No. 61

I transmit to you with reference to the correspondence noted in the
margin  a copy of a further letter * which I have received
from Mr. G.E. Nias on the subject of the land in dispute between him and
 the Government of B.C.

I have been communicative with Mr. Trutch and Mr. Phil[l]ippo on
the matter, which it appears very undesirable to leave in its present
unsettled state and I am inclined to think that if your Government is
not in a condition or is not prepared to terminate Mr. Nias' occupancy of
the land and he is unable to establish a distinct legal claim to it
under the decision of a court of law the best course (which I believe
has been already under consideration) would be to offer him a lease of
the land in question for a term of years at a nominal rent in order to
enable him to exhaust the value of improvements he is said to have made
upon it.

I enclose for your information a copy of the reply which I have caused to be sent to
Mr. Nias's letter* and also a copy* of the letter addressed to him on the receipt
of your Despatch No. 145 of the 16th of November 1870.