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PETITION
[Case No.2]

To the Honourable Legislature of British Columbia now assembled in Victoria:
 

       About six or seven years ago an old pioneer neighbour, Andrew Lorenzetto,
whose land adjoined mine, a native of Italy, but adopted British subject, died
intestate. The Hon. Justice Crease happening to be in Hope, and hearing of the
case as intestate, kindly came down to see about it. There was a lawfully
married widow and five children. The estate consisted of 160 acres of pre-empted
Crown land, about ten acres cleared, a small orchard, and pigs, chickens, and barn
and dwelling houses, but no money, for the long sickness of deceased had made them
poor. The funeral was attended by many from Hope and surrounding country, and the
Hon. Justice Crease officiated, and after the solemn ceremony of the burial service
was concluded he attended to the business of the estate of this bereaved family.
It did not take him long to find out that they were poor. The widow not being
qualified to administrate, after some considerations I concluded to administrate.
The Judge and people then adjourned to my house, where his Lordship opened Court
and swore me in as administrator to the estate of Andrew Lorenzetto, deceased
intestate. His Lordship wrote out administration papers, and gave me much kind
assistance and advice on this matter, and he generously omitted all charges on the
poor widow and her children - all honour to his generous heart. This is in strange
contrast to the harsh treatment of this same widow and children by the Lands and
Works Department, which I will show have taken half their land from them to give
to Canada, and have taxed them more than twenty years for 160 acres, and those
taxes have always been paid. As administrator the assessment roll comes to me. I
see it paid; there is no arrears. They are assessed for 160 acres this year,
although their land is cut down to 80 acres. I have wrote my protest to Mr. Hussey,
pointing out they are cut down to 80 acres after paying taxes on 160 acres for more
than twenty years. He says it is too late to revise it this year, but is silent on
refunding the poor widow's money; perhaps it is no part of his business. I will now
state how this came around. When I called for a survey of my land I also called for
a survey of the Lorenzetto estate, and Mr. Woods, at the same time as my survey took
place, surveyed them 160 acres also. There was no apparent hitch about it until the
early spring of 1887, when Mr. Turner, of same firm, came up to out me down. He told
me he had orders to cut the Lorenzetto estate down to 80 acres. I asked for what
reason. He said he did not know. He supposed it was on account of the record. Now,
I would have contested this most severely, only I had found out the poor widow was
still more poor than when the Hon. Justice Crease sympathized for her, and that she
had paid out over $40 for survey, and would have to sell her last head of stock even
to pay for 80 acres. But all the same the Land Office knew nothing of this; the order
had gone forth and it had to he done. The people around here would like to know why
it was done; I cannot ten them; will, our Hon. representatives find out? If they will
take this trouble to unravel this most complicated land business in the railway belt
we will not forget them when the time comes. This estate is now cut down to 80 acres,
and the poor widow has sold her last head of stock to raise the money to pay for it,
and it took all she had. She brought me $95 to pay for the land and Crown grant. I
remitted the money to the firm of Woods, Turner & Gamble, and they replied they
thought it would be enough. They wrote me for administration papers, and I forwarded
them. They have have now wrote to ask me if I can manage to raise $50 more from the
poor widow for to pass certain papers through the Supreme Court. Well, I find this
cannot be done. The widow has no more money left. Meantime the poor widow is all this
money out, and they won't give her this bit of land which they have left her. Under
all the circumstances there is only one remedy that I can see in this case, and that
is, to humbly ask the Hon. Legislature to move a resolution that in consideration of
the hardship of the case, and the overpaid taxation, extending over a term of twenty
years, on this poor widow's pre-empted land, that she be allowed to receive a Crown
grant of the remaining 80 acres free of any further charge than already paid, or
something of this kind, which will be thankfully received by the administrator of the
estate of Andrew Iorenzetto.

                                                                        HENRY HUNTER
Huntersville, February 25th, 1888.





Andrea Lorenzelto died intestate in 1883. His estate was administered by H. Hunter.

The 1875 BC Voters Lists:

Andrew Lorenzetti, of the Ohamil Ranch, Farmer, Pre-emptor of Crown Land.

He also appeared twice on the list of prisoners confined in Yale Gaol
between 31st October, 1883 and the 1st November 1884:

LORENZETTI/Andrew/--/Drunk & disorderly/Fined $10, or 14 days' imprisonmen
LORENZETTI/Andrew/British Columbian/Supplying liquor to Indians/Case dismissed

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