Colonial Despatches

Mr Elliot
See 5078 and minutes thereon. Neither this Letter nor the enclosures contain charges against the Governor. They only allege that Mr Cameron compounded with his creditors in Scotland and did not pay them after all, and that he was declared insolvent at Demerara. These, if they are facts, were unknown to the Colonial Office when Mr Cameron was appointed Chief Justice of VanCouver Island.

I may as well mention on this occasion that a Supreme Court of Justice was first established in V.C.I. in /54. It was created in consequence of the dissatisfaction felt with the decisions of the local Justices. The Governor (Douglas) selected Mr Cameron for the Office of Chief Judge: the Govr told us at the time that Mr C. was not a professional man, & that he (Cameron) accepted the post solely at the Governor's wish and "until a Law Officer was appointed by the Crown…a measure which he was desirous should be soon carried into effect." I am not aware that Douglas told us that Cameron was his Brother-in Law, but we learned the fact through the H.B.Co. Some time afterwards a Petition reached us from V.C.I. complaining of the composition of this Supreme Court. It was referred to the Governor, & we recd his ans:—which ans: was deemed satisfactory; for afterwards (in 56) A Supreme Court of Judicature was solemnly established by an O. of the Queen in Council and Mr Cameron appointed Chief Justice of the Court. (The correspce respg the Estt of the Court, & the apptment of Mr C. is the Vol. of /54.)

Forwarded for consideration.

Duke of Newcastle
Referring to your minute on 5078, I suppose you now have Mr Langford's charges "in writing", as far as he intends to make them, consisting of his letter of June 18 1861, and those letters now Sent.

They directly affect Ch J. Cameron, Judge Begbie & Mr Good, not the Governor, and therefore, in spite of the fact of the Ch. Justice being his brother-in-law, & Mr Good his Private Secretary, they may perhaps be sent to him, with a desp. calling for explanation.

With respect to Mr Cameron, you will find, on reference to the bound volume, that his appointment was at the time treated as provisional & temporary—the Crown writing that Mr Cameron "is not a professional lawyer," that "he had accepted the appointment until a Law officer for the Colony is appointed by the Crown, a measure which for the sake of the Colony &c Govr Douglas is "desirous sh. be soon carried into effect." If it was desirable to have "a professional lawyer" on the Bench at Victoria then, it is infinitely more desirable now—but how this is to be accomplished I do not see.

I pass this through Sir F. Rogers.

Copy, James C. Hitzler, Registrar, Demerara, to Langford, 24 June 1861, advising that in view of the lack of bankruptcy laws in the colony, Cameron had been "adjudged insolvent on the 28th January 1851."

Copy, A. Reid, Perth, to Langford, 11 November 1861, sharing what he knows of Cameron's financial affairs in Scotland.

Fortescue to Langford, 31 May 1862, informing that any charges against the officials of Vancouver Island must be brought before the Colonial Legislature or the Governor for referral to London.