Verney to Buckingham

The accompanying copy has been sent to me of a petition which I
am informed has been recently presented to your Grace.

For three years I commanded H.M.S. Grappler in British Columbia
and the adjacent waters, during the last year of which time Mr
Seymour was Governor.

When in some quarters there exists as strong a personal feeling
against Governor Seymour as this petition indicates, it is only
common fairness for me to express my views, whatever they may be
worth, which are directly opposed to paragraph seven of the petition.

Although I am of opinion that Victoria ought certainly to be the
capital of the Colony, I consider that the choice of the Seat of
Government may well be left to Governor Seymour, whose painstaking
 conscientiousness in his duties must be apparent to all who have the
honour of knowing him intimately: Or it may as safely be left to the
Legislative Council whose debates up to the present time have been
characterized by anything but servility to the Executive.