No. 27, Miscellaneous

1. I have the honor to transmit a copy of Resolutions passed by the
Legislative Assembly of this Colony on the subject of the Crown Lands
and Civil List together with my reply thereto.

2. This result has been arrived at after various and rather animated
debates extending over 16 or 17 days and ultimately carried by the
casting vote of the Chairman of the Committee in a full House, the
opponents of the Resolutions being understood to be wholly averse to
voting the Civil List and the acceptance of the Crown Lands.

3. I will not needlessly occupy your time in recapitulating the
propositions submitted to you, but I think it is desirable that I
should put you in possession of my opinion upon some of them.

4. The Legislative Assembly considers the scale of salaries proposed
by the Duke of Newcastle in his Separate Despatch dated 15th June
1863 "as far too high", namely,

Governor . . . . . . . . . . £3000

Chief Justice . . . . . . . 1200

Colonial Secretary . . . . . 600

Attorney General . . . . . . 300 with practice

Treasurer . . . . . . . . . 600

Surveyor General . . . . . . 500

5. I wholly dissent from this opinion and I think that much of the
official scandal and defalcation which has occurred among the public
officers in this Colony has resulted from the low salaries which
failed to secure the services of men of capacity and character.

6. I append a price list of what I am now paying for the necessaries
of life and from which the cost of living of a married public officer
may be readily calculated. To this must be added the high rate of
house rent and servants wages. A four-room wooden house
unfurnished, and within reasonable distance of the Public
Offices, cannot be obtained for less that £100 to £150 per annum. A
female servant cannot be obtained for less than $30 per month or £72
a year exclusive of her board and lodging, which estimated at prices
ruling here cannot be less than $20 per month or £48 per annum.

7. The wages of men servants range from $30 to $50 per month or £72
to £120 per annum, to which must be added their board at £48. I am
paying a
Chinaman for cooking my dinners, alone £120 per annum, in
addition to board and lodging which may be put at £50 additional.

8. With these facts before you it is superfluous for me to state
that I am at a loss to understand how gentlemen of common capacity
can be found to accept office or how they can "make ends meet" upon
their official salaries.

9. Head Clerks in merchants offices in Victoria receive £600 per
annum.

10. As I presume the salary of Governor is included in the
Resolutions of the Assembly I think it well to call your attention to
the opinion of my Predecessor as recorded in the Blue Book on affairs
of British Columbia, Part 2, Page 1, presented to Parliament 12th
August 1859.

11. I will state what I think a reasonable fixed establishment for a
Governor of this Colony to enable you to judge how far his salary is
excessive, and I may here remark that he has no additional allowances
of any kind, such as fuel, light, or caretaker of Government grounds.

1 Butler, $50 per month or £120 per annum.

1 Footman, $30 do £ 72 do

1 Cook, $40 do £ 96 do

1 Housemaid $30 do £ 72 do

1 Housekeeper and

Ladies Maid $40 do £ 96 do

1 Groom $40 do £ 96 do

1 Gardner or Caretaker

of House and grounds $50 do £120 do

Board for above at

$20 per month each £336 do

Keep of two horses Hay

£7.10s per ton, Oats

17/ per 100 lb or $1

per day each £146 do

____

Making a total of £1154

for servants and horses alone

The hire of a close carriage to go however short a distance at night
is $10 or £2.1s.3d exclusive of gratuity to driver. Bad coals are
$11 or £2.5.5 per ton and Firewood still more expensive. One ton of
coals per week all year round is the least to be calculated upon, or
£118.1.8 per annum. Colza oil which costs 3s/6d per gallon in
London cannot be obtained under 8s/ here. Wine and all luxeries in
proportion.

12. There are the names of three hundred persons on the Government
House visiting book who expect and ought to be invited in addition to
the Officers of Her Majesty's Navy, American State Governors, and
Naval Officers of all Nations who frequently visit the Colony.

13. I will only add to this outline that a Governor who exercises
common hospitality and maintains his position in decency will leave
this Colony after his term of Government poorer than when he
commenced it.

*

14. I have already in former Despatches stated my views on the
subject of Union of these Colonies as well as on the real or supposed
claims of the Colony on the Hudson Bay Company.

15. The proviso contained in these Resolutions that in the event of
Her Majesty's Government declining to accept the preceding conditions
"the officials shall be made responsible to the people by election to
the Legislature or otherwise," I do not profess clearly to
understand. If it aims (as I believe) at responsible or party
Government I have no hesitation in stating my opinion that the
introduction of such a measure under the existing circumstances of
this Colony would be fraught with danger and mischief and opposed to
the wishes of every sound thinking and loyal subject in the Colony.

16. The following facts will enable you to form an opinion on this
part of the Resolutions.

17. The total population is about 6000 souls of whom about 2000
are British male subjects—the remainder made up of Americans,
Germans, French, Italians and Chinese.

18. There are 15 Members elected to the Legislative Assembly for
nine separate Districts. The number of registered voters at the last
general election was 1051.

The highest number (Victoria City)

who voted for any Member was . . . . . . 229

Esquimalt Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Victoria District . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Esquimalt and Metchosin District . . . . 72

Lake District . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Nanaimo District . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Saanich District . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Sooke District . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Saltspring District . . . . . . . . . . 16

___

Total 511

19. The American element in the population possesses and exercises
great influence over the press and voters who are connected with them
in trade, which would be largely increased by the adoption of the
form of Government proposed.

**

20. I think it is unnecessary for me to add more than an expression
of my regret that the Legislative Assembly should have left this
important question in so unsatisfactory a condition.