Townsend to Newcastle

In consequence of a former application of mine for
information respecting British Columbia, your Grace directed a copy of a Proclamation regulating the disposal of Crown-land there
to be forwarded to me for my perusal, and which I duly returned.

I am encouraged to enquire, whether, by your Grace's
directions, I can be furnished with, or allowed access to, any
information bearing on the agricultural conditions of British Columbia; which I am
anxious to obtain.

I may remark, with regard to the nature of the information I seek, that it is given very fully respecting VanCouver Island in a report of an official survey of land around the Nanaimo River, and in the Cowichan Valley in that Island, which was published in
October '59 by the Emigration Commissioners, by direction of the
Secretary of State for the Colonies.

I will not plead as my excuse for making this request, the
great public interest felt in British Columbia, for I am
individually interested in the colony, and am, moreover,
collecting information for publication respecting it. I may further plead the opinion so frequently expressed by Governor
Douglas in his published Despatches of the necessity which exists
for an emigration of agriculturists to the colony; which would of
course be likely to be forwarded by the publiation of information
bearing on the subject.