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uncancelled and I cannot be sure that in the hurry of the moment the fees have always been properly entered. There is no means of checking the amounts entered except by comparison with the documents filed, which is to some extent done I am informed by the Clerk to the Audit Office, but not satisfactorily, as he has no means of informing himself as to what documents have actually been filed, and the stamps themselves are not judicial stamps, but the ordinary revenue stamps. Sometime the fee Book is in the possession of one and sometimes in the possession of the other in different offices and either time has to be wasted in going backwards and forwards from the one to the other
I look or the fee gets omitted to be entered.
upon the return of fees entered at present as merely approximate, as I am satisfied that mistakes must and do arise. If the stamps are uncancelled, of course there is considerable temptation to the inferior officers of the Court to abstract them from the papers and dispose of them. If the present arrangement is to continue, both Deputy Registrars ought to keep separate fee Books. But if my suggestions are adopted, the Accountant will always be in his office and all stamps should be taken to him to be cancelled. He would have a table of fees before him. He could see at a glance that the proper stamps were affixed and ought to be held responsible for doing so, he would then cancel and initial them, and no document should be filed or used without the cancellation and initialling of the stamp by the Accountant, and the num- bering of them with initial letters for registration.
A Register of Stationery is also kept containing amount of stationery received and how disposed of, also a Register of Circulars.
There should be added 1 think a general file book open to the inspection of the public containing a description of all documents filed every day in all brauches of the Court.
The Accountant would I think find that he had abundance of work to perforin, especially if he had cast upon him the duty of calling for and verifying the accounts in Probate and Administration cases as was recommended by the Committee of 1879.
I should recommend that Mr. BARROS should ordinarily be attached to this branch of the Court. The Registrar could always obtain his services for copying &c., when he required them, and a good deal of the work now done by the Registrar himself and in which Mr. BARROS services are required would be done by the Registrar with the assistance of the Accountant. I would also recommend that the Chinese clerk and translator, and the Shroff when not required in the Summary Court and the Messenger in Bankruptcy when not employed in taking possession, &c., of Bankrupt estates or in executing the
process of the Court, should be ordinarily attached to the Accountant's department. This staff would I think ordinarily prove sufficient to enable him to discharge his duties satisfactorily. If any pressure of work came, he might under the Registrar's directions, obtain assistance from the other branch of the Court but if the pressure was such as I can well imagine it might be in case of heavy Bankruptcies or Liquidations, the Registrar ought to be empowered with the sanction of the Governor to obtain extra assistance,
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