"GEO. A. WALKEM,
_"Attorney-General.
"Victoria, 17th August, 1875."_
The Lieutenant-Governor in Council adopted the following Minute:—
"Copy of a Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Executive Council, approved by His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, on the 18th day of August, 1875.
"The Committee of Council concur with the statements and recommendations contained in the Memorandum of the Honourable the Attorney-General, on the subject of Indian affairs, dated 17th August, 1875, and advise that it be adopted as the expression of the views of this Government as to the best method of bringing about a settlement of the Indian Land Question.
"(Certified) W. J. ARMSTRONG, Clerk of the Executive Council."
The next thing was to secure the adoption of the scheme by the Government of Canada; and with this view Mr. Duncan undertook the long journey across the continent to Ottawa. The Hon. D. Laird, Minister of the Interior, gave the most attentive hearing to his representations, and also made him a donation of 1,000 dollars towards the work at Metlakahtla; and on May 10th, 1876, Mr. Duncan wrote, "I am glad to inform you that the terms set forth in the Report have been adopted (with a small modification or two) by the Dominion Government, and so the dead-lock about the land question seems in a fair way of being removed."
Mr. Duncan's well-timed interposition in this matter was not the least of the many services God has enabled him to render to the Indian population of British Columbia.
About the same time, the Provincial Government gave another proof of its confidence in the Mission, by appointing one of the Christian Tsimsheans of Metlakahtla head constable of the district, with a salary of 350 dollars per annum.