Woodcroft to Elliot (Assistant Under-Secretary)

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the
15th inst., enclosing the copy of a letter from Mr E.G. Alston,
 the Registrar General of Vancouver Island, applying on behalf of
the Mechanics' Institute at Victoria for a grant of such of the
Publications of the Commissioners of Patents as to them may seem
most suitable.

In reply I beg to acquaint you for the information of the Secretary
of State that the Commissioners of Patents are willing to present a
complete set of their Publications to the Government of Vancouver Island; but Mr Alston has stated that the printed Specifications
(now numbering nearly 2000 Volumes) will not be required at
present. The Commissioners therefore propose to include in the
grant copies of all their works except the printed specifications.
Instructions have accordingly been given for the selection of the
Works, which will be ready for delivery to the Crown Agents for the
Colonies on Monday, the 2nd of April.