No. 51

I have the honor to forward to Your Lordship an authenticated
and two plain Copies of an Ordinance passed by the Legislative
Council entitled—

An Ordinance to create a further duty of Customs for the Public
service.

2. It has been passed specially to provide the means of
maintaining the Telegraph, from the lower Fraser to Cariboo,
which was about to be abandoned by the Western Union Telegraph
Company, who offered the line to the local Government if the
working of it would be undertaken. Much pressure was brought to
bear upon me for this purpose; but I regarded myself as
precluded from assuming this new service in the present
financial position of the Colony without some special provision
for the expense. It was important to establish the principle
that disbursements must not be promised when there are no funds
from which to make them. But I brought the subject before the
Council in my opening Address as Your Lordship will have seen.

2. The result after much discussion, is the imposition of an
additional duty of half a dollar per gallon upon Spirits which I
think the least objectionable mode of raising the required
funds, and it will probably furnish more than the required
amount.

3. Great importance is attached to the maintenance of the
Telegraph by the people of the Mainland, and not unnaturally.
For purposes of Police, and the transmission of official
intelligence it is very valuable. And on many occasions it
might save greater expenditure than it will cost.

4. Under these circumstances I have no hesitation in
recommending the Ordinance for Her Majesty's confirmation, and
herewith I have the honor to annex the Attorney General's Report
to the same effect.