The recent discussions in Parliament on the subject of Vancouver's
Island induce me to trouble your Lordship with a few remarks suggestive
of a means whereby two important national objects may be accomplished
and made to subserve each other: I allude to the re-establishment of
the British Southern Whale Fisheries and the Colonization of Vancouver's
Island.
Her Majesty's Government have afforded myself and brothers
every encouragement and facility for prosecuting the Whale Fisheries
from the Auckland Islands, in pursuance of the plan developed in my
pamphlet, and we have only been prevented from carrying out the project
by unexpected causes; these being, first, the delay occasioned by a
fruitless 〜 negotiation arising out of proposals made to us on the part of
the South Sea Company, but which they afterwards found could not, owing
to peculiar circumstances, be fulfilled; and Secondly, the disturbed
State of Monetary and Commercial affairs which supervened, and has
rendered abortive all attempts to come before the public with the view
to the formation of a Company. —
On referring to my pamphlet Your Lordship will perceive that I have
alluded to and contemplated carrying on the Fishery in the North as well
as in the South Pacific Ocean; and although certainly we do not require
any […] fixed Station, in the former of those Seas at which to refresh our
Vessels, this still, if, as I infer, Her Majesty's Government considers it
important that Vancouver's Island should be Colonized, and we can be assured of obtaining there the means of refreshing our crews and taking
in supplies of Stores, &c., we should not only feel ourselves bound, but
should find it our interest to make that island the place of rendezvous
for our Ships, in the same manner that the Sandwich islands (which have
sprung into great importance and prosperity in consequence) are the
general rendezvous for American Whalers. —
It is impossible to imagine how VanCouver's Island, considering its
remote position and great distance from the Mother-Country, can be of
any commercial advantage, or made to hold out any inducement to parties
to locate themselves there as Settlers, unless by being adapted to the
purposes of a Whaling Station; and Your Lordship will perceive from the
enclosed Copy of a letter from me to Sir Henry Pelly (written some
Months since, and in consequence of Sir Henry Pelly having himself been
the first to moot the subject in a conversation between us) that the
idea of Colonizing Vancouver's Island by making it a Whaling Station in
connexion with our own is not new to me. —
As, then, it would appear that Her Majesty's Government contemplate
urging the Hudson's Bay Company to colonize Vancouver's Island, I would
respectfully suggest to Your Lordship that the end in question might be
at once attained by the Hudson's Bay, or Puget Sound Company (of which
latter, I believe, Sir Henry Pelly is Chairman, and which has a large
Capital whereof not more than about one-third is paid up) effecting a
junction of interests with us. If, therefore, Your Lordship should
think favourably of the proposition I have hazarded, I do not doubt but
your Lordship's recommendation of it to the Companies referred to would
have great weight, and be attended with a satisfactory result, as it is
obvious that such an arrangement as that contemplated would be mutually
beneficial to all parties. —