229
99
98
APPENDIX A.-REPORTS.
ANNEXURE A.
TREASURY to OVERSEA PRIZE DISPOSAL COMMITTEE.
SIR,
Treasury Chambers, 10th July, 1916. AM directed by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to acquaint you that the Secretary of State for the Colonies has suggested that various outstanding questions relating to expenses in connexion with prize proceedings be referred to the Oversea Prize Disposal Committee, viz. :-
(a) Payment of fees or other remuneration to officers of Prize Courts and
other officers performing services in connexion with matters of prize. (b) Expenses of telegrams in connexion with matters of prize.
(c) Cost of printing reports of Prize Court proceedings.
(d) Preparation of evidence in the United Kingdom for use on behalf of
the Crown in Oversea Prize Courts.
(e) Expenses of the examination of vessels.
(A) Port light and harbour dues on vessels brought in for examination.
(9) Expenses in connexion with ships taken as prize and released, e.g.,
8.S. 'Hanametal," incurred by a Colonial Government, and,
(h) Generally, all expenditure incurred in connexion with the maintenance
and employment of prize and detained ships.
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs agrees that the proposed reference to the Oversea Prize Disposal Committee should include the question of expenses arising in connexion with the Prize Court in Egypt.
A copy of a letter, dated 30th ultimo, in which the Secretary of State for India in Council signifies his assent to the Committee considering questions affecting India is enclosed herewith.
I am accordingly to request that the Committee will be so good as to consider and make recommendations on the above questions.
SIR,
Enclosure
I am, &c.,
T. L. HEATH.
India Office, Whitehall, London, S. W., 30th June, 1916. WITH reference to the letters from the Colonial Office to your address No. 20625, dated the 31st May and 5th June, in which it is proposed that certain questions in respect of expenses incurred in connexion with prize proceedings before Oversea Courts should be referred to the Oversea Prize Disposal Com- mittee for their recommendations, I am directed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to say that no questions in regard to the points indicated in the letters have been referred to him by the Government of India, and that he is without the detailed information as to the existing practice in India that would appear to be required for the adequate consideration of the questions raised in their bearing on Indian Prize Courts.
Mr. Secretary Chamberlain therefore is at present not in a position to give an answer to the question put in the last paragraph of your letter. He is sending a copy of the correspondence to the Government of India for their remarks. Mean- while I am to say that if, as is understood to be the intention, the Committee are to make recommendations of general application throughout the Empire (outside the United Kingdom), Mr. Chamberlain has no objection to their including India within their scope, subject to the Government of India being subsequently con- sulted on the question of the adoption of the recommendations in India.
I have, &c.,
APPENDIX A. REPORTS.
ANNEXURE B.
EXTRACT FROM Lord KNUTSFORD'S CIRCULAR DESPATCH OF THE 20TH SEPTEMBER,
1890, TO ALL MARITIME Colonies.
43. SUB-SECTION (3)-At present the Judge, Registrar, and officers of a Vice-Admiralty Court in a Colony are remunerated by means of fees.
The holder
of any of these offices is usually also a Judge or officer of the Supreme Court of the Colony, but performs his Admiralty business independently of his connexion with such Court, and consequently receives the fees in addition to the salary he receives as Judge or officer of the Colonial Court.
44. The Act, by making the Admiralty business part of the business of the Colonial Court, will put an end to this system. The business will be transacted by the Judge, Registrar, etc., as part of the ordinary business of his Court, and the fees will, it is presumed, go to the same fund as the other court fees.
45. Any injustice to an individual who at present receives fees should be prevented, and this may be done in two ways: compensation for this purpose may be given not merely by a money payment either as a lump sum or annually, but also by improving his official position, or by continuing to pay him the fees (what- ever they may be), which are for the time being paid in respect of the business for which he at present receives fees. To effect this object Sub-section (3) is inserted. 46. The work of the Vice-Admiralty Courts is in most Colonies small and intermittent and in but few is there sufficient to afford any basis upon which to settle compensation to officers whose appointments will cease with the abolition of the Vice-Admiralty Courts; and, under these circumstances, the great majority of the Colonies propose that the fees shall be continued to the present holders of the offices. Where this is proposed the fees would be taken like other court fees, and paid into the Colonial Treasury, and the " compensation" would consist in the payment out of that Treasury of equivalent sums to the present holders of offices.
47. It has been represented that in cases where under Section 16 (3) the Vice-Admiralty Rules will be continued in the Colonial Court a scale of prescribed fees will be in force. but there will, on the abolition of the Vice- Admiralty Courts, be no officers entitled to take such fees. The sub-section accordingly allows the fees to be taken in manner directed by the Court, but the amounts are to be paid to the officers at present entitled to them.
48. Nearly all the Colonial Governments recognize the obligation to be incum- bent upon them of providing that the existing officers (who, it is believed, are in every case Colonial civil servants) shall not suffer pecuniary loss by the abolition of the Vice-Admiralty Courts. It may he pointed out. with reference to the few Colonies where a doubtful opinion as to this, obligation has been entertained, that under the new state of things practically the same fees will be payable to the Colonial Governments as have hitherto been payable to the officers of the Imperial Court, and that the compensation required to be made under Section 17 (3) will not exceed the average amount of fees actually taken, and that the demand is subject to a continued performance of the duties.
3264
No. 2.
ADMIRALTY COASTING TRADE OFFICE.
REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1916.
Steamer Fleet. At the end of 1915 there were on the C.T. List During 1916 we had the temporary use of the following vessels
as colliers :-
30 steamers.
The Secretary,
Treasury
L. KERSHAW,
Voyages.
Carried.
C.T. 39, "Hillerod."
4
15.096 tons.
C.T. 40, "Bangor "/" Seattle
8
55,564
C.T. 41, Esrom "
44
16
58,746
C.T. 42, "Polkerris'
2
2.267
C.T. 44, "Hocking
I
3,648
C.T. 46, "Kong Inge"
2
1,737
137,€58 tons.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
ויוןוווווווווזי
Reference :-
CO885/25
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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