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Date: 1862-05-06
By: Arthur Gordon
Citation: Despatch from Lieutenant Governor Arthur Gordon to the Duke of Newcastle (6 May 1862) in UK, HC, Return to an Address of the Honourable The House of Commons, dated 30 June 1864; for Copy of Correspondence between any of the North American Provinces and the Imperial Government, relating to their Application for Assistance in raising a Loan for an International Railway (1864).
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Fredericton, New Brunswick, 6 May 1862.

My Lord Duke,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Grace’s Despatch of the 12th ultimo, containing the reply of Her Majesty’s Government to the application made by the Provinces of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, for Imperial aid towards the construction of an Intercolonial Railway.

2. I shall lose no tine in submitting this important communication to the consideration of my Council, but the members of that body are at present without exception absent, and some little time must elapse before they can be again collected here.

3. In the meanwhile, however, I may venture to assure your Grace that no step will be hastily taken on the part of this Province, and that the consideration of the offer, now made by Her Majesty’s Government, will be undertaken with a strong desire to adopt the proposed arrangement.

4. At the same time it is, of course, felt, that although the proposal now made by Her Majesty’s Government is similar to that made by the Provinces 10 years ago, the position of the question as regards New Brunswick is by no means the same as it then vas; a considerable extent of railway having since that period been constructed, and a heavy amount of debt consequently incurred by the Province, and it is my duty frankly to confess to your Grace, that I see very great difficulty in the adoption of a course which, even at the most moderate rate of interest, must add so largely to the burdens of the Colony.

5. I shall have the honour of addressing your Grace on this subject again, and probably at greater length when I have ascertained the views of my Executive Council.

I have, &c.
(signed) Arthur H. Gordon.