No. 106

I have had the honor to receive Your Grace's despatch No. 26 of
12th May respecting the state of the laws regarding the
disposal of the public lands in this Colony.

2. I beg leave to forward a report from the Surveyor General on
the subject and would add my own testimony that the present law
works well. During the severe commercial crisis from which we
are just emerging the settlement of land in the Upper Country
continued, and the farmers were the chief support of the Colony
when heavy adversity fell on the shop keepers of Victoria and
New Westminster.

3. During the last year in one district alone, that of Yale,
forty six preemption claims were recorded by persons who have
stocked their farms and partially brought them under cultivation.