Seymour to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)

I have had the honor to receive your letter of today
requiring my opinion upon the petition of Messrs Clark
& Skinner for compensation for the non fu[l]filment on the
part of the Government of the contract to receive from them
supplies for the troops in British Columbia for one year; the troops
having been withdrawn from the Colony at the end of eight months.

I am of opinion that the claim of Messrs Clark and
Skinner is well founded. Not as regards compensation for
the embargo laid by the United States Government upon the
importation of cattle, but simply because the agreement
between them and Her Majesty's Government was to have lasted
twelve months, and that it was abruptly broken off, by no
fault of theirs, at the end of eight.

The mode of ascertaining the amount of compensation to
which Messrs Clark and
Skinner are entitled, suggested by
General Moody seems fair.

I think that as the withdrawal of the troops was an Act of the
Imperial Government, the Colonial Treasury should not be called
upon to make provision for any contingencies arising out of it.

I have the honor to return the papers which were forwarded to me.