No. 16

I have had under my consideration a Despatch from Acting Governor
Birch, No. 63 of the 8th of October last, relative to the traffic in
Spirits with Indians.

I see no reason to complain of the Servants of the Hudson's Bay
Company for having drawn attention to this subject. If they saw
an injurious illicit trade in liquor, they were right to denounce it to
the Government.

As to their declining to undertake the Office of detecting and
punishing illicit Traders, in fact to discharge the function of Custom
House Officers, it must be remembered that the Company are no longer
rulers or a political body, but only commercial. There is hardly reason
to complain of Traders declining to accept the questionable business of
judging and punishing rival Traders.

I gather from Mr. Birch's Despatch that there are in British
Columbia effectual Laws against the illegal Spirit trade which do not
exist in Vancouver Island. This distinction will not, I apprehend, be
removed by the Union Act, since the 5th Section keeps in force the
separate Laws of each place until otherwise provided, with the single
exception of the Laws relative to the Revenue of Customs. I by no means
wish you to act precipitately in seeking an extension of any of the
British Columbia Laws to Vancouver Island, as it will be advisable that
you should avoid raising any jealousies or alarms on that point, and
should aim at bringing about gradually and with the assent of public
opinion such assimilation of the Laws as may be desirable. But if it be
the fact that there are enactments in British Columbia which are wanting
in Vancouver Island, proved by experience to act as a useful check on the
injurious and demoralizing traffic with the Natives in Spirits, it will
be very proper that you should take any favorable opportunity of
endeavouring to procure an extension of those salutary Laws to the whole
of the United Colony.