Panning for Gold

Faces of the Gold Rush

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Thompson River First Nations

I forward herewith the depositions and other papers in the case against Mathias Neil, charged with the murder of William Hartwell at the Forks of Fraser and Thompson's River. The prisoner made his escape from the custody of Charles Emerson, a deputy Officer, near Sumas. I understand he is again captured and secured on board the brig "Recovery."(37) Captain Emerson informs me he wrote Your Excellency fully upon the subject. Efforts are being made by the Gambler's who infest the Country to obtain his discharge. When the trial comes on it will be proved that a more cool and deliberate murder seldom ocurrs.

I have also committed for trial George Harrison Jones for shooting Herman Wallace at Fort Yale on Sunday night last; the depositions I also forward herewith. There are some mitigating circumstances in this case; still, Your Excellency will not uphold the right of any man to sacrifice the life of his fellow-creature over a gaming and drinking table. I also enclose the verdict of the Coroner's jury for your perusal. I have had the prisoner in confinement in Fort Yale Prison on account of the heavy rains, and unfit to expose him and the Officer to so much wet.

I received two Letters from Your Excellency forwarded by Mr. Tennant which shall have every attention.

I have notified all parties that the sale of town lots will commence by your direction, and I am preparing the leases accordingly. Do you intend Mr. Allard and Mr. Yorke to have free grants, or are they to be on the same terms as other parties?(38)

The land opposite Fort Yale I have received for mining purposes, according to your decision.(39) Water will be conveyed on this flat from New York Bar Creek,(40) round the ridge of rocks above where Your Excellency camp'd opposite Fort Yale. The cost of flutning and conveying this water, from information that I have obtained, will not he less than five thousand dollars. A Company of miners have taken up the water and will commence the work early next Spring.(41)

McGowan and his party at Hill's Bar are all quiet, but insist on holding the bank or flat claims as well as the bar. I have done all I can with the limited force at my command, and I have checked them from working up to the present.

On Emery's Bar the same difficulty I have to contend against; the claimants on the bar have the assurance to demand back from the river to the foot of the Mountain, a distance of nearly two miles, and in consequence of my pointing out to them and others the absurdity of such grasping propensities, I am grossly insulted and considered a nuisance. I will, however, perform my duty and yet act with moderation. With regard to the petition forwarded and published at Victoria, I can assure Your Excellency it is a fabrication from beginning to end.,(42) McGowan was the mouthpiece of it all, and when I marked off the claims no person was allowed to interfere either way, and there was no objection made at the time by any of the miners, nor would it if McGowan had not interfered afterwards.

The Spuzzum Bridge,(43) is already erected by private enterprise, and proves to be a good substantial structure; the amount saved to the Government will be about five hundred dollars.

I herewith enclose a list of names of parties, applicants for land for Agricultural purposes, much attention is being turned towards Farming, and next year will prove that British Columbia can grow sufficient for her own consumption.(44) '

We have not had a dry day now for upwards of a week and every branch of Trade looks gloomy--the damp in the tent has caused me a very severe cold. I shall be in my new Office tomorrow.

I must respectfully apologize for the manner in which my letters are written; in future they will be forwarded cleaner and freer from blots. I cannot help myself on the present occasion.

RICHARD HICKS.
Assistant Crown Commissioner

Footnotes:
(37)This vessel had been purchased from the Hudson's Bay Company and was stationed near Langley to enforce payment of duties, license fees, and head-money, as the levy of two dollars per head "compensation" to the Hudson's Bay Company was called.
(38) The Governor had in his address to the Yale miners indicated the intention of granting leases with a right of pre-emption. See ante, p. 2. Mr. Allard was the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company at Yale; and Thomas York, who was than mining above Yale, was the father of the first white child born to the colony. Mr. Hick's handling of these leases is severely criticized by Judge Begbie in paragraph of his letter, February 3, 1859.
(39) See ante, note (20) and note (21).
(40) New York Bar was just above Yale, on the opposite, or left, bank, and near Lady Franklin Rock.
(41) Mr Hick's handling of the leases, was as llose as his handling of the land leases, and led to much dissatisfaction and trouble for himself. He did not hesitate to record an interest gor himself in some water partnerships.
(42) See note (24).
(43) The bridge over Spuzzum Creek. This would seem to here been built by Franklin Way, who in October, 1859, obtained the right to collect, for a period of six mouthe, twenty-five cents from each person crossing it.
(44) In response to this demand for agricultural land, Governor Douglas, on January 4, 1860, issued the first pre-emption Proclamation.

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