Hamilton to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)

With reference to your Letter of the 14th Ultimo, I
am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's
Treasury to acquaint you for the information of the Duke
of Newcastle, that Their Lordships have informed Mr Edward
Stamp, and Messrs Benson & Co, the Agents of the North
West Navigation Company of Canada, that having regard to
the present state of the Postal Communication with the
Colony of British Columbia, and to the very small amount of
Postage derived from it, and considering also the position
of the general question of the Packet Service, with reference
to the inquiry which is still pending in Parliament, Their
Lordships are of opinion, that the time has not arrived
when They could entertain the proposals of subsidizing a new
line of postal communication to B. Columbia either overland,
or via San Francisco.

I am at the same time to transmit to you Copy of a Letter
from the Postmaster General dated 4th Instant, and to state
that Their Lordships concur with the Duke of Newcastle that
Governor Douglas should be instructed to make the best
arrangements he can for the performance of the Service at
present.