"Hoping you have had a pleasant passage, believe me, "Yours very truly, "E. WATKIN, Esq., London. "A. G. DALLAS. "P.S.--I do not see how the Company can make anything out of placer gold diggings in such a country. The miners must be encouraged, and mining licences cannot be expected to do more than pay the cost of collection, magistracy, police, &c. The surrender of all this territory to the Crown, however, is a question to be dealt with by the Board. My aim is to disabuse you of the idea that the Company can of itself turn the territory to profit by sale of lands, mining rights, making roads, telegraph, &c. "A. G. D." "MONTREAL, "18_th August,_ 1863. "MY DEAR MR. WATKIN, "I left New York the evening of the day I parted from you, and reached this place on the Saturday night, _via_ Boston and Portland, quite done up, having travelled two nights without undressing. The crowds were such as they were on the Hudson, and my mind often reverted to the good things I left at the door of the steward's pantry in the 'Scotia,' "Brydges is not yet back from Quebec, and Hopkins and I start to-morrow for the Saguenay and St. John's Lake, where affairs require to be looked after. "I have a letter to-day from St. Paul, in which Kittson says that the railroad gentry were anxiously expecting you, and making much capital out of the expected visit. He adds, 'The people of the State will not be so blind to their own interest as to decline to undertake to complete the portion of telegraph required. I have no doubt that a company could immediately be formed to accomplish the object.' "Reverting to _my grievance_ against the old Board, I wish to state what I complain of, viz., that I am charged with my passage across the Atlantic, and with a sum of L50, drawn to cover travelling expenses to Montreal. These were charged against me in February, 1862, and _have borne interest against me_ since then. "2ndly. I complain that I am charged interest on all sums drawn by me in each year--though _within_ the amount of that year's salary. I surely am entitled to draw my pay from time to time to cover my expenditure? Officers in this country manage under the existing system of accounts to get the benefit of funds, even in excess of their pay, for two years without interest.