No. 3

I have much gratification in forwarding to Your Lordship printed
copies of an Address to the Queen which has been passed
unanimously by the Legislative Council of this Colony, praying
that Her Majesty will be pleased, under the 146th Section of
the British North America Act 1867, to admit British Columbia
into the Union, or Dominion of Canada on the basis of the terms
and conditions offered to this Colony by the Government of the
Dominion of Canada which are set forth in the Address. I
forward this Despatch by the overland route via Olympia in
Washington Territory, and as this mode of transmission is
uncertain from the state of the Roads at this time of the year,
I retain the original Address to be forwarded with Duplicate
Despatches by the usual and more certain opportunity which will
be afforded by the Mail Steamer next month direct to San
Francisco.

2. Mr Trutch who was one of the Delegates sent to Canada last
year for the purpose of negotiating arrangements for Union, will
again proceed to Ottawa with a copy of this Document, by the
Mail Steamer for San Francisco about the middle of February, for
the purpose of affording all necessary information as to details
of the proposed arrangements during the passage of a
corresponding Address through the Canadian Parliament.

3. It will probably be useful if not necessary to Your
Lordship's Department that some one from this Colony should be
present to afford information upon some points during the
preparation of the Order in Council, and Mr Trutch will go on
to England for the purpose of supplying it, after the
termination of his duties at Ottawa, which will probably not
occupy more than a month; I presume that the Canadian Government
will also appoint a Representative on their own behalf.