Murdoch to Elliot (Assistant Under-Secretary)

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 Co, 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.

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.