Colonial Despatches

In your despatch No. 149 of 22nd November you enclosed the copy of an Ordinance "for regulating the acquisition of Crown Lands in British Columbia," from which you have withheld your assent and which you state yourself to have reserved.

In order to prevent misapprehension it may be as well to point out to you that the Order in Council from which your powers in this respect are derived does not enable you to reserve a bill for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure, nor does it give to Her Majesty the power of assenting to such a Bill.

The present Ordinance is sent home with the Colonial Seal and your signature, which is prescribed by your instructions as the mode of giving your assent, and does not contain a suspending clause.

I do not clearly understand what is the formal course which you have taken with it. But I presume you have taken care not to adopt any formality which would have the effect of bringing it into operation.

I must observe that muchconfusion confusion and correspondence would be saved if you would take care that the exercise of your powers as Governor should be in conformity with the Letters Patent and other Instruments from which those powers are derived.