No. 17

I have the honor to inform you that I have authorized the agents
General to accept and pay six Bills amounting to £5000 drawn by the
Treasurer of Vancouver Island on the 27th February.

The only funds in the hands of the Agents which can be appropriated
to meet these drafts is a sum of £26,000 the proceeds of the Debentures
issued under the Loan Act of 1862, and I have to enjoin upon you the
necessity of limiting your drafts to that amount. In drawing Bills upon
the Colonial Agents it is necessary that you should send advices of such
Bills, and you should on no account omit to specify the objects for
which they are drawn.

The financial reports both from Vancouver Island and British
Columbia are less methodical and complete than those of any other
Colony, and I must impress upon you that any administration must be
viewed unfavorably which fails to discharge the important duty of
presenting an intelligible and fair account of its financial
proceedings.