Tully to Lytton

I venture to solicit the honor of an interview on a subject of
great importance, the laying down [of] a Submarine Telegraph between our
New Colony of Columbia & the City of San Francisco in California,
there being well-grounded reasons to expect in a very short time,
that a telegraphic communication will be effected between San
Francisco & the Atlantic Ports of the United States.

Should Her Majesty's Government sanction and grant its aid to the
undertaking, by conceeding the privilege of laying down a
Telegraphic Cable from Victoria, Vancouver Island & such points of
our territory as may be required, and to land the Cable at San
Francisco, I shall be prepared to present to Her Majesty's
Government Contractors of the highest responsibility to execute the
work and Capitalists under a reasonable guaranty, to supply the
requisite Capital.

The United States have no sufficient interest involved to extend
an electric Line in the Pacific further north than San Francisco:
so that without aid from Her Majesty's Government, our Colony of
Columbia will be cut off from early telegraphic intercourse with
England.