No. 36

You will have been made aware, through other channels,
of the excitement which now prevails in Vancouver Island,
and the earnest desire of the inhabitants for Union or
incorporation with this Colony. In British Columbia the
feeling is against any such connection and the Legislative
Council has, unanimously, placed on record its wish that the
present state of things may not be disturbed. In New Westminster
the antipathy to union on any terms is extreme. The vast
majority of the land owners in the country are opposed to it.
The Miners are indifferent. Until within the last few weeks,
if they had a wish on the subject, it was that the Separation
of the two Colonies should continue. Recently some of them
have been persuaded that the taxation would be diminished if
there was but one Government, and possibly a slight leaning
towards Union may now exist which it will be the main object
of the people of Vancouver Island to increase before the next
Session of the Legislature of this Colony.

2. It is of course, well known in both Colonies that
I can, in case of need, command ten votes out of fifteen in
the Legislative Council. It suits the Newspapers and
professional politicians of Victoria to assume that having
the power I must have the desire to exercise it. Seeing
therefore the public officer opposed to Union, they consider
me as their principal opponent and no means are left untried
to carry the object of their wishes by abuse or intimidation.
The Miners when in Victoria are told that every act of this
Government is calculated to injure them and the most ordinary
measures of administration are held up by the press as wilfully
directed to the injury of the most numerous body of our population.

3. I must say that the state of things existing on my
arrival here was very different from that which I had
anticipated, and had I known the exact position of affairs I
should very respectfully have requested His Grace the Duke of
Newcastle to transfer me to some less arduous and responsible
a post. The Colonies west of the Rocky Mountains were in
England generally spoken of as British Columbia, yet I found
British Columbia proper to be in most senses a mere dependency
on Vancouver Island. There was a Bishop of British Columbia
and a Bank of British Columbia, but on the Separation they were
both cut off from the Colony which gave their title.

*

4. British Columbia, including both Colonies under the
one name, comprised in April 1864, when I took over a portion
of it, but two centres of population. These were, Victoria,
without any boundaries, free from all indirect taxation, and
Cariboo, five hundred miles in the interior, deserted in the
winter, and attracting year by year a less numerous population
during the short summer. All the profits of trade were realised
by merchants who shared in none of our responsibilities and
burthens. No vessels but steamers owned in Victoria entered
the Fraser and their arrival and departure was arranged so as
to prevent the miners being induced to stay more than a few
hours in New Westminster. With their hoards of gold almost
untouched they immediately left our shores.

5. Meanwhile the Revenue was failing, the Capital wore
a depressing aspect of decay, a staff of Officers equal to
the Government of a population of 50,000 had to be kept up,
a loan had been contracted in England and spent, and about
fifty thousand pounds were owed on the spot. It was universally
assumed in Vancouver Island that I should find New Westminster
almost intolerable as a place of residence and spend the
greater part of my time in Victoria.

6. On my applying for a gun boat to take me to the seat
of this Government, it was suggested to me by her Commander that
my application ought to come through the Governor of Vancouver Island.

7. The belief in the dependence of British Columbia on
Vancouver Island was made painfully clear to me shortly after
my arrival. On the ninth day after my assumption of the
Government, a party of road makers engaged on a private
Victorian Enterprise, calculated, if not intended, to injure
this Colony, was massacred by the Indians in a remote district.
You will remember how the Governor and people of Vancouver
Island considered that this Colony would be unable to collect
a sufficient force, without assistance from the Island, to
meet the emergency. It so happened however that the small
population of this town contained many hardy men who had been
nerved by the struggle against the natural and political
difficulties of their situation and who finding support in
a number of excellent Volunteers, in the discharged soldiers of the
Engineers, formed an efficient body. I therefore took upon
myself the responsibility of declining extraneous assistance.
I have already mentioned the obstacles which the natural
difficulties of the country and the want of transport presented
to the operations of our men, and though they finally effected
what Victoria thought would require not less than five hundred,
their efforts, the first symptoms of the possible independence
of British Columbia, have never received one word of commendation
from the press or people of the neighbouring Colony. During
the many anxious weeks that elapsed without news from the
interior deep sympathy with our Volunteers and painful surmises
regarding their fate, was, I will own freely manifested.

8. Towards the end of the year it began to be perceived
that British Columbia could, and was likely to do so, make
herself self supporting. Many months of singular political
tranquillity, I may indeed say contentment, had elapsed here.
New Mines of considerable wealth were discovered. Seeing that
large sums of money were likely to be expended, great public
works undertaken, their confined field of action became
distasteful to the professional politicians of Victoria.
Overtures were therefore in a somewhat high handed manner,
made for a reunion with the Colony which had hitherto been
carefully abused and depreciated. It is quite unnecessary
that I should recall to your recollection the earlier proposals
made. They were succeeded in rapid succession by others
of a more conciliatory kind, and I will only now treat of
the last Resolutions of the Legislative Assembly requesting
you to unite the two Colonies, and offering to place
unconditionally in your hands the Legislative Constitution of
Vancouver Island and its system of taxation.

9. This last offer, the only one which presented any
chance of acceptance here was not made till the opening of
the Legislative Session of this Colony on the 12th of
January. It then became known, that an export duty on Gold
was about to be imposed which would give the Government the
power of making the mining districts accessible and inhabitable
in the winter and thus induce the miners to remain somewhat
longer with us. That a light ship and a proper system of
buoys would soon mark the placid, deep and undevious entrance
to the Fraser. That an old project for inducing direct
importations would be revived. That the Telegraph would
connect New Westminster with the whole civilized globe, and
direct Steam communication with California [and] allow the departing
miners to remain at least a few days in the lower part of
the Colony. That a small sum would be laid out in improving
our blighted and desolate capital.

**

At once an excitement arose in Victoria for union and a control of some
kind over our Legislation accompanied by a commercial depression far
more painful to witness than the exultant and aggressive
prosperity of the last year.

10. As usual resort was had to intimidation, but the
steps taken were not wise. The public meetings held by some
wintering miners in Victoria showed that many of the best of
the Cariboo people stood aloof from the movement by which it
was intended to upset some of our measures of just but
severe taxation. The petitioners however turned away from
the Victorian tumult on a full and respectful explanation
being given by me. The Hudson's Bay Steamer ceased for a time
to approach New Westminster and the supplies of beef and mutton
failed. But the people here, miners and others, throw all the
blame of the inconvenience they suffered upon the right
shoulders, and instead of clamouring for union as was anticipated,
received the steamer that at length brought them supplies with
three groans for her Commander and three for the Hudson's Bay Company.

11. This effort to make us feel our dependency brought under
my notice the manner in which the interests of Westminster had
been sacrificed to those of Victoria. The main road to the
interior commences at Yale, 110 miles from this town. During
the summer the communication is kept up by means of Steam
Vessels and is in every way satisfactory. But when the ice
sets in, the communication is carried on exclusively by canoes,
and by them with extreme inconvenience and some danger. A Ton
of Gold spent many weeks at Yale. Fat cattle in abundance
were within a short distance of us when New Westminster was
reduced to game and salt provisions, but no road existed by
which to bring them to market. Can it be wondered at, under
these circumstances, that the good living, the theatre, the
fiddling, dancing and tippling of Victoria attracted all the
population which was not tied down to New Westminster by
interest or duty. The Hudson's Bay Company has, on this
my first winter, pointed out to me clearly one of the great
weaknesses of the Colony, and I am about to open, in concert
with the Collins Telegraph Company, a road to Yale.

11. The prosperity of Victoria was so artificially
stimulated that unfortunately anything tending to the permanent
settlement of the Mainland and to the possible transaction
of large commercial operations in this Colony creates much alarm.
Town lots in Victoria fell in value as those in New Westminster rose.

***

Separated, it seems difficult for the one Colony to flourish without
inflicting injury upon the other.

****

The resources of British Columbia now expended upon her own
development alone, seem likely, under a purely selfish Legislation
to impair the importance of Victoria.

12. The late Secretary of State before my departure from
England directed me to use my efforts to bring about an amicable
union of the two Colonies. I see that Imperial interests
would be promoted by the measure. I know that the present
disunion is considered a sort of scandal in the neighbouring
States, that the Bishop's arrangements for the division of the
diocese are embarrassed by it, that the Hudson's Bay Company,
the Bank of British Columbia, the Chamber of Commerce, the
Legislature of Vancouver Island, the whole population of
Victoria are strongly in favour of union. We see daily evidence
that the press of the sister Colony, not without its influence
in our Mining districts, will misrepresent every act and notice
of the Government and spare no efforts to excite discontent
among our Migratory population. A newspaper under Victorian
influence is about to be established in Cariboo and one of the
leading and the most able of the professional politicians will
be employed as a missionary for the propagation of dissatisfaction
with the present state of things in the Mining districts. I
know that I shall have to carry on my Government without a
chance of a candid notice of my acts in the press read in
the neighbouring Colony and our Mining districts. You will
therefore see that if I hesitate to recommend the immediate Union of
the two Colonies, it is from no motive of personal interest or comfort.

13. The people of vested interests in British Columbia
say that the annexation of Vancouver Island will be virtually
a return, in a great measure, to the old state of things.
Victoria alone contains considerable capital and professional
politicians, the former will, even under a constitution such
as this Colony possesses, secure the return of the latter
for every seat in the Council that may be offered for the
nomination of the people.

*****

Jobs will again spring up. Victorian
interests will be alone once more consulted and virtually the
Government of the two Colonies will relapse, into the hands
of the Merchants of the chief Commercial Port. It is urged that
even if the Legislative Constitution of the Island be merged
in ours an outcry will very shortly be raised for more liberal
institutions to give the direct management of affairs into
the hands of those who have taken up political life as a profession.

14. I am of opinion that it would be a mistake in the
present state of things to alter the Legislative Constitution
of this Colony. We have but few men of sufficient wealth and
leisure to take over the management of affairs. Besides there
is a considerable advantage in our present arrangements. If
a House of Assembly be elected, the franchise, I presume will
be reserved, for British subjects and persons who have become
naturalized in the Colony to the exclusion of Aliens. This
would in point of fact, throw the Government of the Colony
into the hands of a very small class principally settled in
the Towns. As things now are the Governor accepts the nominee
of the Majority in each district and does not enquire whether
the voter is a citizen of the United States or a subject of the
Queen of England, the Emperor of the French or any other
Potentate. To the American Miner as well as to the Cornish
man the members for Cariboo will have, by this fortunate
arrangement, to account this summer for the increase in taxation
which the Session has decreed. In several of the country
towns the alien population is vastly in the majority. All
however seem satisfied with the present condition of things
and would, I think regret to see the Administration of the
Government transferred to the irresponsible hands who now
rule the affairs of Vancouver Island.

15. I do not go the length of the people of this Colony
in their aversion to Union. I cannot without some regret see
the despondency of Victoria. I feel the extreme inconvenience
to myself of the position of two Governors of equal authority
close to each other yet far from home. Yet I cannot but see
that British Columbia is now unquestionably progressing and I
look in vain for the benefits which would accrue to her by
Union with the powerful yet artificially created community
on the other side of the Gulf of Georgia.

16. I need hardly say that I will earnestly and faithfully
carry out any instructions I may receive from you in the matter.
I do not myself see that, with a strong hand it would be
impossible for one man as Governor to do justice to both Colonies
and increase the strength of British Interests on the Pacific.
But the one Governor, whoever he may be, must be prepared to
act upon his own judgment. It will not do for him to throw
for decision or even discussion into a Legislative Assembly
however constituted matters which must inflict injury on one
party or the other.

17. Though I see no insuperable difficulty in the union
of the two Colonies under one man of vigour, calmness and honesty,
I think that British Columbia ought to be allowed to show Her
Majesty's Government what great development her resources are
capable of taking when left entirely to the control of those
residing within her limits.

18. To sum up I say that this Colony profits largely by
separation. That Vancouver Island suffers while the operation
is going on of allowing the two Colonies to fall into their
naturally relative positions.