No. 113

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch
No. 44 of 20th July, stating that William McColl late Sergeant
in the Royal Engineers has represented that he has not received
the grant of Land which it was agreed should be given to those
men belonging to the Detachment under Colonel Moody who might
take their discharge with a view of settling in the Colony and
you direct me to cause enquiries to be made and to report to you
whether McColl's statement is accurate.

2. On referring to Sir E.B. Lytton's despatch No. 14 of
2nd September 1858, I find that the Governor was instructed to
grant to the Non-Commissioned Officers and men of the Detachment
of Royal Engineers sent to this Colony, "such grants of agricultural
land, not exceeding thirty acres each, after six years continuous
good faithful Service in British Columbia, on condition of residence
and Military Service in the Colony if called upon."

3. I am informed by Mr House, late Corporal in the Royal
Engineers that at the time the detachment was broken up and the
Officers were about to leave the Colony, a paper was handed to the
men to which all those who wished to avail themselves of the promise
made by Sir E.B. Lytton were desired to sign their names. Out of
the hundred men who elected to take their discharge only one was
found willing to undertake the obligations he would incur in accepting
the Free Grant. It was still open to the men to apply at a subsequent
date, and all such applications would have come before me in my
position as Colonial Secretary, but none have been received since
my arrival in the Colony. It is, I consider, very improbable that
men who are making from $3 to $8 a day would be willing to accept
so small a Grant as thirty acres on the terms specified, & in a
Colony where the acquisition of Land under the Pre-emption Law is
so easy and inexpensive.

4. I am at a loss to understand the reasons which induced
McColl to apply to the Secretary of State for War on the subject, and
I regret that I am unable to furnish any report from the applicant
as he died somewhat suddenly about three months since while holding
a Government Appointment in the Upper Country.

5. It may not be out of place in this Despatch to call attention
to a general feeling of discontent and disappointment which exists
among men lately belonging to the Detachment of the Royal Engineers
in consequence of a promise which they state was made to them by
Colonel Moody previous to his departure from British Columbia, to
the effect that all men of fourteen years standing would be entitled
to a gratuity of thirty three pounds, and that immediately upon
Colonel Moody's arrival in England the matter would be arranged and
the money forwarded to the men. It is now two years since the
detachment was broken up and no information has been received on
the subject.

6. The men whose names are listed in the margin

*

are those who consider themselves entitled to this gratuity. I shall be
very glad, should their Statement be correct if the matter can be
arranged without further delay.