No. 125

I have the honor to lay before Your Grace a letter addressed to
me by the principal leaders of a large and respectable Public
meeting, or as these Gentlemen prefer to style it, a Convention
held at Yale. I add a copy of my reply.

2. The principal questions upon which the convention agreed
appears

to have been:

1. Union or Confederation with the Dominion of Canada.

2. Representative Institutions and Responsible Government in
the Colony.

3. Retrenchment in the Public expenditure, principally in the
way of dismissing certain public officers and reducing the
Salaries of others.

4. A reciprocal commercial treaty with the United States
whereby the raw productions of the Colony might be introduced
into the neighboring Republic duty free.

3. As regards the first point I do not suppose that there is an
Englishman who would not desire to see one unbroken Dominion
under his flag extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. For
all present facilities of intercourse we are as near to Japan as
to Ottawa. But the matter does not rest with the so called
Convention at Yale, but has already occupied Your Grace's
attention and that of the Government of Canada. I must say that
this Colony appears to possess so little interest for the people
of England that perhaps any change which would call attention to
its really wonderful resources would do good.

4. The second resolution is in favour of representative
Institutions and responsible Government in the Colony. The
Legislative Constitution of the Colony is a subject which has
occupied my attention much of late, but I have not been able to
see a clear path before me. Local politics have their Head
Quarters in Victoria. If one ascends the Fraser but a few miles
one finds less excitement and better tempers at New Westminster
and so it goes on in proceeding up Country till at Clinton the
whole thing is ignored. The miners of Cariboo and Kootenay are
in the most profound state of indifference as regards what is
passing at Head Quarters. I should be glad if we had some mode
of allowing the people of Victoria through their representatives
to relieve themselves of their burden of complaints and by
simply stating what the "miserable misgovernment" (with which
cry the streets echo) consists of, enable a respectful
explanation to be furnished. I shall anxiously consider this
subject and it is not unlikely that it will be brought up at the
next Session of the Legislature.

5. The Convention then urges retrenchment. We have an enormous
amount to pay for interest on Loans. Nearly a third of our
Revenue. Were we free from debts, our finances would be in a
most flourishing condition. I am not answerable for the debt.
It was not incurred by me, yet it devolves upon me to pay and I
believe that the doing so, is the principal cause of the outcry
of "miserable misgovernment." Reductions in Salaries to the
extent of upwards of $80,000 have been made during my tenure of
Office. I have never appointed anyone higher than a Constable
and have no hope of doing so during my incumbency of Office. I
think my own Salary a little high for the Colony to pay but
certainly not so for the holder of the very important and
expensive position I fill to receive. Sir James Douglas in
October 1858 (when the revenue had not amounted to £22,900)
reported to the Secretary of State that he could not live under
£5,000 a year.

6. As regards a treaty of Commercial reciprocity I agree
entirely with the Convention. Our nearest markets for lumber
now are Australia and France and at this moment when San
Francisco has been half ruined by an Earthquake and it is
proposed to rebuild the shaken houses of timber instead of Stone,
the citizens will have to depend upon the Mills of Washington
Territory for their supplies, instead of being able to make use
of the magnificent timber of Burrard Inlet. A few miles from
the boundary but unfortunately for the mill owners on English soil.

7. It is but right that I should state that the proceedings of
the Yale Meeting did not meet with universal approval. I
enclose two notices, very respectably signed, protesting against
the whole affair.

8. I may add that the more prominent advocates for
Confederation were defeated at the last elections in Victoria
for members to serve in the Legislative Council.