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hurry. Notice would in such case be given to heads of Departments that all abstracts would be paid in future by the Treasurer upon their signatures, they being held responsible for their accuracy, and liable to surcharges for errors that may subsequently be discovered by the Audit. I am not seeking to make Payments at random of a doubtful nature.
Copies thereof to the Treasurer who is instructed not to make any further payments until the surcharge has been made good or remitted or until the written directions of the Governor on the subject have been obtained.
(4)
This change will not impose any new responsibility on the Accountants or Heads of Departments, for the existing instructions enjoin them to certify correctly and the Auditor to call for explanations of payments which appear irregular, and in case the explanations are not satisfactory to make surcharges and transmit them in accordance with the instructions from the Lords of the Treasury, now in the Audit Office, which appear to have been framed for Hongkong as far back as 1844. But as I have already stated these instructions are obsolete and cannot be strictly followed.
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