Confidential

I have had under my consideration Governor Kennedy's
Confidential Despatch dated the 5th July, respecting the conduct of the
United States Consul at Victoria in having fired, off the mouth of the
Harbour, from a chartered scow, two Salutes of 36 Guns each, on the 4th
of last July.

I see no objection to the celebration of the anniversary of
American Independence by any means in themselves lawful and
harmless. The Governor of a British Colony may properly give any
countenance or facility to such celebrations, as he would be
justified in giving to the celebration of the Birth day of any
Foreign Sovereign by the subjects of that Sovereign. But if it were
to appear that the means adopted for the celebration of such an
anniversary were not lawful, it would become your duty after due
notice, to enforce the law for their prevention. If they were not
contrary to Law, but were so calculated to cause danger or
inconvenience as to justify legislative prohibition, you should
endeavour to procure the passing of a law prohibiting the
inconvenient or dangerous practices not of course with reference to
one particular nation but generally as a matter of municipal
regulation. If the mode of celebration, though objectionable and
inconvenient, were yet not positively illegal nor yet so
inconvenient as to justify legislative interference, it would be your
duty to use your influence with the United State Consul in order to
discountenance such practices, and in case your remonstrances
were unheeded to report what had passed to the Secretary of
State.

But if the mode of celebration, whether by firing guns or
otherwise, is not inconvenient, dangerous or illegal, but is only
viewed with dislike by certain British Subjects, I am of opinion that
you would act most prudently in refusing to interfere with the form of
public rejoicing adopted by subjects of the United States in celebrating
their national holiday, and by availing yourself of any opportunity
which may occure to you to discountenance any feeling hostile to that
demonstration on the part of the English Colonists.

I need scarcely point out to you the wisdom of overlooking
trifling and really immaterial causes of national irritation, so long
as no real interests are at stake and no principle is involved in the
matter.