Hamilton to Under-Secretary of State

I am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's
Treasury to state, for the information of the Duke of Buckingham
that under the circumstances represented in your letter of the
18th Inst, My Lords will not object to the payment to Messrs
Clarke & Skinner, Contractors for the supply of Meat for the Troops
in British Columbia of the sum of £568 which has been awarded to
them as compensation for losses sustained by an unexpected withdrawal
of the Troops in 1863; and the consequent abrupt termination of their
contract, before the expiration of the term for which it was made.

My Lords concur with His Grace that this sum is chargeable to
Imperial Funds.

My Lords observe, that, in consequence of the decision conveyed
to His Grace's Department in the letter of 22nd December last
No 19020/66, that no further payments should be made to the
Colonial Government in respect of their claims for arrears of
expenses of the Royal Engineers for previous years, there is a
balance to the credit of the Grant for British Columbia of about
£2000—being portion of the Supplementary Vote taken last
Session under the impression that the arrears claimed were properly
payable to the Colony, out of which Balance the sum of £568 can now be
paid.

If the Secretary of State sees no objection, My Lords will
direct the issue of this sum to the Crown Agents on behalf of the
Colonial Government on the understanding that the Governor will
satisfy the claim by a corresponding payment out of the Colonial Chest.