but I have no means of knowing whether my request was ever complied with,
On August 3 my letter to the Governor, dated July 27, was returned to me through the Chief Justice, with an intimation that all letters connected with the Supreme Court work were to be sent through the Chief Justice.
On August 5 the Chief Justice, in answer to my request to have some rules laid down for my guidance (there being none in existence, notwithstanding the first recommendation of the Commissioners), wrote as follows: "I will confer with Mr. Justice Snowden thereon, and settle such of them as may appear proper for future guidance."
Up to the time I left the Colony (January 12, 1881) not only were no rules drafted or prepared, but every suggestion respecting them was treated as an offence.
On August 10, after I had been told by the Chief Justice that the Clerk of the Puisne Judge was not bound to keep the Rules and Order Book before mentioned, and that his own clerk (who was also Deputy-Registrar and Court Appraiser) was not to receive orders from me, I wrote (in strict accordance with the first recommendation of the Commissioners, as contained in their Report) as follows: "I must therefore ask your Honour to be good enough to furnish me with the necessary details, specifying those officers who are to be considered as my subordinates, and in what respect I am to control and supervise them."
On August 12 the Chief Justice (through his acting clerk) replied to the above-mentioned letter as follows: "Instructions as to the position of the officers in the Registry Office relatively to yourself will be given verbally as soon as his Excellency the Governor shall have decided on the constitution of the staff. The Chief Justice says that you may apply to the Chief Justice as to this when he is attending the Supreme Court, and that, as to ordinary detail, Mr. Sangster, Deputy-Registrar, can give you sufficient information."
The letter winds up with an intimation that "all future correspondence must be carried on through the clerk."
Among the offices which I was required to undertake, but which had no connection whatever with the duty of Registrar, was that of Registrar of Joint Stock Companies. On looking through the ordinance creating this office, I found that the Governor was required to fix the remuneration; and, although I had undertaken to perform the duties which I was doing—I conceived that my performance of them under arrangement, in no way exonerated the Governor from the duty of fixing the remuneration. I therefore pointed this out in a letter to the Governor. Now, although this matter in no way concerned the Chief Justice, yet on the 16th of August I received a letter from him, returning me the requisition I had made for the pay (theretofore attaching to the office), and referring me to the arrangement I had made with the Colonial Office.
This letter was written after the intimation that all future correspondence was to be through his clerk.
On September 7, 1880, the conduct of the Chief Justice had become so intolerable, that, availing myself of an opportunity given me by the Governor asking the meaning of a paragraph in one of my letters, I made a formal complaint of the treatment to which I had been subjected, and asked for an inquiry. (See appendix No. 4) This letter was afterwards prepared and sent in triplicate for the purpose of being forwarded to the Colonial Office.
Previous to taking this step I had found myself completely checked by the Chief Justice in my plan of winding up the bankruptcies which were in arrear. In one of them—that of Vaucher and Blakeway, in which there was $3,669 deposited in the Colonial Treasury available for
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