Colonial Despatches

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 30, of the 4th of June last, on the subject of the conveyance of Land in British Columbia.

The Instructions which you have issued to Colonel Moody and to the District Magistrates, to avoid for the future the errorwhich which had occurred in the grant of unsurveyed Land in the Colony, appear well calculated to produce the desired effect.

I must however observe that although it is doubtless very desirable that Land disposed of before Survey should be subject to the condition of continuous occupation till the Survey comes up to it, that condition is not imposed by the 7th Article of the Proclamation. Any confusion therefore which may result from the omission of that condition is in my opinion chargeable on theimperfect imperfect language of the Proclamation and not on the Chief Commissioner.