Berens to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st ultimo
wherein you say that you send me enclosed a copy of Governor
Douglas's dispatch upon the subject of reducing the price of Land in
Vancouvers Island. This enclosure however appears to have been omitted
as it did not accompany your letter consequently I am unable to give
you any opinion upon it.

In reference to the question as to whether our people are receiving
money paid for land I am not aware that any public lands have been
disposed of since the 31st of May last nor can I conceive that such
should have been the case as Mr Dallas has been frequently
instructed that no legal Titles could be granted either by the Government
or ourselves until the reconveyance of the Colony shall have been
effected. I am also under the impression that since the 31st of May
being the termination of our exclusive license of trade the Affairs
of the Colony have been entirely separate from those of the Hudsons
Bay Company. In reply to your question of allowing the Governor to
sell the Land and account to HM Government

*

for the proceeds pending the Question of
rightful ownership I am now preparing to answer to the letter of the
Duke of Newcastle of the 30th Decber last in which this subject
must necessarily be fully adverted to and which I hope to be able to
forward to your office very shortly. Should you however upon the
perusal of it consider that there [be] any subject upon which you
desire further information I shall be very glad to supply it.