CO129-508-5 Supreme Court of Hong Kong- slackness of registry accounting methods 28-10-1927 - 23-4-1928 — Page 23

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but he was both too goodnatured and too much lacking

in strength of character to raise objections.

Subject to your approval, therefore, I would propose

to allow him to remain in office for a few months

under Ir. Nisbet's successor, when appointed, and

then, unless he retires voluntarily, to call on him

to retire on the ground of old age, under Section 3

of Ordinance 2 of 1862.

16. Two other matters deserve mention in this

connection. One is the complete breakdown in health

P.F. 21294 of lir. O'Sullivan, who acted as First Bailiff during

the illness of Er. Hill and after the latter's retire-

ment. Kír. O'Sullivan's breakdown is generally believed to be due largely to the worry caused by the

protracted investigations of the accounts of the

Supreme Court Registry, though he himself was found

to be free from blame. The other is the attitude

of the local members of the legal profession, who

appear to have shown an almost incomprehensible forebearance towards delays in payment by the Registry of amounts due on writs.

19.

It remains to seek your authority to ask the Legislative Council for a vote for $7,818.97 to meet the deficit in the Supreme Court accounts. Then this has been taken and the staff of the Registry has been reorganized, I trust it may be possible to close this unpleasant episode which has caused me and the Colonial Secretary much worry and anxiety at a time when all our energies were needed to deal with

dangers