Confidential

In your despatch No. 149 of 22nd November you enclosed the copy
of an Ordinance "for regulating the acquisition of Crown Lands in
British Columbia," from which you have withheld your assent and which
you state yourself to have reserved.

In order to prevent misapprehension it may be as well to point
out to you that the Order in Council from which your powers in this
respect are derived does not enable you to reserve a bill for the
signification of Her Majesty's pleasure, nor does it give to Her
Majesty the power of assenting to such a Bill.

The present Ordinance is sent home with the Colonial Seal and
your signature, which is prescribed by your instructions as the mode
of giving your assent, and does not contain a suspending clause.

I do not clearly understand what is the formal course which you
have taken with it. But I presume you have taken care not to adopt
any formality which would have the effect of bringing it into
operation.

I must observe that much confusion and correspondence would be
saved if you would take care that the exercise of your powers as
Governor should be in conformity with the Letters Patent and other
Instruments from which those powers are derived.