Irving to Newcastle

Permit me briefly to lay before Your Grace the following
particulars relatively to a purchase of Land made by me in
Vancouver's Island.

By a letter from Mr Joseph Pemberton, Colonial Surveyor, dated
Victoria, Vancouver's Island December 12 1859 an allotment was
made to me of 159 Acres of Land in the North Saanich district,
being part of 200 acres for which I had applied at the price of
£1 p[er] acre.

I paid £50 down on account of this purchase which has been duly
ackn[owledged] by Governor Douglas. I wrote at a later period
to the Colonial Surveyor respecting the [remainder?]

of the Land to be allotted beyond the 159 Acres but received no
reply. I have thus become a purchaser of Land at £1 p acre, in
good faith that no subsequent act of the Colonial Legislature
would interfere with the [then?]

existing appraisement of Land, so as to depreciate its actual
value.

This, however, has recently been accomplished by the Pre-emption
system, and a reduction of the Government price to 4/2 per acre
with extraordinary facilities for payment.

It is but too obvious that this measure must be ruinously
injurious; and would be most unjust to the original purchasers
of Land, unless some provisional compensation were made.

I would therefore respectfully prefer a claim for the
restitution of the Sum of Fifty Pounds £50 Sterling paid by me
as already explained, the Government taking back the 159 acres
of Land so far allotted me.

May I further solicit an early answer from Your Grace on this
subject and in the meantime I remain