That is the case now; but at the times when the scenes mentioned in the petition were received, viz: in 1865 & 1868, the Registrar had no account with any Bank but paid at once direct into the Treasury all sums he received, and no interest was or could be allowed on any sums paid in, because at that time the Government kept all its money in the Treasury vault.
The sums of $1,161.41, $2,533.34 and $3,679.79 were carried to the credit of a separate Ledger account opened for the purpose, and were placed together with all other monies in the vault at the Government Offices; interest appears to the credit of this account. A copy of which is annexed.
On the 1st September, 1869, the Colonial Treasurer opened an account current with the Oriental Bank and a sum of $161,450 was transferred on that date from the Treasury vault to the said Bank. Government was allowed 2% per annum on the balance of its account current.
The sums in the Petition mentioned might have been called for at any moment and there was no order of any Court directing their investment or any regulation or custom requiring it to be done. In fact these sums were not invested.
The Petitioner might have claimed these sums at any time, and as his ignorance prevented him from doing so, it is his own fault if he did not receive his money sooner. It is certainly not the fault of the Government.
The Petitioner has no legal claim for any interest and I submit he has no moral claim.
It is not shown anywhere that these three sums were vested, or that the Government was required to invest them. The fact that Government received interest from a Bank on the balance of its account current can give the Petitioner no claim of any sort whatever.
Moreover his prayer is restricted to any interest appearing by the Book of the Registrar of the Court or the Book or Books of the Bank. Now in no book whatever does it appear that any interest was received on these sums.
(Signed) Edw. J. Ackroyd
Acting Attorney General
Hongkong, 7th October, 1886.
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