No. 197

I have the honor to acknowledge your Despatch No 59 of the
30th April enclosing for my information the Copy of a Report
from Her Majesty's Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioner in
respect to reserving the Coal and Timber both of British Columbia
and Vancouver's Island for Government purposes.

2. From a careful perusal of that Report, I am able to learn
that experience in such reservations does not point them out as
being salutary, and that in the case of Colonies where they
have been made, they have been wisely discontinued.

3. I will therefore in conformity with the views you have
expressed on the subject make no reserves of Coal or Timber for
Government purposes in British Columbia and Vancouvers Island
my own limited experience having further satisfied me that such
reserves are vexatious and unnecessary.