7187.
1
MY LORD,
No. 421.
(BRITISH COLUMBIA.)
QUEEN'S ADVOCATE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
Doctors' Commons, July 27, 1866. I AM honoured with your Lordship's commands, signified in Sir Frederic Rogers' letter of the 23rd instant, stating that with reference to my letter of the 4th of October last* on the subject of the marriage ordinance passed by the Legislature of British Columbia, he was directed by your Lordship to transmit to me a copy of a Despatch which your Lordship's predecessor addressed to the Governor of the Colony, together 12 Oct. with a copy of a confidential report of the local Attorney General on the questions 1865. raised in that Despatch; and Sir Frederic Rogers was to request that I would furnish your Lordship with my opinion whether the explanation afforded by the Attorney General of British Columbia removes any doubts I may have entertained as to the propriety of submitting the ordinance for Her Majesty's confirmation.
In obedience to your Lordships commands I have the honour to
Report
That it appears from the opinion of the Attorney General of Columbia that the difficulty which I had felt about the operation of this Act on the Indian community has been generally considered by the Columbian authorities, and though the question raised in my former report as to the operation of the 17th section on Indian marriages is not perhaps directly answered, I think it does appear that the Act will be beneficial on the whole to Columbia, and that the special difficulty as to the Indian marriages cannot be immediately and completely overcome by any legislation, while there is a reasonable prospect that eventually such marriages will be brought within the reach of the provisions of this Act.
I have &c.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Carnarvon, (Signed)
&c.
&c.
ROBERT PHILLIMORE.
0 16978.--470.
25.-5/86.
&c.
• No. 361.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
c.o.
8857
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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