respect of like business,"
263
The officers who would in point of fact have been entitled to fees if the Act had not passed are: -
(1) The Chief Justice who was ex officio Judge of the Vice Admiralty Court and who continues to perform the Admiralty business of the Court.
(2) The Registrar who was always (by appointment) Registrar of the Vice Admiralty Court, and who is now ex officio Registrar of the Colonial Court of Admiralty.
(3) The Deputy Registrar (Mr. Sangster) who was Deputy Registrar in the Vice Admiralty Court.
(4) The First Clerk of Court (Mr. Hazeland) to whom the duties of Marshal are assigned and who was Marshal of the Vice Admiralty Court.
Of these the two last were individually officers of the Vice Admiralty Court.
The late Sir James Russell as Chief Justice when the Act came into force and I am told by Mr. Hazeland that under the above provision he gave directions that the officers mentioned should continue to take the fees payable before the Act passed under the Rules then in force (Vice Admiralty Court Rules of 1883 2nd schedule) and this practice is still followed.
I am led however to ask for definite instructions from having recently had my attention drawn to a letter (circular) of His Lordship the late Secretary of State for the Colonies addressed to the Officer Administering the Government dated 20th September 1890 in which His Lordship states (paragraph 44) that upon the change in the constitution of the