c183

H

An Act to amend the “ Village Municipalities Act."

” R.S.B.C. 1924, [Assented to 19th December, 1925.] IS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the

Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

1. This Act may be cited as the “ Village Municipalities Act Short title. Amendment Act, 1925.”

2. Section 2 of the “ Village Municipalities Act," being chapter Amends s. 2. 183 of the “Revised Statutes of British Columbia, 1924," is amended by striking out the words " in which the number of persons then resident does not exceed one thousand, and " in the third, fourth, and fifth lines thereof.

3. (1.) The Schedule to said chapter 183 is amended by adding Amends Sch. after clause (35) of section 19 the following as clause (35a) :

“(35a.) For regulating traffic within the municipality.”
(2.) Said Schedule is further amended by adding to section 19
the following as clause (85)
“(85.) For purchasing, constructing, operating, and maintain-

ing, either within or without the municipality, works for
supplying for any and all purposes water, water-power,
electric light, and electric power to the inhabitants of
the municipality and of localities adjacent thereto, and
for regulating the rates, conditions, and terms under or
upon which the same may be supplied and used: Pro-
vided that no by-law passed under the provisions of this
clause shall come into force until approved by the
Lieutenant-Governor in Council."

VICTORIA, B.C. :
Printed by CHARLES F. BANFIELD, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.

1925.

An Act to provide for the Granting of certain Public

Lands in Aid of the Construction of the Pacific
Great Eastern Railway.

[Assented to 19th December, 1925.]

H

IS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the

Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

1. This Act may be cited as the “ Pacific Great Eastern Railway short title. Aid Act, 1925.”

2. In aid of the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Land grant in aid of from the City of Vancouver to a point on the Canadian National railway between

Prince George. Railway at or near the City of Prince George, it shall be lawful for the Lieutenant-Governor in Council to grant to the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company public lands not to exceed an extent of twenty thousand acres in respect of each mile of the main line of its railway now completed and in respect of each mile of the remainder of the main line between the termini mentioned in this section as and when constructed. All lands to be granted under the provisions of this section shall be selected within the Land Recording Districts of Clinton and Quesnel, and from public lands of the Province within the areas approximately described in Schedule A.

3. In aid of the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Land grant in aid of. from a point on the Canadian National Railway at or near Prince Prince George and

Pouce Coupe. George, the said point being the northern termini of the railway mentioned in section 2, to the eastern boundary of the Province at or near the village of Pouce Coupe, it shall be lawful for the Lieutenant-Governor in Council to grant to the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company public lands not to exceed an extent of twenty thousand acres in respect of each mile of its main line of railway

LAND GRANT.

between the termini mentioned in this section. For the purpose of determining the time when the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company shall become entitled to the land subsidy authorized under this section, the line of railway may be divided into sections of not less than twenty miles each, and the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company shall be deemed to have earned the subsidy in respect of each section as from the time when that section shall have been completed and ready for operation. All lands to be granted under the provisions of this section shall be selected, subject to the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, from public lands of the Province within the area approximately described in Schedule B.

Exemption of public lands subject to alienation.

4. “ Public lands” within the meaning of sections 2 and 4 shall not include lands which are held under pre-emption record or agreement to purchase, or under any Statute, or in any other manner which may obligate the Crown to convey title thereto, but may, subject to the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, include lands held under lease, licence, or permit from the Crown, subject to the condition that all rights of the holders of leases, licences, or permits, including all rights of renewal, shall be fully protected and preserved.

Provisions applicable to grants.

5. Every grant of public lands made under this Act shall be subject to the following exceptions, reservations, and provisions :(a.) All exceptions and reservations contained in grants from

the Crown made in Form No. 11 in the Schedule to the

“ Land Act": (6.) All waters within the area of any grant shall be subject

to the provisions of the “Water Act" and Acts in substitu

tion therefor or amendment thereof: (c.) Where timber lands, within the meaning of section 44 of

the “ Land Act,” are included in any grant, no timber standing thereon at the date of the grant shall be sold or disposed of at prices less than the prices which at the time of the sale or disposal thereof are being obtained by the Crown under substantially similar conditions for timber disposed of under the provisions of the “ Forest Act"; and for the purpose of ensuring observance of the

" provisions of this clause it is hereby declared that no sale or disposition of such timber shall be made by the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company, or be valid, unless

approved by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council: (d.) Such further exceptions, reservations, terms, and condi

tions as the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may direct to be inserted in any grant issued or agreement entered into

LAND GRANT.

6. (1.) Subject to subsection (2), all lands included in any grant Exemption of lands

from taxation. under this Act shall be exempt for a period of twenty years from the date of the grant from taxation under the provisions of Part II. of the “ Taxation Act” or any provisions substituted therefor.

(2.) The exemption from taxation conferred by subsection (1) shall not apply to lands held under lease at the date of the grant, and shall cease to apply to any lands which are thereafter leased, sold, or otherwise disposed of, or which are held under agreement of sale or which are occupied or used otherwise than by the railway of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company. The exemption from taxation conferred by subsection (1) shall not apply to taxation for school purposes within the area of any school district heretofore existing or which may hereafter be established.

and licence fees

7. Where, under the provisions of this Act, public lands held Transfer of rentals under lease, licence, or permit are included in any grant, all rentals with granted lands. and fees thereafter payable in respect thereof shall be payable to the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company instead of to the Crown. 8. All rentals and fees in respect of minerals, precious or base, Transfer of revenue

from minerals. including coal, petroleum, and natural gas, contained in lands granted under this Act, which are payable to the Crown under any Act relating to the acquisition of minerals from the Crown, shall, when collected, be paid over to the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company.

9. The Lieutenant-Governor in Council may enter into such Power to enter into

agreements. agreements with the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company as he deems advisable for the purpose of carrying out the provisions and intent of this Act, and every agreement so entered into shall be binding on the parties thereto, according to its terms.

River lands.

10. In case any lands now held by the Dominion in the Peace Grants from Peace River District are reconveyed to the Province, they shall be deemed to be public lands of the Province for all purposes of this Act. Any area of such lands included in any reconveyance may, with the approval of the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, be granted to the Pacific Great Eastern Railway Company in substitution for lands within the area mentioned in Schedule B.

Saving clause.

11. Nothing in this Act shall in any way affect :--
(a.) Any royalty payable to the Crown under any Statute now

in force or which may hereafter be enacted:
(6.) Any timber tax or forest-protection tax otherwise payable

to the Crown in respect of timber cut on any land included

in any grant issued under this Act:
(c.) Any tax imposed under the “ Taxation Act” except as
otherwise expressly provided in this Act.