▁include ▁the ▁non - min ing ▁" hang ers - on " ▁population . ▁ ▁Richard ▁Clement ▁Mo ody ▁and ▁the ▁B irth ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁ ▁When ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁F ras er ▁C any on ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁reached ▁London , ▁Richard ▁Clement ▁Mo ody ▁was ▁hand - p icked ▁by ▁the ▁Col onial ▁Office , ▁under ▁Sir ▁Edward ▁Bul wer - L y tt on , ▁to ▁establish ▁British ▁order ▁and ▁to ▁transform ▁British ▁Columbia ▁into ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ' s ▁" bul w ark ▁in ▁the ▁far th est ▁west " ▁ ▁and ▁" found ▁a ▁second ▁England ▁on ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ". ▁Mo ody ▁arrived ▁in ▁British ▁Columbia ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁command ing ▁the ▁Royal ▁Engine ers , ▁Columbia ▁Det achment . ▁Mo ody ▁had ▁hoped ▁to ▁begin ▁immediately ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁a ▁capital ▁city , ▁but ▁upon ▁his ▁arrival ▁at ▁Fort ▁Lang ley ▁he ▁learned ▁of ▁an ▁out break ▁of ▁violence ▁at ▁the ▁settlement ▁of ▁Hill ' s ▁Bar . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁incident ▁popular ly ▁known ▁as ▁" N ed ▁McG owan ' s ▁War ", ▁where ▁Mo ody ▁successfully ▁qu ashed ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁reb elli ous ▁American ▁min ers . ▁ ▁Governor ▁Douglas ▁placed ▁restrictions ▁on ▁imm igration ▁to ▁the ▁new ▁British ▁col ony , ▁including ▁the ▁prov iso ▁that ▁entry ▁to ▁the ▁territory ▁must ▁be ▁made ▁via ▁Victoria ▁and ▁not ▁over land , ▁but ▁thousands ▁of ▁men ▁still ▁arrived ▁via ▁the ▁Ok an agan