No. 31

1. I have the honor of transmitting herewith copies of
Prevost, Capt. James C.report on enforcement of revenue laws
ShipsSatellite
correspondence with Captain Prevost of Her Majesty's Ship
"Satellite" touching the enforcement of the Revenue Laws and
License regulations applicable to Fraser's River.

2. Your Lordship will observe that he has on 
all occasions
cordially responded to my demands, and given such aid and assistance in
carrying out the views of this Government, in preventing the lawless
intrusion of foreign ships, and people, into Fraser's River; as was
consistent with the nature of his instructions from Her Majesty's
Government and the demands upon his time, of the special service on which
the "Satellite" was detached to this coast.

3. In consequence however of the frequent, and for the reasons
Lawevasion of
before stated, necessary absence of the "Satellite" from Fraser's River,
there have been many evasions of the law, by means of canoes and other
small craft, which have 
stealthily entered and ascended Fraser's River,
without a Customs Permit, or the pre-payment of a month's advance on the
mining Licence of each miner as required by the existing regulations.

4. I therefore much regret that I have not a permanent force
Lawneed for enforcement
under my control for the protection of the Revenue Laws of the
country; as they would, in that case, produce a return far
exceeding the expense of maintaining such a force, besides
upholding the moral influence of Her Majesty's Government.

5. The regulations we have established, and which we seek to
Mineral rightsof the crown
enforce in the Fraser's River District, are only such as 
have reference
to my instructions from Her Majesty's Government; and to the rights of
the Crown with respect to minerals in their natural place of deposit.

6. I will for your Lordships information concisely enumerate
Landprevention of squatting
the objects we wish to attain through those regulations. In the
first place I have, distinctly, and to all applicants for land,
refused the grant of any rights of occupation; in accordance
with the instructions from Mr Secretary Labouchere, as detailed
in his Despatch No 4 of the 1st of February
1858;
and also with the view of preventing the confusion and numberless evils
that have, in all cases, grown out of the practice of squatting on
Crown Lands or the Lawless occupation of a 
country.

2ndly I have endeavoured to protect the trading rights of the
HudsonsBayCompany exclusiverightstotrade
Hudson's Bay Company as by Law established.

3rdly I have established the system of issuing licences for
digging Gold, the charge for each mining claim of 25 feet river frontage,
or 20 square feet of river bar or dry diggings, being fixed at 21s/-
or 5 dollars a month, the revenue derived from this source being held for
the benefit of the Crown. There are also regulations respecting the
Water regulations
Regulationswater
draining of water ponds; and working quartz veins, which will I trust
hereafter yield a large amount of revenue for the Crown.

7. To carry those objects 
into effect I have appointed the following
officers.

Travaillot, Oswald J.appointed assistant commissioner of lands
Hicks, Richardappointed assistant commissioner of lands
Perrier, Georgeappointed JP
Bevis, William H.appointed revenue officer

Assistant Commissioners of Crown Lands
O.T. Travaillot Thompson's River
Richard Hicks Fort Yale
Justices of the Peace
George Perrier District of Fort Yale
Revenue Officer
William Henry Bevis Fort Langley

and others will be appointed as soon as fit and trusty persons can be
found to fill those offices, with credit and respectability.

8. I propose to pay those officers out of the Revenue raised in
this country.

9. With the exception of the aid received from Her Majesty's ship
"Satellite," operating on the sea coast, I have had no military force
whatever to employ in the interior of Fraser's River, which is 
now
occupied by a population little short of 9000 white miners; and hundreds
of other persons, are travelling towards the gold mines, and preparing to
join them.

10. The country nevertheless continues quiet, and notwithstanding
our want of physical force I have not scrupled, in all cases, to assert
the rights of the Crown, and to enforce the Laws of the land, for the
punishment of offences, and we have, thanks to the Almighty, encountered
neither resistance, nor opposition in the discharge of those sacred
duties.

11. To supply the mining population of Fraser's River with food, we
Licenseto navigate Fraser River
have licensed two American Steam vessels to ply upon the waters of
Fraser's River, and one of those vessels has 
succeeded in reaching the
"Falls" or Fort Yale, about one hundred and thirty miles from the
discharge of the Fraser, into the Gulf of Georgia.

12. The Agents of the Hudson's Bay Company have laid in large
quantities of Mining Tools and provisions for the use of the
miners, which they supply at merely remunerative prices, greatly
to the advantage and satisfaction of the mining population.

13. Notwithstanding the great number of people assembled in
Goldreturns
Fraser's River, it does not appear that there has been a large production
of gold, as most of the River "Bars" are still inundated; nevertheless
the miners have unwavering faith 
in the richness of the country, and are
in great spirits, in anticipation of an early fall in the River.

14. I have accounts of 5000 ounces of gold dust, which have been
actually exported from Fraser's River since the month of May last, and we
have estimated that as much as half that quantity has been carried away
in small quantities, by return miners; comprising as I believe the whole
export of gold dust for that period.

15. We are therefore led to believe that the Miners are hoarding up
Gold escortneed for
their gold dust, either from not being in immediate want of supplies or
more probably from not knowing how to remit, or where to place it in
security, and for that reason, among many others, I am considering the
ways and means of having their earnings conveyed to the sea 
coast under
government escort, and placing them in charge of a public Treasurer,
until they are called for by the depositers; the conveyance, and other
expenses to be defrayed by a charge on the deposits.

16. The advantages expected from that measure are manifold; we
hope, for instance, to draw the gold by that means, to this Colony, from
whence; instead of being exported to other countries, it will find its
way to England, in return for our own home manufactures.

17. Another important object, I have in view, is the improvement
Roadsneed for
Roads.see also Harrison-Lillooet route
of the internal communications of the country, which at present are, for
all practical purposes, nearly inaccessible, beyond Fort Yale, in
consequence of a range of mountains, running north and south, which there
interpose an almost insurmountable 
barrier to the progress of trade.

18. To the eastward of that range of mountains, the country is
open and comparatively level, and the construction of good roads
would be a matter of easy accomplishment, in fact it is even at
present almost everywhere accessible for pack horses.

19. It is therefore evident that the construction of a good road
Harrison-Lillooet route
through that mountain barrier, though passable in the first instance only
for pack horses, would be of prodigious advantage to the country, and
such a road might, I think, be carried through the valley of Harrison's
River, at a moderate expense, to a point near the Great Falls of Fraser's
River, to the eastward of the mountains in question, 
from whence the
country is easy of access; and should no instructions, militating with
that design, be in the mean time received from Her Majesty's Government,
I will probably make the attempt in course of the present summer.

20. I am, not without cause, looking forward most anxiously to
receiving your instructions, respecting the plan of Government for
Fraser's River. The torrent of immigration is setting in with impetuous
force, and to Keep pace with the extraordinary circumstances of the
times; and to maintain the authority of the Laws, I have been compelled
to assume an unusual amount of responsibility. I trust however from the
present hasty review of the reasons which 
have influenced my public
measures, that they will meet with the approval of Her Majesty's
Government.

The Victoria
Gazette
Victoria Gazette
of the 24th of Instant, which I herewith transmit will give much
interesting information respecting the gold mines, and other public
matters.