No. 12

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 4 of the
14th of February, enclosing reports by Chief Justice Cameron, Mr.
Justice Begbie, and Mr. Good, Chief Clerk in the Office of the Colonial
Secretary for British Columbia, on the subject of the complaints which
have been preferred by Mr. E.E. Langford, relating to an Electioneering
placard which was published in Victoria in 1859-60 and to proceedings in
the Supreme Court of Vancouver Island in an Action for libel arising out
of that publication.

I annex a copy of the letter in which I have caused my decision on
the subject of Mr. Langford's complaints to be communicated to him.

While, however, I have declined to pursue an enquiry into the
Authorship of the placard complained of by Mr. Langford, I wish you to
understand, and to make it understood by the Government Officers of
Vancouver Island and British Columbia that an Officer connected with the
Administration of Justice is in my opinion bound to abstain scrupulously
from all interference in party politics, and that other permanent
Officers of Government, though their duties are of necessity in some
respects political, cannot without injury to the public interest be
permitted to adopt that personal and aggressive mode of political
warfare which is perhaps allowable to those who are not identified with
the Administration of affairs.

I must also add with reference to one sentence in Mr. Begbie's
letter, that it is impossible for me to consider a communication
addressed to me by a public Officer in answer to a charge made against
him as being in any sense confidential.