No. 182

I have had the honor of receiving your Despatch No 48 of
the 11th April last, having reference to the disturbances which
occurred in January last at Fort Yale, and forwarding for my
information the copy of a letter from Lord Naas, with an enclosure
from the Chief Inspector of the Constabulary in Ireland relative
to the request made for a body of the Irish Constabulary to be sent
to British Columbia, & representing the necessity for further
information upon various points of detail mentioned.

2. I have given immediate attention to that matter, and have
the honor to forward herewith a statement which will supply the
information required.

3. With reference to your remarks respecting the inability
of Her Majesty's Government to undertake the expense partially
or otherwise which the proposed Police Force would entail, I have
only to observe that, in such case, it will be advisable not to send
out the Force, as it is impossible to raise money in the Colony at
present to meet the expenditure that would thereby be incurred; and
moreover the Military force now in British Columbia, and the gradual
accession of a British population render the step every day less
a measure of necessary safety.

4. The population of British Columbia would, as you correctly
surmise, zealously come forward, if required, for their own
protection; but it has always appeared to me a most dangerous policy
to put the sword into the hands of Aliens who have no love for
British institutions, and who might turn it against the Government
whenever it suited their purpose. The geographical position of
British Columbia must be remembered, & it also must not be forgotten
that until lately British Subjects formed but a small portion of the
multitudes that poured into the Country, and although I firmly
believe that among the thousands of persons who have since departed
from the Colony scarcely one British Subject could be found, still
even in the population that remain the proportion of British
Subjects is far from being in the ascendant. The difficulties
attendant upon the employment of a volunteer force upon occasions
of emergency are consequently great; but apart from other considerations
there is one very grave objection which particularly presents itself.
In a gold producing country men cannot and will not render their
services to the Government gratuitously, and the amount of recompense
they expect is exorbitant. Upon the occasion of the disturbances at
Fort Yale certain volunteers were employed by Colonel Moody. These
men cheerfully and most zealously afforded their Services, so much so
indeed as to call forth a warm letter of commendation from Colonel
Moody, but they demanded Five Dollars a day for their Services, and
as compensation for their loss of time, and, under the circumstances,
I was compelled to meet the demand. I am strongly inclined to believe
that as a measure of wise policy, and of sound economy, it is beyond
doubt advisable to employ none but British Subjects in protecting
British Territory.

5. I have read with due attention your remarks respecting the
provision to be made for the repayment by the Colony of the Advances
made from the Mother Country for the equipment and conveyance to
British Columbia of Colonel Moody's Party of Royal Engineers. The
Colony is most anxious to acquit herself of every obligation conferred
upon her, and she is quite capable of meeting all her civil
expenditures in a befitting and proper manner, but the cost of the
maintenance of the Military Force, with the heavy charge for Colonial
Pay, is at present more than her Finances can bear. The development
of the Country has been stayed for want of Funds, and the amount of
Revenue has in consequence fallen far short of my expectations. I
cannot refrain from remarking, however, that the expense of sending
the Royal Engineers to British Columbia, is a charge that can scarcely
with perfect justness be assigned to the Colony, seeing that after
all the object in view was one purely of an Imperial character.
But be that as it may, Her Majesty's Government must be lenient and
kind, and must until the Colony is in a condition to discharge her
liabilities, look for repayment in the acquisition of a magnificent
domain, which will give an expansion to British Trade and influence
in this part of the world that now can scarcely be sufficiently
appreciated, and which was unattainable by other means.