With reference to your despatch No. 50 of the
1st of August I have
the honour to transmit to you the enclosed copy of an Opinion of the Law
Officers of the Crown pronouncing in favor of the efficacy of the Act
passed by the Legislature of
Vancouver Island in
1862 "to amend the real
estate tax Act
1860."
Although the opinion of the law Officers of the Crown is not
binding upon the judgment of the Chief Justice, I cannot but believe
that he will probably
attach much weight to the decided opinion upon a
purely legal point of two lawyers so eminent as
Sir R. Palmer and
Sir
R.P. Collier and I have to request that you will give
Mr. Cameron, if he
wish it, an opportunity of reading this despatch and the opinion
privately, but that you will not make any public use of the opinion.
I enclose two copies of a Parliamentary Paper containing the
opinion referred to by the Law Officers at the conclusion of their
present Report.