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The series consists of copies of correspondence between Queen Victoria and Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton on the naming of British Columbia, 24 June to 26 July 1858. The copy, made in 1971, was a gift of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, on the centenary of the province, 1871-1971.

This series consists of letters inward from Gilbert M. Sproat, Agent General, London, England, received by the Provincial Secretary, 1872.

This series consists of poll-books, voters' lists, and correspondence relating to two landmark elections in British Columbia: the election of 1871 of representatives to the provincial legislature, and the election of 1872, called to elect provincial members to the Dominion House of Commons - respectively the first provincial election and the first federal election held in B.C. These records document B.C.'s last "open voting" elections (i.e. a secret ballot was not used). Compiled by A.F. Pemberton, Chief Returning Officer for Victoria, the records pertain to Victoria City, Victoria District, Esquimalt and Metchosin.

The election of 1871 was held in various parts of the province between October and December. It was conducted in accordance with the Colonial Election Regulation Act [34 Vic., No. 13, a statute which affirmed the practice of open voting (as opposed to the secret ballot). Thus, the poll books in this collection show the names of electors and the candidates for whom each elector voted. Voter's qualifications were determined by the colonial Qualification and Registration of Voters' Act [34 Vic., No. 156]. To qualify for the franchise, a voter had to be male, a loyal British subject, over twenty-one years of age, literate (at least able to write his name), and a resident in B.C. for no less than six months. In addition, qualified electors had to meet one of the following criteria: occupy premises with an annual rent of $40 or more; own freehold property having an assessed value of at least $250; have a pre-emption claim of 100 acres or more; possess a free-miners' license.

The Dominion election of 1872 was held under the authority of two federal statutes: the Interim Parliamentary Election Act of 1871 [34 Vic., c.20] and the Act to Re-adjust the Representation in the House of Commons, 1872 [35 Vic., c.13]. The first statute made provisions for holding a federal election in B.C.; the second confirmed the number of MPs to be elected from B.C. [6] and established federal electoral boundaries. 2 MPs were elected from the district of Victoria; 1 MP from the district of Vancouver (i.e. Vancouver Island north of Victoria and adjacent to the Gulf Islands); 1 MP for each of the districts of New Westminster, Yale, and Cariboo. Section 5 of the Interim Parliamentary Elections Act declared that the laws already in force in B.C. would apply to the election of 1872. Accordingly, polling for the province's first federal election was carried out under colonial legislation noted above. The Dominion election was also carried out in accordance with B.C.'s Corrupt Practices Prevention Act [34 Vic., No. 158], a colonial statute which stipulated that candidates had to declare all expenses incurred during their campaign. Hence the documents in Box 1, files 6 & 7 of this collection.

The records in GR-1667 relate solely to the Victoria electoral district. For elections to the provincial legislature, the riding included areas within the city's limits. Federally, however, the electoral district of Victoria embraced the City of Victoria and adjacent areas of Saanich (Victoria District), Esquimalt and Metchosin. A.F. Pemberton was the district's chief Returning Officer in both elections. In the provincial election -- held on 16 October 1871 -- Pemberton established the district polling station at the Police Barracks in Bastion Square. In the Dominion election -- held on 2 September 1872 -- he established six polling stations. The polls were open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Three candidates contested the two Victoria seats: Amor DeCosmos, Henry Nathan and Robert Beavan. DeCosmos, and Nathan were elected. The results of the election, and returns from each of the polling stations, were published in the Victoria Daily Colonist (3 Sep 1872).

This series consists of an index of correspondence from the Department of the Provincial Secretary, 1872-1875.

This series contains 1 page of prison returns for June 1875.

This series consists of correspondence, petitions, accounts, statements of population, and reports relating to land of Indigenous peoples in British Columbia from the Department of the Provincial Secretary.

The records in this series consist of correspondence and reports inward to the Provincial Secretary from the Joint Indian Reserve Commission (Alexander Caulfield Anderson, Dominion Commissioner, Archibald McKinlay, Provincial Commissioner, and Gilbert Malcolm Sproat, Joint Commissioner). The records include reports; summaries of work; minutes of decision; census of Indian population, livestock and acreage of reserves; and two memoranda dated 1869 by J.W. Trutch regarding disputes about Indian lands in Cowichan district.

Copies of correspondence inward to the Lieutenant Governor from the Commissioners and certain correspondence with Dominion Officials is also included in the record. The records are as originally filed. In most cases, the original Provincial Secretary's file number may be seen on the first document in a file, eg., for file 3 the number is 664/76, representing the 664 document received in the year 1876.

This item is a telegram register volume. The telegrams date from 1877-1878 and appears to include correspondence in and correspondence out. The volume was likely maintained by the Department of the Provincial Secretary, though the creator is unconfirmed. The volume includes telegrams sent by a wide variety of government employees located in the capital and around the province, including positions such as Ministers and Government Agents. The volume records the date, name of sender, name of recipient, location, and the full contents of the telegram.

This series consists of Joint Indian Reserve Commission records, 1877-1878. Records include correspondence inward and outward and memoranda between Commissioners G.M. Sproat, A. McKinlay and A.C. Anderson and the Provincial Secretary and Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

This series consists of two volumes of prescription books of the Marine Hospital, 1874-1879.

Register of Proclamations, Commissions, Letters Patent, Leases, and other documents issued under the Great Seal of the Province of British Columbia, 1872-1881.

This series consists of a report of the Minister of Finance regarding the municipal boundaries of Surrey and Langley, and a report of a theft of public funds from the office of the Government Agent at Yale.

This series consists of a three page report and four pages of evidence taken by the commission appointed to examine into the conduct and management of the Royal Columbian Hospital. Report printed in Sessional Papers, 1883-84, p. 283-284.

This series consists of correspondence relating to the Royal Columbian Hospital. Contains copy of printed "Report of an investigation held at the Royal Columbian Hospital on the 13th day of February, 1883."

This series consists of a four page report and evidence taken by the commission to inquire into the management of the Provincial Asylum for Insane, New Westminster. Report printed in Sessional Papers, 1883-84, p. 281-282.

The series consists of copies of municipal assessment rolls sent to the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary in 1881 and 1884. The 1881 file contains rolls from Chilliwack, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Richmond and Surrey. The 1884 file contains rolls from Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, Richmond and Surrey.

This series contains the Provincial Secretary's register of letters inward. The register appears to be a clerk's interim or 'working' copy.

This series consists of jurors' Rolls and Lists, from the Cariboo District, 1884-1885.

Lists of persons claiming to vote in the electoral districts of Cariboo, Cowichan and Yale, 1886.

This series contains correspondence and by-laws for Saltspring Island (1871-1882) and the Municipality of Surrey (1880-1886).

This series includes a suggested draft for the 1872 Public Schools Act by Thomas Nicholson (1871), correspondence regarding the school at Burton's Prairie (1882) and correspondence regarding a request for an additional teacher at New Westminster High School (1889).

The series consists of miscellaneous correspondence inward to the Provincial Secretary (John Robson) in 1891. While the letters are stamped with the date received and often have notes regarding replies sent, they are not indexed or numbered.

This series consists of correspondence inward received by the Provincial Secretary, 1871-1892.

Consists of correspondence inward to Superintendents John Jessop (1872-1878), C.C. McKenzie (1878-1884), and S.D. Pope (1884-1899). Types of records include petitions for school buildings, applications for teaching posts, minutes of local school boards, school trustees' reports, etc. This series may be used in conjunction with GR-0449 (Superintendent of Education, Indexes to Correspondence Inward, 1881-1915) and GR-0450 (Superintendent of Education, Correspondence Outward, 1872-1919).

Researchers should also be aware of the Correspondence Inward files of the Provincial Secretary, 1871-1892 (GR-0526). Since the Provincial Secretary was responsible for the Education Department, these files contain many records pertaining to teachers, schools, and education matters in general. Access to documents in GR-0526 is through GR-0524 (Provincial Secretary. Registers and indexes of letters inward, 1872-1924). Documents pertaining to education, etc. are indexed under the headings "SCHOOLS", and "EDUCATION, SUPERINTENDENT".

This series consists of correspondence, a draft of the British Pacific Railway Act, minutes, notes on proceedings and reports of the Legislative Committee on Private Members' Bills.

This series consists of an index to Provincial Secretary letters outward, 1895-1897.

The series consists of certified lists of grand and petit jurors for the judicial district of Vancouver, created in 1900 and sent to the office of the Provincial Secretary. The lists contain the names, addressed and occupations of the jurors as well as their number on the jurors roll.

This series contains certified copies of the Grand and Petit Jury Lists for Nanaimo district, 1900.

This series consists of Juror's Rolls and Lists for Nanaimo, B.C., 1899-1902.

This series consists of a register of persons living in British Columbia who served with the Canadian Special Service Forces in South Africa and entitled to privileges given by the "Canadian Contingent Exemption Act, 1900."