Villars to Granville

Having been absent from town, I am only today in receipt of Your
Lordship's letter of the 14th inst. appointing Friday last at 4
O'Clock for an interview in reference to the Memorial on the
condition of British Columbia referred to in my letter of 19th
June and enclosed to Your Lordship on the 12th July.

In my letter of the latter date I mentioned to Your Lordship
that those gentlemen, specially Mr Fraser, Mr Dallas, Mr
Anderson & Mr Beeton, who signed the Memorial on the 19th
June, and who from their personal knowledge of the Colony could
have given useful information to Your Lordship were unable to
remain in town after the 12th July.

I was consequently instructed at the latter date to enclose the
Memorial in a letter for Your Lordship's consideration in
preference to asking for an interview, which without the
presence of the gentlemen above named would not probably have
been attended with satisfactory practical results.