66 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE > , 



are burthened by paying for the governors signature. No 

 wonder our "West Indian governors grow rich, when they 

 have such opportunities. 



The office next in importance is the secretary's, where 

 eight clerks are employed in recording deeds, contracts, wills* 

 mortgages, transports, powers of attorney, and notarial protests, 

 in issuing passports and advertising departures. The proceed- 

 ings of the different courts are also registered here, and trans- 

 lations made from the Dutch to the English language; all the 

 proceedings of the court being Dutch, an Englishman is fre- 

 quently obliged to have their decrees and sentences translated 

 for him. This is a mortifying and under the present distribu- 

 tion of property, an inconvenient regulation for the colony* 

 Surely it would be wise to appoint a Recorder, graduated in 

 the English inns of law, for the avowed purpose of preparing 

 in these courts of justice, the reception of the language and 

 forms of proceeding of the metropolitan country. He would 

 know how to select for the especial sanction of his majesty's 

 privy council, those few Dutch regulations which are inter- 

 woven with the subsisting constitution of property, and may 

 therefore require to be retained. There are two receivers* 

 whose department it is to receive the colonial taxes and so- 

 vereign's fees, duties, and imposts. Our chief magistrate, the 

 fiscal, has his office in Labourgade. He is empowered 

 by ihe laws to see them put in force and strictly adhered to^ 



