The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-14 00:00:00

BRITISH COLUMBIA.

(From the Times' Correspondent.)
Victoria continues to grow and to prosper. Busi-
ness is not active as was expected, owing to the
fact that the immigration from California has been
diverted, for the time, to the new silver mines of
Washoe, in the Rocky Mountains, which have pro•
duced a furore all over the State. But on the whole
the merchants are pretty well satisfied with the
present state of affairs, and look with confidence to
the future.
There are now in port her Majesty's ship Ganges,
bearing-the flag of Admiral Baines; the Topize,
which arrived from England on the nth, all well,
having touched at Valparaiso aid the Sandwich
Isla9.ds on-her way-out ; and the Plumper, Captain
Richards, surveying vessel. The Plumper has just
returnrd from California, whither she went to have
her falsf; keel replaced at the AmeriCan Government
dock at Mare Island, opposite San Francisco. She
proceeds in a few days to the northern portion of
the Gulf of Georgia, to prosecute surveying opera.
tions, where, and on the mainland of British
Columbia, she will be employed for some time. The
Satelitte, Captain Prevost, is at present lying in a
point called Roche Harbour, situate at the northern
end of the famous island of San Juan, where she will
remain for about a week. She went there about a
week ago with Ei detachment of marines, consisting
of 85 men and a complement of officers, sent from
Victoria to take up a position on the island. The
soldiers are encamped at the head of a small bay on
the northern extremity of the island.
This disposition of Royal Marine Light Infantry
is popularly termed a " joint military occupation"
of the disputed island, the Americans having about
the same number of soldiers, left there by General
Scott, on or near the southern end of San Juan.
Whatever the placing of our soldiers on San Juan
may mean or imply, it is certainly not a joint mili-
tary occupation, for there is no convention, agree-
ment, or concert between the two Governments on
the subject; and what the use, benefit, utility, or
good effect of sending them there can be I cannot
conceive. The .proceeding may have its merits in
official eyes which have power to penetrate a mill-
stone, but to a civilian the act seems of very doubt-
ful advantage. On the contrary, one is disposed to
view it as out of time, behindhand, probably a
little undignified, decidedly inconsistent with our
previous course, uncalled for, and uselessly expen-
sive. . . .

An ostensible reason assigned is that " the Ame-
ricans have soldiers on the island." As we pro-
tested against this scandalous measure of theirs,
however, this reason does not appear a very valid
one. As we refrained from sending a force on the
island to preserve the status in quo when General
Harney violated it, the only occasion on which we
could consistently send a force there was to fight.
No such occasion has arisen, or is likely to arise.
Therefore, instead of playing at soldiers, and per-
haps causing irritation and producing probable
complications, we ought to have left the Americans
in the wrong.
The objections to this proceeding are more serious
than they at first sight appear. Without some
formalconvention between the Federal and Imperial
Governments, what jurisdiction is the island to be
made subject to ? How are offences to be punished,
by whom are offenders to be tried, and in virtue of
what law ? How are civil rights to be enforced ?
Bat instances which may cause trouble multiply in
one's mind, and I need not trace them any further.
In every point of view it seems to me objection-
able to have sent a single soldier to the island: The
time chosen is inopportune, the policy is doubtful,
and the site selected is not a happy one. I am not
quarrelling with our right to an" occupation,"—
that is unquestionable; but I hold that movements
of troops should never be made except in cases of
necessity, and I sincerely trust that our Govern-
ment will take and keep the subject entirely in its
own hands while negotiations are pending for the
settlement of the title and line of delimitation, else
complications may arise to retard the desirable
consummation of an adjustment. The point can only
be settled in Washington or London. No more
commissions can assist a settlement. The subject
his been completely exhausted here, and both
Governments possess all existing facts for their
information.

From British Columbia we have not much news.
The mining population has increased very consider-
ably within the last few weeks, but there has not
yet been time to receive much gold as the fruits of
their labours.
A good deal of land is being taken up for agricul-
tural purposesl
explained under a
previousth e late pre-emptionletter. law,
The most serious evil which British Columbta
suffers from is the want of roads, and there is no
possibility of removing this evil except by Govern-
ment aid. Taxation to an extent which would defray
the expense of the most necessary roadmaking into
the interior is simply impossible. A tax popularly,
or rather unpopularly, known as the "mule-tax,
of £1 for each animal on each journey carrying pro-
visions into the Upper Fraser river country
.was
imposed with' the view of raising revenue specially
for this purpose, but its unpopularity was so great
that it could not be enforced, and it is now in sus-
pense, The fact is the people cannot bear, that is,
cannot afford to pay—any additional taxation. The
limit has been reached, and the imposition of the
" mule-tax" was a most imprudent measure, and
has met with a deserved fate. The Government,
before unpopular, has by this attempt increased its
unpopularity, and to have persevered in it, would
have rendered the Governor entirely odious. Apart
from the principle of the measure, which I cannot
condemn, I have orb valid objection' to the tax—
namely, that it will not bring much money ; that it
will not pay, or rather would not pay if enforced.
It would oppress the people, and would not make
the roads, towards which object it would be but "a
drop in the bucket."
Colonel Hawkins, the British Boundary (Land)
Commissioner, arrived yesterday from England. He
and his party proceed in about eight or ten days to
Colville, via the Columbia river, to resume their
operations in exploring and running the line
towards the Rocky Mountains. They will winter
most probably at Colville.
I thought I had done with our good friend Gen.
Harney for some time at least. Not so, however.
This redoubtable person is determined to keep him-
self before the public.
We have just heard that he has carried matters
with a high hand against his friends—the Hadson's
Bay Company it Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia,
in Oregon. The company has continued in posses-
sion of one of their old posts at that place under the
treaty of 1846, by which the American Government
secured to them what is called their " possessory
rights." Many encroachments have from time to
time been made upon the company's property,
both they were always left undisturbed in
their ancient " Fort." ,Of late it seems a new
light has been thrown upon the treaty by
General Harney. He says that, as the British
Government has terminated the " special
licence' of the company to trade with the In-
dians of British Columbia, therefore the stipulations
quoacl their Oregon possessions also terminate or
become void. Some such reading as this it is the
General gives to the treaty. Whatever it is, it is a
couve iient one for him. Ho gives the company's
officers notice to quit, without deigning an expla-
nation whether he was acting under in ,tructions
from his Government or of his own volition ; and
their removal not proceeding with the celerity that
suited his ardent temperament he had one of the
houses pulled dovtn about the ears of one of the
company's servants the other day. Naturally
enough this affair has produced a great sensation,
and will most probably entail serious loss and in-
convenience to the company. A sudden ejectment
from one of their large establishments, crammed
with most valuable and perishable property,
besides the stock of cattle and horses about such a
place, is no joke. Here is another " complication"
for our Government. They may take my word for
it that until they assume a stern tone and take a
high stand with the American Government, and