Colonial Despatches

I have to acknowledge your letter of 13th instant, with a Despatch from the Governor of British Columbia on the subject of a Survey of the land conceded to the Hudson's Bay Company in that Colony.

2. By an Agreement made in October 1861 it was arranged, that the Hudsons Bay Company should receive, in satisfaction of indefinite claims which they alleged themselves to have to land in British Columbia, certain plots containing in all 2913 Acres, being principally the Sites and immediate environs of their former trading Posts. The Company complain that the Government of British Columbia have incurred unnecessary delay in conveying to them these lands. Governor Seymour answers that by the existing Law no grant can be issued until the Government Survey extends to this Land claimed, which is the case with only a portion of the Hudsons Bay Cos Lands. As, however, many years will probably elapse before the Government Survey is extended over the whole Colony, the Governor proposes to make some alteration in the Law at the next Session. It remains to be seen how far any such alteration will meet the inconvenience of which the Hudsons Bay Company complain, but as their blocks of Land are 24 in number, extended over a large portion of the Colony, and varying in size from one Acre to 600, and as many of them are not, as Mr Seymour observes, worth the expense of a separate Survey, it is scarcely probable that grants can be issued for the whole at an early date. The Governor expresses a desire to meet the wishes of the Company, and there seems no reason to doubt that he will do so as far as he can consistently with justice to other Settlers.