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the wants and circumstances of the colony, they did not think it necessary to require Solicitors to take out annual certificates, nor did they impose any duty in this respect on the registrar. I did not think it incumbent on me when I arrived in Hong Kong or at any subsequent period to criticise their action or the laws they had passed.
21 I pass on to the 4th Head.
Monies paid to the Registrar as official administrator upon which the Government has levied a percentage of 5% without the estate having ever been administered. And by which means there is now an accumulation of more than $4,000 in respect of which there is no proof of death or letters of administration ever taken out.
22. I take the whole responsibility of this "grave irregularity" upon myself as it is due to my action and initiative that these sums have been received. I admit the facts but far from constituting any irregularity they only show the vigilance of the Registrar as official administrator.
23. Soon after I arrived in the colony it came to my knowledge that in cases of shareholders in Colonial companies resident and dying abroad, the managers of the Company had been in the habit of forwarding the dividends on the shares to the representatives abroad of the deceased, or in some cases, of keeping these sums as unclaimed dividends.
24. The consequence of this action, was that in some cases the representatives of the deceased recovered these dividends without proving the will or taking out letters of administration, Government losing the duty on the estate. This I thought my duty to stop, therefore in virtue of the powers conferred upon me by
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the wants and circumstances of the colony, they did not
think it necessary to require Solicitors to take out
annual certificates, nor did they impose any duty in
this respect on the registrar. I did not think it
incumbent on me when I arrived in Hong Kong or at any
subsequent period to criticise their action or the laws
they had passed.
21 I pass on to the 4th Head.
Monies paid to the Registrar as official ad inis-
"trator upon which the Government has levied a percentage
"of 5% without the estate having ever been administered
And by which means there is now an accumulation of more
"than 4,000 in respect of which there is no proof of
death or letters of administration ever taken out.
22. I take the whole responsibility of this "grave
irregularity" upon myself as it is due to my action
and initiative that these sums have been received.
"
I admit the facts but far from constituting any
i regularity they only show the vigilance of the
Registrar as official administrator.
23. Soon after I arrived in the colony it came to
my knowledge that in cases of shareholders in Colonial
companies resident and dying abroad, the managers of
the Company had been in the habit or forwarding the
dividends on the shares to the representatives abroad
of the deceased, or in some cases, of keeping these sums
as unclaimed dividends.
4. The consequence of this action, was that in some
cases the representatives of the deceased recovered
these dividends without proving the will or taking out
letters of administration, Government, losing the duty
This I thought my duty to stop, ther
fore in virtue of the powers conferred upon me by
on the estate
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