No. 57

I am directed by the Secretary of State to request that you will
inform Colonel Moody that he has received the Duplicate copies of two
letters which he had addressed to you, the first of the 20th of August
relating to your having instructed the Magistrate of the Hope District
to select the site, and lay out a Town on the Similkameen River, the
second of the 22nd of August respecting the provision made in the
Estimates of 1860-61 to meet the expenses of the Royal Engineers in
British Columbia.

As Colonel Moody requested you to forward these letters to this
Department, the Secretary of State takes it for granted that he will
shortly receive

copies of them through you with any observations which
you may think necessary in explanation of them.

I am however to point out that Colonel Moody having been sent out
from England as Commissioner of Lands and Works, any steps which would
withdraw these subjects from his effectual superintendence would defeat
the whole object of his appointment. You must distinctly understand
that while on the one hand Her Majesty's Government will always be ready
to maintain the just authority of the Governor in relation to
subordinate officers, they are distinctly of opinion that the business
of every Department (except on grounds almost amounting to a case of
necessity) should be transacted by the head of that Department; who
cannot be held responsible for the

proper discharge of the duties
committed to him if material parts of these duties are taken out of his
hands.

You will understand however that in expressing this opinion the
Secretary of State does not in any degree prejudge any questions at
issue between yourself and Colonel Moody if such there are. But he is
desirous that you should be fully aware of the principles on which Her
Majesty's Government consider that the Government of a Colony should in
these respects be carried on.