Minister advised the governor on 4 November 1871 to "leave the Land Department and the Dominion Government to carry out their policy without volunteering any interference". A Dominion Land Agent, Gilbert McMicken, had arrived in Manitoba in September. In January of 1872 he recommended that the 1.4 million acres should be taken from 68 townships drawn at random, with individual claimants receiving scrip redeemable in land to be located in such tracts of open prairie. Widespread speculation developed in the scrip expected in 1872. Archbishop Tach feared that the parents of "half breed" children would sell their children's' allotments as well as their own and urged the Government of Manitoba to enact legislation prohibiting heads of families from selling any allotments of the 1.4 million acres. A new governor reported that "pretension is that only actual children have right, therefore, heads are trustees". Morris doubted the constitutionality of any legislation of special application affecting land reserved in recognition of Indian title. His doubts were supported by legal advice sought from the Prime Minister. The Province of Manitoba did enact a "Half Breed Land Grant Protection Act" in 1873. The measure gave vendors the right to repudiate sales but did not provide the prohibition demanded by Tach. A new reading of Section 31 in Ottawa in March of 1873 held that marital status was as important as parentage for determining eligibility to share in the 1.4 million acres. An Order in Council amending that of 25 April 1871 declared on 3