Colonial Despatches

I have hitherto deferred any reply to Lord Granville's Despatch No 46 of the 12th May last respecting the transference of the Crown Fund of Vancouver Island to the general Revenue of British Columbia, because it was not possible to do anything under his instructionsuntil until the next meeting of the Legislative Council. Since that Despatch was written the probability of the early Union of this Colony with the Dominion of Canada has very much increased. On the Meeting of the new Legislative Council in January there seems to be little doubt that the business first attended to will be the completion of the terms of agreement. The circumstances of the Colony will be so changed by Confederation that the arrangement proposed by Lord Granville in respect of the CrownFund Fund will scarcely be applicable. The Crown Lands of Vancouver Island have already been transferred to the local Government by the operation of the Land Ordinance, 1870. And I submit that it will now be best to leave the fund in its present position until the Union has been completed, when it may be transferred to the local government without any stipulation.