Extracts from a letter from John A. Costello to John J. Hearne (Ottawa)

My dear John,
Many thanks for your kind letter of the 21st May, 1948,¹ conveying the kind desire of the Canadian Prime Minister and Government to have Mrs. Costello and myself as their guests in Canada. I note that it is usual for visiting Heads of Governments and their wives to be the guests of the Governor General during their stay in Ottawa or during some portion of it. Subject, however, to your advice in the matter, I must say that I should prefer if arrangements could be made for our stay elsewhere during our visit. The prospect overwhelms me, being (all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding) desirous of a quiet life.

I have already got some details of the Canadian Bar Association programme from which it would appear that we shall be guests of the Association from the 30th August to the 3rd September, inclusive. I have received an invitation from the Chief Justice of the High Court of Ontario to address a meeting of the Lawyers' Club in the City of Toronto during the week of September the 6th (except September 6th which is a public holiday) and I have informed him that I should be happy to accept if circumstances permitted. He states that it is usual for visiting guests of Bar Association to address such a meeting. What is your advice?

[matter omitted]

If your suggestion is adopted that after Ottawa we should visit Toronto I suppose it would be possible to accept the invitation from the Chief Justice of the High Court of Ontario. At this point I should like to say that it is my earnest wish to keep to the absolute minimum the number of my public addresses over and above my address to the Canadian Bar Association. I fully understand that it would be difficult to avoid addressing some of the Organisations to which you refer but I sincerely hope that you will be able to arrange to have the number kept as low as possible. I do not mind speeches which are not made public.²

[matter omitted]

I am grateful for your comments about the subject of my Bar Association address and shall find them very helpful. In due course, however, I shall let you know more about this matter when I have time to give it fuller consideration.

With very many thanks for your great kindness and assistance. Please give my kind regards to Mrs. Hearne.