424
2. The last grave irregularity charged against the Registrar "the use of postage stamps for judicial documents and irregularities in connection therewith". No law has prescribed the use of stamps for these fees - Sect: 16 of Ord: "No. 3 of 1858 says: "Crown fees and costs are payable in current dollars.
I believe a Government order directed them to be paid in stamps and since then the Registrar has every week indented on the Treasurer, on a form prescribed for that purpose, for stamps. He has been obliged to take what the Treasurer has sent him back. On several occasions I asked Mr. Lister the Treasurer to give us judicial stamps and Mr. Sangster when Acting Registrar has more than once made a similar request. It has been refused on the ground that the revenue derived from these fees did not justify the expense and trouble which the method of separate judicial stamps would involve.
Cancelling the stamps in the Registry is perfectly efficient and has satisfied the requirements of the Audits for years. If it had been deficient Mr. Micolle the Somerset House local auditor would very soon have called attention to its defects.
29. With regard to the removal of certain stamps of small value from some old documents in summary suits, Mr. Sangster confirms what the Acting Chief Justice suggests, that most likely this was done by or on behalf of some ardent postage stamp collector. He says these stamps were on old documents, had been audited and passed several years ago, and could be of no possible use to anyone except as specimens. He says he called my attention to it.
-10-