No. 65

I have the honor of transmitting here with a copy of
a General Order of Court, issued by Mr Justice Begbie
dated 27th December last, with copies of two letters,
explanatory of his reasons for admitting as a temporary
arrangement, Members of the American Bar to plead in the
Courts of British Columbia.

In the absence of Members of the English Bar to take
out the proper writs, and to conduct cases, there would
otherwise be no one to point out to defendants the most
efficacious mode of defence, a duty which the Judge would
be called on to perform, and therefore to act both as
adviser and Judge.

He despaired under those circumstances of giving
satisfaction to the suitors, and of maintaining the
desirable high character of a British Court of Law.

For those reasons I yielded to his wishes, and
agreed that the concession in favor of American Lawyers
should remain in force, for six months, but not longer,
unless there be a positive necessity from the absence of English
practitioners, of again resorting, for a time, to a like expedient.