We do not know his name: Klatsassin and the Chilcotin War
   
 

Waddington to Moody

Victoria, January 19th 1863.

[ Alfred Waddington, Undetermined, BCA A-01885 ]

To Colonel R. C. Moody
Chief Comissioner of Lands & Works
of British Columbia.

Sir,

When I had the honor of conferring with you last week on the line of Waggon Road to be adopted from the Head of Bute Inlet to the Chilcoatin, the maps of which are now being copied for your final approval, I took occasion to allude to the insurmountable difficulties I met with in obtaining the necessary capital, and the absolute necessity of my getting an extension of the Charter beyond the five years originally granted.

You will do me the justice, Sir, to allow that in the whole of this undertaking I have spared neither time nor trouble nor Expense; indeed the results speak for themselves; but in order to carry out those results I have to apply to Capitalists, and I find it impossible to induce Capitalists to invest in an undertaking in which, as they truly observe, so large an outlay is required, and so comparatively short a period granted, to cover risks and insure the reimbursement of the Capital and interest, besides a reasonable profit.

On the other hand it cannot be desired [denied?], that by reducing the toll and extending it over a greater number of years, the public burden would be more equally divided; at the same time that the public interest would be once for all secured in the completion of a work which will benefit future miners as much or more so than those of the present day, and to which it is but fair that they should contribute also.

If granted, I should be perfectly willing to meet an Extension of time by a reasonable reduction in the present amount of toll. The general feeling seems to be that a term of ten years would be none too long, and I therefore earnestly request an extension for that period, in compensation for which I would propose a fair reduction in the maximum price of toll, -- say from five cents to three cents.

I remain,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant.
Signed,
Alfred Waddington

A true copy
H.R. Luard
[illegible]

Source: BCA, Colonial Correspondence, Gr-1372, F1808, Mflm B-1372, Alfred Waddington, Letter to R. C. Moody, January 19, 1863.

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