(4)
Q.-Not letters?
A.-No.
The Chairman.-What were the duties of the cashier?
A. Among the cashier's duties were the opening of letters addressed officially to the Treasury, unless there was anything to show that it was intended to be a private communication to me; and it was his duty to separate the memorandum from the money and see that the former went to the accountant and the latter to the shroff.
Q.-Suppose a Chinaman went there to pay his Crown Rent, who would be the first person for him to go to?
A. He ought to have gone to the shroff.
Q.-He would have paid the amount to the shroff ?
A. Yes.
Q. And who would have made out the receipt?
A.-Alves.
Q.-Upon what--a slip from the shroff?
A.-The person paying the money would generally bring a memorandum with him or the last receipt, and the shroff would pass that on to Alves, and if there was any difficulty would go in and see him. Alves would understand from that memorandum, or old receipt, who it was who paid the money, and for what lot it was, and he would then, if he found it correct, make out a receipt and pass it to the shroff.
Mr. Bird.—Had Alves any right whatever to finger any money himself? A.-No.
Mr. Thurburn.-Did the shroff go out collecting?
A.-Not for Crown Rent.
Q.-You have a list of the Crown Rents due. If the money is not paid who do you go to ?
A.-The Crown Solicitor.
The Chairman.-You have more than one shroff?
A. We have three.
Q.-Was there one shroff specially detailed to look after Crown Rents?
A. Yes.
Q.--And there would be nothing to take that shroff out of the Office during Office hours?
A. He would go out of the Office to bank money, and in that case the money received would have to be taken by one of the other shroffs.
Mr. Thurburn.--Suppose a man who owed his Crown Rent sent in a cheque for the amount due, it would go to the chief clerk ?
A. If he sent in an envelope it might come to me or otherwise would go to the outer office and be opened by the cashier.
Q.-At all events the chief clerk would have to sign the receipt?
A.--He would send an ordinary receipt made out by Alves. He would not give
a receipt to a coolie but would simply sign the chit book.
Q.--What would he do with the cheque? Would he pay it into the Bank? A. He would hand it over to the shroff.
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