No. 23
Downing Street,
7 May 1860
Sir,
I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No 5 of the 12th of January enclosing a Proclamation issued by you prescribing the conditions on which unsurveyed Agricultural lands may be occupied in British Columbia.
The difficulties you experienced in providing surveyed Manuscript imagecountry lands for agricultural Settlers were explained in your despatches of the 4th July and 18th of October last and the present Proclamation carries into effect the measures to which you had found yourself compelled to resort of granting occupation of unsurveyed land with a future right of preemption.
The Proclamation has been laid before Parliament in compliance with the provisions of the Act 21-22 Vic: Cap. 99, but I shall delay to convey to you any final decision uponManuscript imageupon it until I shall have received your report upon the scheme of Captain Clarke R.E. for the disposal of the Crown Lands of British Columbia which I forwarded to you with my despatch No 3 of the 7th of January which has crossed your despatch now under acknowledgement.
In the meantime it may be useful to communicate to you the enclosed observations of the Emigration Commissioners in which some necessary amendments of the Proclamation issued by you are pointed outManuscript imageout.
I have the honor to be
Sir,
Your most obedient
humble servant
Newcastle
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Manuscript image
Extract of a Report from the Land Emigration Commissioners, 31 March 1860, recommending a number of changes to Douglas's proclamation regarding the pre-emption of unsurveyed land in British Columbia.