Berens to Newcastle

I have the honor to transmit herewith, a copy of a letter
recently addressed by His Excellency James Douglas the Governor
of British Columbia to the Secretary of this Company, from which
it appears that Mr Douglas has addressed a letter to your
Grace by which he tenders to the Government the power of purchasing
his retired interest in the Hudson's Bay Company for a specific sum.

It has occurred to the Board of Directors of this Company
that Her Majesty's Government may consider it contrary to their
usual practice to become the purchasers of the interests of a
private individual in any Commercial undertaking and that
therefore Governor Douglas's proposition would probably not
be received with favour. Under this impression, and with a view of
relieving Her Majesty's Government of an embarrassing question
and testifying how highly the Company appreciate the long and
faithful services of Governor Douglas and at the same time, of
enabling him to retain the dignity which Her Majesty's Government
had conferred upon him, the Board have determined to make a
special exception in this case, and in the event of Her
Majesty's Government declining the proposition, to become
themselves the purchasers of Governor Douglas's retired
interest at the price which he himself has put upon it.

They have accordingly lost no time in communicating to
Governor Douglas this determination, and they trust that its
effect will be to remove all further difficulties with respect
to the definitive acceptance by Mr Douglas of the high
office to which he has been nominated.