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litigation was pending, but which no longer interests him. But 1
hear these complaints only too frequently: and 1 hardly ever fix
a case for hearing without a protest being made at the inevit-
able delay, which results from the Chief Justice not having suf-
-ficient time at his disposal to try cases speedily when they are
ready for trial.
4.
After just a year's experience of the work-
-ing of the Court, I have come to the conclusion that it is in-
-possible for one Judge to carry on the work in a satisfactory
manner. I had indeed formed this opinion after the first few
months of my residence in the Colony, as I had so frequently to
grapple with a deadlock: but 1 delayed reporting to Your Excel-
-lency on the matter, preferring to wait to see whether longer
experience should prove my first opinion to have been at fault.
It has however served only to confirm it.
5.
Looking at the question from an a priori
point of view, although it may have been sufficient in the early
day of the Colony to have had only one judge, the growth of Hong-
-kong in size and importance, and the magnitude of the issues
now involved in legal disputes, of themselves should seem to
require a strengthening of the Judicial Bench. 1 cannot sufficient
-ly dwell on the importance of this consideration. The issues
which come before the Court in its Original and Admiralty Jurisdic
-tions are too large, and affect, directly and indirectly, too
many people, for them all to be left to the determination of a
single Judge, unless that Judge can devote his whole time to them,
uninterrupted by small and less important matters. And, looking
at the question from a practical standpoint, any case which
occupies more than two days, and there are many such owing to the
time consumed by interpreting Chinese evidence, dislocates the
other work of the Court: i.e. the work in Chambers and in
Eankruptcy.