Peel to Rogers (Permanent Under-Secretary)

The Lords Commissoners of Her Majesty's Treasury have
had before Them Mr Elliot's letter of the 31st Ultimo
enclosing an Ordinance passed by the Legislative Council of
British Columbia—No 3 of 1864—to apply the sum of £135,639.16.7 out of
the General Revenue of the Colony for the service of the year 1864.

I am to request that you will state to Mr Secretary
Cardwell, with reference to the observations in that letter,
that My Lords would be unwilling to interfere with the Legislation
of the Council of that Colony further than by exercising a general
supervision over proceedings of a financial character for which
Her Majesty's Government may be considered to some extent
responsible until a strictly Representative Assembly is constituted.

Until that form of Institution is created My Lords are of
opinion that the Regulations which have been laid down for the
guidance of the Officers charged with the administration of the
financial affairs of Crown Colonies should be adhered to.

*

At the present occasion the Governor, in forwarding the
Ordinance, appropriating £135,639.16.7 to the service of the
year 1864, has omitted to accompany it with the Estimates of
Revenue—Form A of Instructions of 1848—or the Estimates of
Expenditure—Form B—or with any information in regard to any
increase or decrease of charge in comparison with the Estimates
of the previous year.

My Lords are not prepared, without means of reference to
the usual Returns, to state objections to, or approval of,
the mode in which the Revenue of 1864 has been appropriated
according to the Schedule annexed to the Ordinance, and They
would wish to receive the Estimates in the usual Form and
a Report from the Governor on the subject—together with
such information as may have been laid before the Council
at the time of passing the Ordinance.