Chartres Brew. 71 4

the Colonial Secretary informing me that His Excellency the Governor
had determined on discontinuing Mr. Hicks*® as Assist. Gold Com-
missioner.

As Mr. Hicks has therefore ceased to be a public officer, I consider
it proper to ask for further instructions before I enter upon the Inquiry.
I take the liberty of suggesting that it may be expedient to suffer the =
matter to drop; for now no good result can arise from pressing the
charges to an investigation so far as they are an impeachment against
Mr. Hicks, and no matter how privately the Inquiry may be conducted
it would lead to a mischievous agitation here, which at present it would
be prudent to avoid. {

The remark at A in Captain Whannell’s letter of the 8th inst.**
alludes to a matter which in conversation I chanced to mention in his
hearing, that Mr. Hicks and I were coming up lately to Fort Yale
from Langly in a canoe and that persons passing down in boats hooted
Mr. Hicks. I confess I cannot coincide with the conclusions which T:
Captain Whannel!l implies should be drawn from this fact, and I
cannot reconcile myself to the propriety of his introducing the subject
into an official communication on the present occasion. op

I have the honor to be, ;
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed) C. Brew,
Chief Inspector of Police,
Ass. Chief Gold Commissioner.

To Lieut. Governor Moody, Victoria, V.I.

(Enclosure.) J
British CoLuMBIA,
Fort YALE,
Captain C. Brew, 8th February, 1859. . |

Commissioner of Police and Chief Gold Commissioner,
British Columbia. ]

Sir,—I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter,
dated the 7th inst., enclosing a communication to your address from
His Excellency Governor Douglas for my information, and requesting
me to state in writing, fully and clearly, the specific charges I have

(30) In June, 1858, when Douglas appointed Hicks, he wrote to the Secretary of State for
the Colonies, describing him as ‘‘a respectable Englishman engaged in mining pursuits.’? It took
less than six months for the Governor to ascertain his real character,

(31) See this letter, post, p. 72.