No. 31

Adverting to your Grace's Despatch No 9 of the 7th of February
last, forwarding to me a letter from the Marine Department of the
Board of Trade, Setting forth the Expenditure made in England by that
Department out of the Parliamentary Vote of Seven Thousand Pounds
(£7000) for the Erection of Light Houses in Fucas Straits and
Esquimalt Harbour, and which Expenditure amounts to the Sum of Three
Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Six Pounds, Four Shillings
and one penny (£3266:4:1), I have the honor to Enclose herewith, for
the information of Your Grace, Copy of a report from the Assistant
Colonial Surveyor on the progress made in the work
of the Light
Houses, and Exhibiting the Sums already expended here, and the amount
that will be required to carry the work to completion.

2. From this report Your Grace will perceive that the entire sum
required for the work in this Country is Seven Thousand Seven Hundred
and Fifty One pounds, Sixteen Shillings and Ten pence (£7751:16:10).
Of this the sum of Four Thousand and Seventy five pounds Eleven
Shillings and Ten pence (£4075:11:10) has already been Expended, and
a further sum of about One Thousand pounds (£1000:0:0) is immediately
required to meet payments due, and I trust Your Grace will move the
Lords of the Treasury to meet the Bills I shall be Compelled to draw
upon this service over and above the sum already voted for the work.

3. The Tower at the Entrance of Esquimalt Harbour is complete and
ready for receiving the Lantern so soon as it may arrive. The Tower
on the Race Rocks is steadily progressing and will be completed in
about six weeks.

4. I presume the Estimate of Seven Thousand pounds (£7000.0.0) made
by Captain Sulivan of the Board of Trade was intended to include the
cost of the Lanterns as well as of the Buildings, but without correct
data from this country any Estimate formed in England for works to be
undertaken here, will assuredly fall short of the actual cost. The
present rate of wages to Bricklayers, Masons and Carpenters is from
Sixteen to Twenty Shillings per diem, and the charges for transport
of material are in like proportion. The most Stringent economy has
been practised in the Execution of the work, but at the same time I
have endeavoured to avoid the error of adopting cheap expedients in
works required to be substantial and lasting; and I trust that the
Light Houses in question will prove to be essentially so.