Colonial Despatches

In my Despatch No. 34 of the 22nd of July, I instructed you that Fees paid for Marriage Licenses ought, as was your opinion, to be viewed as part of the Crown Revenue of Vancouver Island.

You very properly suggestedthat that in case they had on the contrary been paid to the Governor personally they should continue to be devoted by him to Charitable purposes.

I did not instruct you to make the same appropriating of them when they were merged in the Crown Revenue, because the first demand on that Revenue consists of the public salaries for which at present there is no other provision. But I think it right to add the present explanation to you that supposing this Revenue toprove prove adequate, I do not wish by my previous Despatch to preclude your recommending, if you think it expedient, the application of any moderate part of it which can be spared for the purpose to charitable objects.