No. 26

I have the honor to forward an Authenticated and two plain
Copies of an Ordinance of the present Session of the Legislature
of this Colony, entitled;

No. 1. An Ordinance to extend the term of the Steam
Traction Engine Ordinance of 1864.

2. The Attorney General is so wholly engaged with his
Legislative duties that I am unable to obtain from him the
usual Legal summaries of the Acts of the Session, I therefore
propose, rather than retard public business, to forward all
the simpler laws supported only by my own report.

3. The Duke of Newcastle's despatch directing me to
appoint Mr Joseph Trutch to be Surveyor General of this
Colony found that gentleman on the point of starting for
England to purchase Traction Engines for the Upper Country.
Mr Trutch being extremely anxious to secure the situation
intended for him by His Grace delayed his departure.
Considerable time however, as stated in my despatch No. 6 of
19th May, 1864, elapsed before I could put him in possession
of it, and, once installed, I thought it desirable that he
should conduct certain surveys in the Cariboo district. Thus
many Months were lost in procuring the Traction Engines. The
present Ordinance is therefore to extend the term of the
monopoly granted to the Company of which Mr Trutch was a
member and the Agent.

4. The second clause of the Ordinance of 1864 provided
that no traction engine should come below Lytton on the one
road, and Lillooet on the other, without the consent of the
Surveyor General and Chief Commissioner of the Lands and Works.
As the Office is now held by Mr Trutch, who may retain some
interest in the Traction Engines, the third Section of the
present Ordinance provides that this consent shall not be
given without the written consent likewise of the Governor.

5. I am unwilling to Legislate further in this matter
in the absence of Mr Trutch, but I have given him notice that
I do not think traction Engines can possibly be allowed to
come even as far as Lytton.