Confidential

The steamer that brought Your Grace's despatch No. 85 of 6th
October announcing the appointment of Mr Philip Hankin to the
office of Colonial Secretary only waited a few hours in port and
consequently, being thus pressed for time, I fear that my
despatch, Confidential, of 21st November bears marks of the
haste in which it was written.

2. It is however my deliberate opinion that the appointment of
Mr Hankin is an unfortunate one. For many reasons:

First; because in his mining persuits and in his police
employment he has been brought into immediate contact with the
lowest classes of the community.

Secondly; because, the Colony being financially embarrassed, I
bought off all Mr Hankin's claims at a very high price and
fondly imagined that I had got rid of him. He was totally
useless. The bargain was not a bad one for us. His passage
was paid to England and now it appears from Your Grace's
despatch that the Colony will have to pay him half Salary from
the date of his embarkation in England for this port. Your
Grace will forgive me for saying that this is but small
encouragement to me to carry out the reductions in expenditure
which have so often been urged upon me.

Thirdly; because the Office of Colonial Secretary is one of very
great importance. We govern here by moral influence alone, and
the social position of the principal public officers, as well as
their official capabilities, is freely canvassed by all persons.
I send Mr O'Reilly to collect the Revenue at the Kootenay
mines, 600 miles from Victoria, and to settle all disputes. He
is respected and liked by everyone. How could I send the "dead
broke" miner, Mr Hankin, on such a duty? He would be simply
made the laughing stock of the place. Yet the office of
Colonial Secretary is higher than that of Gold Commissioner.

Fourthly; Mr Hankin has not, as far as I am aware, shewn the
slightest aptitude for business during the time he has been
employed under the Colonial Government, and—not to make this
despatch too long—he has married into a family with which it
would not be pleasant for some ladies to associate. He is
personally extremely unpopular, being one of the two men
blackballed for the Vancouver Club, by no means an exclusive
establishment. If Mr Hankin, taken as he is, were but new
to the Colony, one might make something of him, but as it is, he
seems likely to disturb everything. I do not believe that
personal violence will be offered to him on his arrival, but I
fear it will be utterly impossible for me to get through the
Legislative Session if I appoint him Colonial Secretary, and as
such, President of the Legislative Council. I am informed,
though not officially, that the Members for Victoria will not
take their seats in a Council presided over by Mr Hankin.
Numerous petitions are being got up praying that I will not try
the experiment.

3. I have the honor to enclose copy of a letter from Mr
William Young whom Mr Hankin supersedes. It would be vain to
deny the fact that I cannot place that entire confidence in
Mr Young which it is desirable that a Colonial Secretary
should receive from his superior officer. I fear that there is
no doubt of his being mixed up in the eternal small intrigues
which stir up the Victoria community. When I am in this town
there is no great harm in his proceedings, or suspected
proceedings, but I cannot leave Head Quarters without a slight
feeling of uneasiness. He is however shrewd, industrious,
painstaking, and in many respects able. I need hardly say that
I would infinitely rather take him—with the vague feeling of
distrust from which I cannot free myself—as Colonial Secretary
than Mr Hankin.

4. Mr Young certainly in his letter makes out a strong case
for Your Grace's consideration. He has served nearly ten years
as Colonial Secretary of British Columbia or Vancouver Island.
He gave up his Situation in the Navy for the Civil Service and I
believe that during his tenure of office here, he has given
satisfaction to Sir James Douglas, Mr Kennedy and I know to
myself—entirely so, but for his local connections. Mr Young
has some remarkably good qualities for a public officer and
prominently amongst them I should mention his industry, zeal and
temper. I could hardly desire to have a more efficient Colonial
Secretary in a place new to himself where he could venture to
think entirely for himself.

Entertaining a strong opinion as to Mr Young's claims upon
the Government it never occurred to me when suggesting in
Downing Street, the mode in which the amalgamation of the civil
Establishments of the two Western Colonies, then about to be
united should be carried out, to dispense with the Services of
Mr Young. I find in the list of Public Officers for the
United Colony drawn up principally by Mr Blackwood and
myself, but submitted for the approval of the Earl of Carnarvon
the following remark placed opposite the name of Mr Young.
It shews that the feeling of uneasiness on my part is not of
recent growth. "Mr Seymour would prefer (solely on public
grounds) that Mr Young, who will be displaced from the office
of Colonial Secretary of Vancouver Island should be appointed
to be Police Magistrate at Victoria, Salary £800 and that Mr
O'Reilly now a Stipendiary Magistrate up the Country should be
appointed Colonial Secretary at the Salary (as before) of £800."

6. Mr Young therefore makes no mistake when he says that I
assured him, on my assumption of the General Government, that he
should have the Colonial Secretaryship or a situation of equal value.

7. I cannot believe that under the circumstances Your Grace
will look with indifference upon Mr Young's appeal. I
confidently state that in him you will possess a valuable public
Servant. I am quite prepared to receive him from Your Grace's
hands as Colonial Secretary trammeled though he be with
recollections of the miserable disputes which signallized the
early Colonization of this Coast; but I imagine that he would be
still more useful in a new scene of action where he would start
free from all prejudices and partialities.

8. It seems to me, if I may venture to say so, that the public
faith is pledged to Mr Young by the communication which, with
 the sanction of the Earl of Carnarvon, I made to him on the
Union of the Colonies being effected.