Colonial Despatches

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 64 of the 12th April enclosing the Ordinance of the government of British Columbia No. 6 of 1867 entitled "an Ordinance authorizing the sale of the Real and Personal Estate of Intestates."

Looking to the objections raised by the Attorney General to the provisions of that Ordinance, and to the statement, that had you been aware of those objections you would have returned the bill to the Council for amendment, I should wish to be informed, before advising Her Majesty upon the subject, for what reason the alteration was made in Section 3 requiring the payment in to the credit of the general Revenue instead of the credit of the Accountant General as heretofore; and further to beinformed informed whether the question of the payment of fees was duly considered or simply adopted from the former Act 29. Vict: No. 8 as it appears to me that fees upon a low scale might very properly be taken.

I approve of the main object of the Ordinance but think that an Ordinance amended in the particulars to which I have called your attention should be passed in substitution for it.