No. 16

I have the honor to forward a Petition addressed to Her
Majesty by certain Merchants, Miners and others resident in
British Columbia.

2. The Petition to which the signatures are attached was
drawn up in Victoria in February 1865. Printed Copies were
very freely distributed, placarded on every wall, and left for
signature at every Public House. After a lapse of more than
twelve months the petition has been presented to me for
transmission bearing the signature of four hundred and forty
five persons out of a white population, estimated at six
thousand, although, every opportunity has been afforded, and,
I may say, some pressure has been brought to bear on the
inhabitants, as well as the migratory population, to swell the
number of petitioners. The result of this attempt to foster
discontent has thus proved a complete failure.

3. The arguments used to arrive at a calculation of the
taxation of the Colony in 1865 are so fallacious as hardly to
require explanation at length, more especially as the Gentlemen
who formed the Deputation on presenting the Petition, stated to
me that they were satisfied the calculations were incorrect, and
that their only object in now presenting the Petition rested in
their desire for the Union of the two Colonies.

4. I regret I am unable to furnish accurate statistics to
refute the statement that the Chinese and Indian population
"contribute in a very small proportion to the general Revenue,"
but I fully agree with the remarks made by the Chief Magistrate
of this District, in a letter copy of which I enclose, that a
very large share of the Taxation is borne by these two Races.

5. As regards the one object of the Petition, the desire
for Union of this Colony and Vancouver Island, I am convinced
from the information I received during my recent tour in the
Interior, that the people of the Upper Country care little
whether there be Union of the Colonies or continued separation
and a petition of opposite effect to the one now forwarded
would be signed by at least an equal number of the resident
population.