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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 28TH AUGUST, 1880.
The Sheriff's office would therefore continue, as at present, a small appointment, held by soms other officer of the service; but it should be part of his duty to supervise the bailiff and other officers in the execution of the process of the Court, and if the labour of the officer should prove to be much increased by distresses for rent being placed under his charge, it may hereafter be necessary to cou sider whether some small addition should be made to the salary.
8. Mr. SNOWDEN has suggested in a letter, of which I transmit a copy for your consideration, thet the Staff might be further strengthened, by utilizing the Puisne Judge's Clerk for Court work on the Summary side, and I am disposed to approve, but it seems to me that an increase of £100 a year
would be sufficient.
9. I shall be glad to be favoured with any observations which may occur to you upon the redi. tribution I propose, including the addition of a third column to the comparative statement I have asked for, showing the cost of carrying it out.
I trust at an early period to be able to inform you that I have selected a fully qualified gentleman for the post of Registrar.
10. I shall be glad to be informed what steps are being taken to carry out the first of the Com- missioners' recommendations both as to the rules and orders referred to, and as to the security to be given by officers of the Court, and I should wish you to specify what amount of security it is proposed to require from each of the respective officers.
11. As regards the framing of rules under Ordinance No. 13 of 1873, I observe that the Ordinance itself purports to prescribe all that is necessary for the conduct of causes before the Court, and suspends all unwritten rules of practice and all existing rules and orders, except so far as the Code of Procedure makes no provision, in which case the old rules may be called into aid.
New rules would therefore seem only to be required for those points for which experience has shewn that the Code has not made special provision, and in respect to these points, I prefer to think that experience has not shewn the existence of deficiencies, rather than that the Chief Justice has neglected to remedy defects which have actually been brought to his notice.
12. It will be necessary in dealing with the re-organisation of the Court officers, for you to consider the question of space afforded by the Supreme Court Buildings, which, as you will see, Mr. SNOWDEN informs me are now in part occupied by the Attorney General, the Crown Solicitor and the Registrar General, while the Sheriff has no office and there is no accommodation for Witnesses and Jurors. I understand, however, that the Crown Solicitor occupies sufficient space for the discharge of a large private practice, which is carried on by himself, his partners and their private clerks.
Should this be so, it is evident that the requirements of the public service must first be attended to, and that some relief may be found at once by the resumption, for the use of the Government, of some considerable portion of this space.
13. I shall await your reply to this Despatch with much interest, and I request to be furnished at your
earliest convenience with the information I desire.
Governor HENNESSY, C.M.G.,
No. 437.
&c.,
&c.,
&c.
I have, &c.,
MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH.
THE APPOINTMENT OF H. F. GIBBONS, ESQUIRE, AS REGISTRAR, AND MEMORANDUM OF HIS DUTIES.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 16th April, 1880.
SIR,-In accordance with instructions from His Excellency the Governor, I beg leave to lay before Your Honour, to be duly noted, the enclosed Despatch from the Right Honourable Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, No. 12 of 1880.
His Excellency desires me to convey to Your Honour his regret that this Despatch was sent to you some days ago without a covering letter from me.
His Excellency would be glad if Your Honour would be good enough to give such instructions as you think proper to the new Registrar, Mr. GIBBONS.
His Honour The Chief Justice.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
W. H. MARSH,
Colonial Secretary,
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