Murdoch to Elliot (Assistant Under-Secretary)
Emigration Board
22nd March 1867
Sir
With reference to your letter of
9th inst, authorizing the
omission from the Deed for the reconveyance of
Vancouver's Island
to the Crown of certain words objected to by the Solicitors of the
Hudson's Bay C
o, I have to report, for the information of His
Grace the
Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, that we have had the Deed
engrossed with the words omitted, and left with the Company for
execution.
We
2. We have now received a letter from the Solicitors of the Company,
of which the enclosed is a copy, requesting that they may have a
duplicate of the Deed "signed by the proper authority on behalf of
Her Majesty." This application appears to be only reasonable.
3. I have therefore to request the instructions of the Secretary
of State as to who should execute the Deed on the part of the
Crown. If it is thought fit, as in the case of the grant of Guano
Licences, that this duty should devolve on us, it would doubtless
be satisfactory to the Company that we should have an express
direction to that effect, which we could exhibit to them as our
authority for acting in the matter.
I have the honor to be,
Sir
Your obedient
humble Servant
T.W.C. Murdoch
Minutes by CO staff
Sir F. Rogers
It seems proper that the Land & Emigration Commiss
rs should
execute this deed for the re-conveyance of
Vancouvers Island; and
that an Express direction to that effect should be given them.
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
Copy,
Maynard Son & Co. to
S. Walcott, Emigration Commissioner,
20
March 1867, asking for a duplicate of the reconveyance "signed by
the proper authority on behalf of Her Majesty."
Other documents included in the file
Elliot to Emigration Commissioners,
29 March 1867, advising
that they had been granted authority "to execute on the part of
the Crown the Deed for the reconveyance of
Vancouver Island to the
Crown."