in other respects exhibits favourable\nindications of prosperity, as may be inferred from the progress\nof settlement, and the increase of the public revenue for the\npast year.\nI have thought it incumbent on my government to pursue,\nas a fixed policy, a course that would tend to the increase of\npopulation and encourage the settlement of the waste lands of\nthe Crown, which are now unproductive alike to the Sovereign\nand to the people.\nWith that view the public lands have been thrown open to\nactual settlers, on the most liberal terms of occupation and\ntenure, and I have endeavoured with even greater liberality to 68\nencourage Mining and every other species of enterprise, tending to develop the resources of the Country. The result of\nthese measures has not been in all respects equal to my\nwishes. The influx of Capital and population has not been\ncommensurate with the resources of the Colony, and the advantages offered; leaving the impression that these advantages are not fully appreciated abroad. Though we have been\nthus disappointed of the aid expected from foreign Capital\nour regret for this disappointment has been mitigated by the\nvigorous achievements of domestio enterprise, in developing\nthe Gold Fields, and by the number of private associations\nnow being formed for the purpose of carrying on Mining\noperations, upon a scale of magnitude heretofore unknown\nin this Colony.\nI propose, during the present year, to introduce such necessary changes in the Mining Laws as may be called for by\nthe growing wants of the Country; and I propose, at once, to\nbring forward an act to render shares in Mines convertible\nlike other property by Sale or Mortgage.\nI am glad to inform you, Gentlemen, that the Country continues to enjoy urrinterrupted peace and tranquility.\nThe Native Indian Tribes are quiet and well disposed;\nthe plan of forming Reserves of Land, embraoing the Village\nSites, cultivated fields, and favourite places of resort of the\nseveral tribes, and thus securing them against the encroachment of Settlers, and for ever removing the fertile cause\n)f agrarian disturbance, has been productive of the happiest\neffects on the minds of the Natives. The areas thus partially\ndefined and set apart, in no case exceed the proportion of ten\nacres for each family concerned, and are to be held as the\njoint and common property of the several tribes, being intended\nfor their exclusive use and benefit, and especially as a provision for the aged, the helpless, and the infirm.\nThe Indians themselves have no power to sell or alienate\nthese lands, as the Title will continue in the Crown, and be 69\nhereafter conveyed to Trustees, and by that means secured to\nthe  several tribes as a perpetual possession.\nThat measure is not however intended to interfere with\nthe private rights of individuals of the Native Tribes or to\nincapacitate them, as such, from holding land; on the contrary,\nthey have precisely the same rights of acquiring and possessing\nland in their individual capacity, either by purchase or by occupation under the Pre-emption Law, as other classes of Her\nMajesty's Subjects; provided they in all respects comply with\nthe legal conditions of tenure by which land is held in this\nColony.\nI have been influenced in taking these steps by the desire\nof averting evils pregnant with danger to the peace and safety\nof the Colony, and of confirming by those acts of justice and\nhumanity, the fidelity and attachment of the Native Tribes to\nHer Majesty's rule.\nI have endeavoured, so far as the circumstances of the\nColony would permit, to give effect to Her Majesty's instructions enjoining that due attention be paid to the encouragement\nof religion and morality; but in a Colony to which persons of\nevery religious persuasion are invited to resort, it is impossible\nwithout injustice to some, to establish a dominant or endowed\nChurch. It is nevertheless the great duty of States to provide\nfor the service of Almighty God, and to cause the means of\nreligious instruction to be brought within the reach of every\nmember of the community. I would therefore recommend the\ngranting of pecuniary assistance, proportioned to, and in aid\nof private contributions, having that object in view; or else the\ngrant of an equivalent in, land, if that be considered more\nconducive to the proposed end.\nI have also to recommend that provision be made for the\nformation and maintenance of Schools in all parts of the colony\nrequiring such aid.\nI shall  soon lay before you a  communication from Her\nfmms^' 70\nMajesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, containing proposals on the part of the Atlantic and Pacific\nTransit and Telegraph Companies, for establishing Telegraphic\nand Postal communication between British Columbia and the\nhead of Lake Superior, and also of the answer returned by Her\nMajesty's Government to these proposals. By this contemplated arrangement it is proposed that Canada, Vancouver's\nIsland, and British Columbia should guarantee to the Company a profit on Capital expended, at the rate of not less\nless than Four per cent, per annum, it being however provided\nthat the total annual payment to be made by Vancouver's\nIsland and British Columbia, jointly, shall in no case exceed\nthe sum of \u00a312,500, to be borne, if necessary, by the\nrespective Colonies, as may be agreed upon.\nI have to recommend this project to your favourable attention as the conditions are not unreasonable, considering the\nmagnitude of the undertaking and the advantages which\nthis Colony will reap from the faithful execution of the\nenterprise.\nThe Estimates for the year 1864 will be laid before you in a\nfew days. They have been prepared with the utmost regard\nto economy, consistent with the efficiency of the Public\nService.\nIt appears by the accompanying statement from the\nTreasurer, that the Expenditure of the Colony for the year\n1863, as far as it can, at present, be ascertained, amounts in\nround numbers, to the sum of \u00a3192,860, as shewn in the\nfollowing abstract, viz:\nDebtor balance from 1862     \u00a39,302\nRedemption of Road Bonds created in 1862      12,650\nRepayment of Advances to Imperial Government....      7 000\n'Civil Establishment.\nIncluding Salaries, Allowances, Office Contingencies..    31,615\nAdministration of Justice\u2014Police and Gaols       5,761\nTransport and other expenses, \"Works and Buildings..    15,288 71\nPublic Roads  83,937\nInterest on Loans and Sinking Pund  13,725\nColonial Pay and maintenance of Detachment of Royal\nEngineers ,.,, 7,057\nConveyance of Mails  2,223\nMiscellaneous  4,302\nMaking a Total of \u00a3192,860\nThe public Revenue for tbe same period has\nproduced, in round numbers, the sum of.  \u00a3110,000\nBonds created and Loans contracted in aid of\nRevenue      65,805\n \u00a3175,805\nThe excess of Expenditure over income, is thus shewn\nto be about  \u00a317,055\nIn addition to that balance, there is an amount of \u00a310,700 due\nto the Imperial Government in repayment of expenditure made on account of the Barracks and other Military\nBuildings, erected for the use of the Detachment of Royal Engineers at New Westminster, forming altogether with the above\nbalance, a charge of \u00a327,755 to be brought against the Revenue\nof 1864.\nIn considering the ways and means of defraying the Public Expenditure for 1864, we have thus a debtor balance remaining from\n1863 of \u00a327,755\nRoads Bonds falling due in 1864 \u00a34,250\nInterest on Loans    8,000\nSinking Fund    6,500\n .\u00a318,750\nExpenditure on Civil Establishment,\nViz : Salaries, Allowances, and contingencies 33,915\nOther ordinary Expences, viz :\nRevenue Services  \u00a3425\nAdministration of Justice  1,900\nPolice and Gaols  3,650\nCharitable Allowances  40\u00b0 72\nEducation  *\u2122\u00b0\nRent  15\u00b0\nTransport  3\u00bb265\nConveyance of Mails \u2022 \u25a0 \u2022 \u2022 4,000\nWorks and Buildings  3,900\nRoads, Streets, and Bridges (repairs)  5,000\nMiscellaneous Services.  3,500\nLight Houses ,         800\n \u00a327,490\nWhich gives a total of ordinary, necessary, and  probable\nexpenditure for the year 1864, of. \u00a3107,910\nThe Revenue from all sources for 1864 is estimated at. .\u00a3120,000\nDeducting the amount as above, say  107, *\u00bb 10\nThere will remain a surplus of \u00a312,090\nPor the general services of the year.\nI have made no allowance in this statement for the maintenance of a Cold Escort, nor for any Public Works beyond the\nnecessary outlay in keeping the existing Roads and Public\nBuildings in repair.\nThe balance of \u00a312,090 above shown, which\" alone remains\nat our disposal, is not sufficient to meet the extra ordinary expenses, for objects of public utility, which will be shewn in the\ngeneral Estimates, and it therefore rests with us to determine\nwhether those works are to be undertaken during the present\nyear, and if so, how their cost is to be defrayed.\nIn the settlement of these and other measures, which from\ntime to time, will be laid before you, I look forward, with\nconfidence and satisfaction, to the aid of your counsel and\nadvice, and I trust that our decisions may all tend to the advancement of the public good and of the true and substantial\ninterests of this Colony. 73\nREPLY   OF  THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL\nOF   THE\nGOVERNOR'S SPEECH.\nNew   Westminster,\n25th January, 1864.\nTo His Excellency,\nGovernor Sir James Douglas, K.C.B., &c, &c, &c.\nThe   humble  Address  of the  Legislative   Council of British\nColumbia.\nSir,\nWe, the Legislative Council of British Columbia,\nhave had placed before us for our consideration, a copy of the\nSpeech which Your Excellency did us the honor to address to\nus, at the opening of the Council, on the 21st Instant. In\nreply we are happy to be able to take this early opportunity\nto join with Your Excellency in expressing our satisfaction at\nfinding that a first step has been taken by Her Majesty's Government, towards admitting a portion of the people to a share\nin the management of the Public affairs of the Colony. We\ndesire also to express our sense of the responsibility devolving\non us, and our earnest resolve to act in concert with Your\nExcellency, to the best of our ability, in framing future Laws\nfor the country, with the great object in view of advancing\nthe interests of all classes of the community.\n2. We think that your Excellency is justly entitled to speak\nin terms of pride and satisfaction, of the efforts that have been\nmade in so small a population for es+abHshing the thoroughfares necessary for our traffic; a much greater expense we\nknow must follow for the maintenance and extension of our\nroads   and   other works, bu\u00a3 we. trust will be   regarded 74\nby the people at large, as by ourselves, in its true light of an\ninvestment for the public good, rather than as a burden to be\nimposed on the industry of the Colony.\n3. We shall wait with anxiety to be made acquainted with\nYour Excellency's views for the proposed modifications in the\nMining laws.\n4. The Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the\ncoming year, it is almost needless to say, will be most carefully considered, as well as the proposal for the great project\nof communication between this country and Canada.\n5. In the opinion of the inexpediency of making grants of\npublic money for the endowment of a Church, we think it\nright to record our entire concurrence. We think\nit right also to state that every plan that is practicable for the\nencouragement of Education will be received with pleasure.\n6. We feel scarcely competent, at the commencement of\nour duties, to enter minutely into the great questions affecting\nthe well-being of the Colony, but we trust that whatever\nmeasures may be devised for the increase of trade, for promoting immigration, for the satisfactory settlement of occupiers\nof lands, and for affording protection to the Native Tribes and\nsecuring good order among them, will be found to be\nsuccessful.\n7. In deliberating on these and other matters to be developed hereafter, we shall trust humbly to the sincerity of\npurpose with which we undertake the duties of our office, and\nto the guidance we shall receive from the wisdom and experience matured by Your Excellency in conducting hitherto\nthe Government of the Colony.\nHenry P. Pellew Crease,\nPresiding Member. 1  0\nI\n*5S\u00ab    ","@language":"en"}],"Genre":[{"@value":"Books","@language":"en"}],"Identifier":[{"@value":"F5821_9_D6_A6","@language":"en"}],"IsShownAt":[{"@value":"10.14288\/1.0056499","@language":"en"}],"Language":[{"@value":"English","@language":"en"}],"Provider":[{"@value":"Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library","@language":"en"}],"Publisher":[{"@value":"Victoria : Victoria printing office","@language":"en"}],"RBSCLocation":[{"@value":"Rare Books and Special Collections","@language":"en"}],"Rights":[{"@value":"These images are provided for research and reference use only. Written permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these images must be obtained from Rare Books & Special Collections http:\/\/www.library.ubc.ca\/spcoll\/","@language":"en"}],"SortDate":[{"@value":"1864-12-31 AD","@language":"en"},{"@value":"1864-12-31 AD","@language":"en"}],"Source":[{"@value":"University of British Columbia. Library. Rare Books and Special Collections. F5821.9.D6 A6","@language":"en"}],"Title":[{"@value":"Addresses and memorials, together with articles, reports, &c., &c","@language":"en"}],"Type":[{"@value":"Text","@language":"en"}],"Translation":[{"@value":"","@language":"en"}],"@id":"doi:10.14288\/1.0056499"}