No. 5, Legislative
2 February 1864
My Lord Duke,
With reference to your Grace's Despatch Seperate of the 15th June last, and to Her Majesty's Order-in-Council, of the 11th day of June 1863, authorising the Governor of British Columbia to establish a Legislative CouncilcomposedManuscript image composed of 15 Members; and to your Grace's instructions in the aforesaid Despatch, directing that one third of the Members of the said Legislative Council should consist of persons nominated by the Residents in the Colony and recognized as representing their feelings and interests, I have to inform your Grace that these instructions have beennowManuscript image now fully carried into effect, and that the Legislative Council was convened, at this place, and formally opened by me on the twenty first day of January Ultimo.
2 I will not occupy Your Grace's time by entering into a detail of the steps by which the nomination of the five elective Members was effected, but will merely mention with referencetoManuscript image to that subject, that the Magistrates were instructed in a letter from the Colonial Secretary dated 16th September last, to promulgate among the inhabitants of the respective Districts the change authorised, in the system of Government, by Her Majesty's aforesaid Order-in-Council, and to desire them to select and forward, through the Magistrates, for my approval,theManuscript image the names of five persons of good character and approved Loyalty, to serve and to represent their interests in the Legislative Council, and I further directed that the Members should be apportioned as follows, to wit:
District of New Westminster 1 Member
Districts of Hope, Yale, & Lytton 1   "
   do     do Douglas & Lillooet 1   "
   do     do Carribou East 1   "
   do     do Carribou West 1   "
3. For obvious reasons I didnotManuscript image not consider it expedient to prescribe the mode of election, or fix the qualifications of Members or Electors; leaving to the Residents, in every case, free and unbiased liberty of choice. The proceedings were conducted in a perfectly orderly manner, and the nominees are persons of unexceptionable character; I had therefore the satisfaction of being able in every instancetoManuscript image to approve and confirm them.
4. The Legislative Council now consists of the following Official and Unofficial Members vizt:
The Colonial Secretary
 "  Attorney General
 "  Collector of Customs
 "  Treasurer ) These Offices temporarily held
 "  Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works ) by Mr Chartres Brew
Chartres Brew Chief Inspector of Police
Peter O'Reilly Gold Commissioner & Magistrate
Edward Howard Sanders Asst do           do
Henry Maynard Ball Asst Gold Commissioner & Magistrate
Philip Henry Nind          do      do        do
Joshua Attwood Reynolds Homer New Westminster
Robert Thompson Smith Hope Lytton & Yale
Henry Holbrook Douglas & Lillooet
James Orr Carribou East
Nomination announced by the Magistrate but not yet appointed
Black Carribou West
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5. I herewith forward a copy of my Speech on the opening of the Legislative Council and of their address in reply.
6.Manuscript image 6. I have, in conclusion, to state that these proceedings have given great satisfaction to the people of the Colony at large, and will, I trust, meet with your Grace's approval.
I have the honor to be
My Lord Duke
Your Grace's most obedient
Humble Servant
James Douglas
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Elliot
There is nothing else to do with this except acke it's receipt.
ABd 22-3
Sir F. Rogers
You may like to see this report of the first selection of Members of the Legislative Council on the elective principle. It is satisfactory to see the success of a measure which was necessarily peculiar and more or less experimental. Approve the manner in whichManuscript image Sir J. Douglas carried it into effect, and say that the Secy of State has learned with much pleasure that the result has been satisfactory both to the Governor and to the people?
TFE 23 March
FR 23/3
Very satisfactory, and it is well that Sir Jas. Douglas has been allowed to start the new institutions. Draft accordingly.
CF 24
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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Printed copy of Douglas's speech opening the legislative council at New Westminster, 21 January, 1864.
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Newspaper clipping, unnamed, 25 January 1864, "Reply of the Legislative Council to the Governor's Speech," signed by H.P.P. Crease, Presiding Member.
Other documents included in the file
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Draft reply, Newcastle to Douglas, Separate, 28 March 1864.