No. 86
11th July 1870
My Lord,
I have the honor to transmit to Your Lordship the usual copies of three Ordinances passed by the Legislative Council during the last Session entitled respectively— An Ordinance to facilitate the issue of Crown Grants.
AnManuscript image An Ordinance to amend and consolidate the Laws affecting Crown Lands in British Columbia.
and
An Ordinance to assimilate the Law relating to the Transfer of Real Estate and to provide for the Registration of Titles to Land throughout the Colony of British Columbia.
2. I forward theseOrdinancesManuscript image Ordinances together as they form a group of measures having relation to each other. I have taken much interest in their preparation as I was early convinced that an uniform and amended system was necessary in respect of the Land laws of the United Colony, and I strongly recommend them to Your Lordship's favorable consideration. But it would be superfluous for me to trouble you withlengthenedManuscript image lengthened explanations in addition to the exhaustive reports from Mr Crease the late Attorney General which are annexed.
3. Some objection has been made to the third of these Ordinances, and I forward copy of a Letter addressed to me on the subject by the Managers of the Banks of British North America, British Columbia and the Agents of Messrs Wells, Fargo, & Co with anopinionManuscript image opinion from their legal Advisers setting forth the grounds of their opposition to the measure. I am not however disposed to regard their objections as valid, and they are I believe sufficiently answered by Mr Crease in his special Report upon them which I also forward.
I have the honor to be,
My Lord,
Your most obedient
humble Servant
A. Musgrave
Minutes by CO staff
Manuscript image
CC 9/8

4 Issue of Crown Grants. To Land Board for Report.
18 Consolidatn of Crown Land Ordces.. To Land Board for Report.
17 Registration of Titles to Land. To Land Board for Report.
At once.
Send the Enclosures in original, and ask for them to be returned.
HTH 10/8
Other documents included in the file
Three printed copies of each ordinance as per despatch not on microfilm.
Manuscript image
H.P.P. Crease, Attorney General, to Musgrave, 16 April 1870, reporting favorably on the ordinance designed to facilitate the issue of Crown Land.