The Board having had under consideration the above Order in Council, the Secretary was instructed to communicate with the Minister of the Interior and state that, in the opinion of this Board, some better system of protection of Timber should be introduced, and also to say that to fix the minimum rental of a hay section at 25 cents per acre was too high and would greatly restrict, if not entirely prevent, any sections being leased. That the C. P. R. Co. and the Colization Coy.'s let their hay lands at various prices, generally by tender, and that, if the School Lands are to be let in competition with these Coy.s' lands, it would be well that no price be placed upon them but that they should be let by tender in a similar manner.

With reference to the remarks in foregoing letter under paragraphs 2 and 3, with regard to School Lands disposed of by the Dominion Government in lieu of which no lands have been selected, the following notice appeared in the "Canadian Gazette " of the 31st December, 1887:

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

OTTAWA, 19th December, 1887.

Notice is hereby given that the Minister of the Interior has withdrawn from sale and settlement, and has reserved for school purposes, under the provisions of Sub-section 2 of Section 22 of the Dominion Lands Act, 1879, the following lands in the North-West Territories, in lieu of School Lands found settled upon previous to survey, viz:—