No. 3, Legislative

The Legislative Assembly has, for some days past, been employed on
the Estimates; and as suggested in my report of the 15th January
last, "Separate" has taken exception to the amount required to meet
the Civil list proposed in Your Graces Despatch "Separate" of the
15th day of June 1863, on the ground that it is disproportionate to
the means of the Colony.

That decision was communicated to me in a Resolution received from the
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly with a request that I would
transmit, as I have now the honor of doing, a copy of the same to
Your Grace.

2. The Assembly set forth, in this Resolution, as the reasons which
have induced them to decline the proposed Civil List, the inadequacy
of the present Revenue to meet the ordinary expenses of the colony,
and the cost of the various public undertakings essential to its
progress; the smallness of the white population and their inability
to bear a larger measure of taxation for the increase of Revenue; the
very moderate sum say £4500 realized in 1863 from the Sale of Crown
Lands, and the probability that in future years the revenue from that
source may be less.

The Assembly moreover declares, as its deliberate opinion, that the
"absolute separation" of the Colonies will be injurious to both; at
the same time, however, it "deems the amalgamation of the Colonies at
the present time "unadvisable" "if not impossible", and is of opinion
that "an intimate connexion" may be maintained by having one civil
establishment for the two Colonies.

The House, for these reasons, urges that there should be "but one
Civil establishment, as far as practicable, for both Colonies" and
adds that it is prepared in that case, to vote a sum "equal to one
third of the Salary now voted by British Columbia", as a Salary, from
Vancouver Island, for Officers serving both Colonies.

3. Having thus briefly stated the views entertained by the
Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island, with respect to the future
Government of the two Colonies as set forth in the Resolution now
forwarded, I will take the liberty of remarking that I fully coincide
with the opinions expressed in this Resolution, both as against the
fusion of the two Governments into one, and the absolute separation
of the two Colonies by the appointment of a Governor for each
Colony.

I also concur in the opinion of the Assembly on another point—that
there should be "but one Civil Establishment as far as practicable",
but I am not disposed to extend that limit beyond the Governor and
Colonial Secretary; with these exceptions I believe all the other and
subordinate Officers now employed in both Colonies are indispensably
necessary for the proper and efficient discharge of the duties of
Government. These points however virtually embrace the whole
question—for these being conceded, there would be no difficulty in
providing Salaries for all the other Officers designated in Your
Graces despatch. This would in substance amount to the continuance
of the present system of Government, which has grown up naturally out
of the existing circumstances and conditions of the Colonies, and may
for that reason, be presumed to be better adapted to their wants than
any untried system that could be devised.

4. I would therefore strongly recommend to Her Majesty's Government,
that but one Governor should still continue to represent the Crown in
both Colonies, and that there should be but one Colonial
Secretary—both these Officers to be maintained at the joint cost of
the two Colonies, while all the other public Officers should be at the
exclusive cost of the Colony employing them.
That the Colonies should each have its own separate Legislature, make
its own Laws; raise and apply its own Revenue, as at present, for its
individual benefit. That the principal Seat of Government should
continue to be at Victoria—as the most convenient and accessible
place for communication with other Countries, and that the services
of the Colonial Secretary who would reside there, should thus be made
available in administering the Government of Vancouver Island, during
the frequent absence of the Governor in British Columbia.

This plan would involve no violent changes of system, which are
always to be deprecated; would secure an ample Salary, adequate to
the position, for the Governor of the Colonies; would unite the
utmost practicable economy with efficiency of administration; would
prevent discord and the clashing of local interests, and would I
believe give very general satisfaction to the people in both
Colonies.