Colonial Despatches

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 11 of the 24th February enclosing an Ordinance "to provide for the settlement of all outstanding questions relating to the Sale of land for taxes in Vancouvers Island."

I am aware that questions of this kind can only be dealtwith with by somewhat arbitrary methods. But I fear that the provisions of this Ordinance if literally carried out may in many conceivable cases work great injustice.

It may for instance be found on the one hand that certain of the Purchasers have effected improvements on their land or incurred expenses on the faith of their ownership which would entitle them if removed to special compensation, while on the other persons who have paid their taxes and have had their lands illegally sold cannot properly be called on to buy off purchasesto to whom the government have without any right to do so sold their property.

I am of opinion that the government ought to be enabled to meet these difficulties and with the advice of a Commission or Board of competent persons, should be empowered on examination either to confirm the titles of such purchasers as can satisfactorialy make out a case of hardship or to award them special compensation and also to pay from public funds such compensation as may be payable to the purchasers of lands which Government wasnot not really entitled to sell.

The Ordinance has not been submitted to Her Majesty but I have to inform you that Her Majesty will not be advised to disallow it, if provisions to the above effect are made.