The four Chinese Clerkships recording to the respective abilities of those who have come forward as applicants for Government appointments, and will, I believe, be equal to the work - which will be required of them.
And from these and the Chinese writers, when the great bulk of Registration shall have been completed and the Office put into fair order, I propose selecting those who may have proved themselves the best officer and afterward reducing the Staff by doing away with the other offices.
The Chinese Registration Clerks possessed of a fair knowledge of English generally, though the first two are much superior to the others. It will be their duty to enter into the Register, in English, the names and particulars of the Householders as required by the Ordinances. To each of these Clerks there will be attached two Chinese writers, the one to fill up a Register in Chinese alone, which will act as a check on the English Register, and the other to fill up the Certificates of Registration. And the work of these three Clerks will be so arranged that an applicant for Registration will be delayed in the office but a short time, when, on the fee being paid, he will be brought to me and the Certificates will be signed.