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In cases for the recovery of Land Rent Government itself had to, through its own salaried Officers, pay Fees to Under Secretaries of Offices, those received in the Colonial Secretary's Office for Official signatures and seal of the Governor, have greatly increased, viz. from £41.14.8 in 1852, and £75.11.3 in 1853 to £190 in 1854, which I suppose is chiefly owing to the greater number of ship's Registers, which are now granted.
The obtaining of these Documents is very expensive in this Colony, as the applicants employ an Attorney for the preparation of them.
I have good reason for believing, that from $100 to $120 is the ordinary demand made by any of the professional gentlemen in this Colony for obtaining a ship's Register, even for a Lorcha of 50 Tons capacity.
The Fees payable to Government are $5 for each signature of the Governor and $2 for the signature of the Colonial Secretary.
From one of those gentlemen I understand, that he charges as his fee $60 for preparing the Bonds and Register, a work requiring a clerk's services for say a couple of hours, for which he receives Pay equivalent to a Month's salary of some of the Government Clerks.
As these Registers are granted on the ground of a certificate of Measurement from the Harbour Master, the Fees for the same could perhaps be regulated by the Government to the benefit of both the Public and Government, the more...