No. 75, Military

With reference to Your Grace's Despatch of the 14th
July last, marked "Separate," I have the honor to forward
herewith an Estimate of the Expenditure necessary for the
maintenance of the Detachment of Royal Engineers serving in
this Colony, during the financial year 1862-63, amounting in the
whole to the Sum of Seventeen Thousand, Nine Hundred pounds (£17,900).

2. I earnestly trust it may be within the power of Your
Grace to provide this aid from Imperial Funds. The Colony
cannot undertake this expenditure without suffering material
injury. I fully recognize the weight of Your Grace's remarks
in your Despatch of the 11th May last No 78, and heartily
appreciate the evidence of Your Grace's desire to accord to
this infant Colony every assistance that can consistently be
expected. But the demands now upon me for money are greater
than ever. The present circumstances of the Colony pressingly call for the outlay of every available fraction upon the
development of the communications to the recently discovered
Gold fields in the Carriboo District, distant some 500 miles.
The reports that have gone abroad backed as they have been,
by the production of the gold, proclaim that District as the
richest gold field yet known in the world. A rush to the mines
when the season opens will be the natural consequence. Provisions
must be thrown into the Country, and the present enormous cost of
transport must be reduced to render them more within the reach
of all, else the most fruitful source of evil will result. The
sum we hope to raise on Loan will not be more than sufficient to start the work. We have but the Revenue of the Colony to rely
on to prosecute it.

3. I feel confident Your Grace will readily appreciate
these circumstances, and I need not further dilate upon them
to induce you to continue to us an aid that is most essential
in the present condition of the Colony. Were it not so, I would
not so anxiously beg for it, but in doing so, I would respectfully
remind Your Grace that, with but small exception, the Colony of
British Columbia, has paid all her Civil expenses, and that the only assistance she has obtained from the Imperial Treasury has been for the maintenance of the Military Force which must be
present in the Country to guard Imperial interests.