No. 8

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt on the 3rd of
Instant of your Despatch No 1 of the 17th Decr last, transmitting
a letter from the Royal Commissioners of the Patriotic Fund, enclosing a
receipt for the amount of contributions to that charity, collected
within the District of Victoria.

I have also to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No 2 of
the 24th of December last, referring to my letter No 17 of the
13th September,
*
in which I took the liberty of suggesting that the Provisions and Stores
required for Her Majesty's Ships, should be sent direct from England to
Vancouver's Island, and that Store Houses for their reception, should be
erected at Port Esquimalt.

I observe with satisfaction that you have referred the subject of
that Despatch to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and that they
have directed Rear Admiral Bruce to furnish a report on the subject.

I have also the honor to acknowledge the receipt on the same
date of your Despatch No 3 of the 26th January,
**
referring to my letter of the 8th November last, reporting the outbreak of the Indian war in American Oregon.

It affords me the greatest satisfaction to observe, that the
measures which I pursued on that occasion, in respect to the aid
furnished to the American authorities, has met with your approval and I
trust that our proceedings since that time, dictated by a kindred
policy, as reported in subsequent communications, will also meet with
the approval of Her Majesty's Government.