The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-27 00:00:00

tifieation was required for the introduction of the present
measure. A complete revolution had recently taken
place in that country which was bounded on the wee. by
the Pacific, on the east by the Rocky Mountains, on the
south by the territory of the United States, and on the
north by a chain of hills, lakes, and rivers, and which
embraced an extent of about 400,000 square miles.
That district, but a short time since tenanted only by
will beasts and still wilder savages, with here and there
a hunter, bad suddenly become the scene of gold dis-
coveries, and was already the theatre of action, enter-
prise, and adventure. It was late in July, 1856, that in-
formation first reached this country of there being a sus-
picion of gold in thoss parts. At long interval., and by
occasional mails, some confirmation of that suspicion was
brouglt, from time to tiine ; but it was not till March of
this year that fuller and stronger confirmation arrived.
We then learned for the first time that emigrants were
departing in crowds from the gold mines of San Fran-
cisco, and were proceeding to this new El Dorado in the
British territory. The account of that immigration was
only to be compared to that which had taken place in
former years to San Francisco itself. The hardy adven-
turers sailed up hundreds of miles by sea, they pierced
the frontier, they found roads for themselves along the
valleys, they launched their frail canoes upon the river,
which was full of hidden rocks and not less dangerous

ecldies and currents ; and though many lost their lives,
were dro coned in the river, cr wandered from the road,
or died from des'itution, the great znaj uity at length
reached the scene of action—the haven of their ambi-
tion. It was to e' able us to establish something like
law and order, to frame something like a nucleus of

c vilisation round which future laws and institutions
might gather themselves, that be asked their lordships
to give this bill a second reading. It might be perhaps
argued that the Government had been rather precipitate
in entering upon this step ; but any one who was ac-
quainted with Lbe history of the gold colony of Califor-
nia admit that in such a case it was far better to

anticipate than to find ourselves in the rear. There were,
moreover, certain circumstances which gave peculiar
embarrassment and anxiety to this question, and which
at the same time appeared to call fer immediate action
on the part of the Government. In the first place, it
pellet be borne in mind that the whole of this territory
was at present in the main, though not actually, subject
to au exclusive license to trade with the Indians which
the Hudson's Bay Company had for many years en-
j eyed. It was true that that license expired next year.
It was also true that the Government bad no intention
of renewing that license, and that it would, therefore,
in point of law become entirely inoperative ; yet the
effects which it would Lave behind it and the influ-
ences which it had sown would exist, and they might
easily lead to complications and to serious embar-
rassments unless provision were at once made for
some effectual machinery of government. It must also
be borne in mind that we had not to deal with an exclu-
sively white population. There was a populeticia of
native Indians there, considerably outnumbering the
whites, and those savages naturally looked with distaste
and aversion upon those who, as all experience taught
them, must in the end deprive them of their inheritance.
These were some of the elements of difficulty and danger
which it was necessary to provide against, and the bill
wlich',was introduced for that purpose Was very simple.
It first proposed to give power to the Crown to make
laws and ordinances for the new colony. It then assigned
a limit of four years' duration to the operation of the
bill itself. It then proposed to establish a governor,
who should hold the reins of office provisionally for that
period, but who should be entrusted with very full and
absolute powers. At the same time, it provided that
the Crown, whenever it saw fit, should establish a freer
Government and a more liberal system of institutions.
And, finally, power was given to the Crown at any time,
upon the joint address of the two Houses of Assembly of
Vancouver's Island, to annex that island to the new
colony. It had been said in some quartersthat we were
by this bill establishing a governor with absolute and
arbitrary power, that we were departing from the path
of free institutions, and adopting a narrow and retro-
grade policy ; and it had been argued that we ought
either to give complete freedom and independence to the
new colony, or to prescribe in the first instance the par-
ticular form of government which we wished to see esta-
blished, and to appoint a provisional governor, holding
the reins of power simply until the new system could be
introduced. The advantage of giving free institutions to
our colonies was undeniable, but in this case there were
at present no materials for carrying them into operation,
and it must be borne in mind that the settlers who re-
sorted to the colony were not likely at first to be per-
manent. Objections had been taken to the name of
New Caledonia, though it seemed to be the first title
given in the old maps, and it was the name used
by Humboldt when speaking of the territory. Her
Majesty, however, had been graciously pleased to
signify her pleasure that henceforth the colony
should be known by the name of British Columbia. The
noble earl concluded by moving the second reading of
the bill.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said that, though no
opposition had been offered to the principles of the bill
in the other house, considerable doubts were entertained
out of doors by persons well acquainted with colonial
matters as to the propriety of creating a Government for
this territory at this particular time. It was thought
that, considering that Vancouver's Island vuas about to
lapse to the Crown next year, and that the licence of the
Hudson"- Bay Company would also expire very soon, it
would have been better to await the course of events.
He did not share, however, in those doubts. Tue Go-
vernment, he thought, bad adopted the right course in
endeavouring to establish a Government of some kind
for this territory. No one had advocated responsible
government for the colonies more strenuously than lie;
but such Governments were only applicable to colonists
of the English race. In this colony there were but few
English settlers, except here and there a trapper of the
Hudson's Bay Company, and what was wanted chiefly
was a strong executive G.ivernment. He had some
doubts as to the propriety of the 3d clause, which gave
power to the Queen to confer free institutions on the
colony by charter whenever she might see fit. He ques-
tioned whether her Majesty had not already that power;
but, considering that in one clause of the bitl this
particular Government was only to last four years, it
would have been better on the whole to omit this clause,
and not to hold out anticipations which might not ba
realised. He rose principally for the purpose of making
two or three suggestions to her Majesty's Government.
It was impossible not to see that there would be extreme
difficulty in introducing a settled form of government
into the celony under the peculiar circumstances of
the country ; but it offered some facilities for a better
system of colonisation than the mere eruption of
gold diggers. It was not, like other gold-bearing
districts, barren and rocky. It was a singularly fine
country for all the purposes of colonisation, apart
from the gold discoveries in it. It possessed a fertile soil,
magnificent woods of the finest timber fur shipbuilding
purposes, abundant and excellent fisheries, and coal in
large quantities, of a nature to generate steam. It con
tamed all the elements of a prosperous colony, and he
could not help thinking that some of the difficulties at-
tending its first settlement would be obviated if an at-
tempt were made to lay out a town, to allot land in con-
nection with it, or in some way to attract persons to set-
tle there permanently instead of merely going to search
for &old. They n.ight introduce at onto by those means
halite of civilisation, instead of only establishing a go-
vernment with sufficient force to coerce the population
into decency and order. (Hear.) Another point which
the Government ought to consider was with regard to
the warlike and somewhat savage tribes of Indians lo-
cated about the spot where the gold was at present dis-
covered. It was an undoubted fact that while they were
no means unfriendly to the English—owing, perhaps, to
communications with the Hudson's Bay Company—they
bad a great dread of the Americans. In the earlier pe-
riod of settling the colony the Americans from California
would fleck to these parts, and it would be the first duty
of the Government to int, rfere for the protection efne
aborigines. He did not wish to sentimentalise upon the
subject. He knew that it was the decree of God, which
it was impossible for humanity to prevent, that where
the white man appeared the red man should perish, but
it was, nevertheless, the duty of the Government, if pos-
sible, to prevent a recurrence of those horrors and cruel-
ties which had been witnessed in the western portions of
the United States. (Hear.) The third and last sugges-
tion was as to the protecting force. If they sent soldiers
accommodation and provisions must be found for them,
which would entail some difficulty at such a distance.
But whether they sent an organised body of the British
army or some other organised]force, he wished the Go-
vernment to consider and guard against the possibility
of a mili-ary disgrace being inflicted upon us, in the
event of a war breaking out, before means could be
found for the colony's defence. It would probably not be
thought desirable to maintain so expensive an establish-
mentr
as at Gibraltar, Malta, or Corfu, but it must be
r borne New
in
Zealand,mind that
a i this
remotecolony
from
greatwas Powersn not like
as Australiait.om
o
England—it was near to great Powers, but remote from
us. (Hear, hear.) In conclusion, the noble duke referred
to his efforts in the House of Commons to give Van-
couver's Island a constitution, when it was proposed to
band it over to the Hudson's Bay Company, and ex-
pressed a hope that now, when that event was about to
take place, the Government would, in all their arrange-
ments, look upon it as certain tint the people of Van-
couver's Island would avail themselves of the provisions
of this bill, and at an early date declare in favour of a
junction with the new colony. (Hear, bear.)
After a few words from Lord WODEHOUSE,
The bill was read a second time.
The Chelsea Bridge Act Amendment Bill, the Returns
to Secretary of Suite Bill, and the Detached Parts of
Counties Bill went through committee.
WRECK OF THE CANDACE.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY asked the Vice-
President of the Board of Trade whether it was the in-
tention of the Board of Trade to institute an inquiry
under the provisions of the 4323 section of the Merchant
Shipping Act, into the citcuunstences attending the lose
of this vessel. She was on a return voyage from the
coast of Africa, with a large cargo and seven passen-
gers, and in consequence of coming into collision with a
Duch vessel, she went down, when her cargo and seve-
ral passengers were lost. It was most desirable that in
every case of this kind an inquiry should take place,
and certainly, when he was in office, ho directed that
the most searching investigation should take place, both
as t ) the competency of the masters, and to ascertain if
e provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act were com-
plied with in every particular.
The Earl of DONOUGHMORE observed that before
this vessel went out on her voyage, she was extueined by,
Captain Stuart, and everything done which the law re-
quired. The accident was one of those unfortunate things
tney -all dep'or.'l, but from having read the evidence
carefully, he had no doubt whatever that no blame
boron,
whatowould
n r tto institute
b e could be attached to the crew of the Candace, and that
the loss wes owing to the negligence of the Dutch. The
o 711,0 lord askedgod h
effected h n
by,h
doing b
scot
i
:0
They had satisfied themse Ives on the two main point.;