receive any proposal for the management or letting of the estate from the parties interested, and shall make his report thereon, which report shall be submitted to the Court for confirmation in the same manner as is now done with respect to reports on such matters made upon special reference; and until such report be confirmed, it shall not give any authority to the Receiver.

LXV. That all affidavits which have been previously made and read in Court, upon any proceeding in a cause or matter, may be used before the Master.

LXVI. That where upon an inquiry before the Master affidavits are received, there no affidavits in reply shall be read, except as to new matter, which may be stated in the affidavits in answer; nor shall any further affidavits be read unless specially required by the Master.

LXVII. That the Master shall not receive further evidence as to any matter depending before him after issuing the warrant on preparing his report; but that he shall not issue such warrant without previously requiring the parties to show cause why such warrant should not issue.

LXVIII. That no warrant to review any proceeding in the Master's office shall be allowed to be taken out, except by permission of the Master, upon special grounds to be shown to him for that purpose; and the costs of such review when allowed shall be in the discretion of the Master, and shall be paid by and to such persons and at such time as he shall direct.

LXIX. That the Master shall have power at his discretion to examine any witness viva voce; and in such case the subpoena for the attendance of the witness shall, upon a note from the Master, be issued from the Subpoena Office; and that the evidence upon such viva voce examination shall be taken down by the Master, or by the Master's clerk in his presence, and preserved in the Måster's office, in order that the same may be used by the Court if necessary.

LXX. That in all matters referred to him, the Master shall be at liberty, upon the application of any party interested, to make a separate report or reports from time to time as to him shall seem expedient; the costs of such separate reports to be in the discretion of the Court.

LXXI. That where a Master shall make a separate report of debts or legacies, there the Master shall be at liberty to make such certificate as he thinks fit with respect to the state of the assets; and every person interested shall thereupon be at liberty to apply to the Court as he shall be advised.

LXXII. That the Master shall be at liberty to examine any creditor or other person coming in to claim before him, either upon written interrogatories or viva voce, or in both modes, as the nature of the case may appear to him to require; the evidence upon such examination being taken down at the time by the Master, or by the Master's clerk in his presence, and preserved, in order that the same may be used by the Court if necessary.

LXXIII. That if any party wishes to complain of any matter introduced into any state of facts, affidavit, or other proceeding before the Master, on the ground that it is scandalous or impertinent, or that any examination taken in the Master's office is insufficient, he shall be at liberty, without any order of reference by the Court, to take out a warrant for the Master to examine such matter, and the Master shall have authority to expunge any such matter which he shall find to be scandalous or impertinent.

LXXIV. That the Master, in deciding on the sufficiency or insufficiency of any answer or examination, shall take into consideration the relevancy or materiality of the statement or question referred to.

LXXV. That in cases where estates or other property are directed to be sold before the Master, the

Master shall be at liberty, if he shall think it for the benefit of the parties interested, to order the same to be sold in the country, at such place and by such person as he shall think fit.

LXXVI. That where a Master is directed to settle a conveyance, or to tax costs, in case the parties differ about the same, there the party claiming the costs, or entitled to prepare the conveyance, shall bring the bill of costs, or the draft of the conveyance, into the Master's office, and give notice of his having so done to the other party; and at any time within eight days after such notice, such other party shall have liberty to inspect the same without fee, and may take a copy thereof if he thinks fit; and at or before the expiration of the eight days, or such further time as the Master shall in his discretion allow, he shall then either agree to pay the costs or adopt the conveyance, as the case may be, or signify his intention to dispute the same; and in case he dispute the same, the Master shall then proceed to tax the costs, or settle the conveyance, according to the practice of the Court. (Altered by Order 76 of 1831, p. 303, post.)

LXXVII. That whenever in any proceeding before a Master the same solicitor is employed for two or more parties, such Master may at his discretion require that any of the said parties shall be represented before him by a distinct solicitor, and may refuse to proceed until such party is so represented.

LXXVIII. That such of the foregoing orders as limit or allow any specified time for any party to take any proceeding, or for any other purpose, shall only apply to cases where the period from which such specified time is to be computed shall be on or subsequent to the first day of Easter term next ensuing.

LXXIX. That such of the foregoing orders as relate to the manner in which the costs of any suit or proceeding are to be taxed, and to the amount of costs

to be paid on any occasion, shall not apply to any costs which shall have been incurred, or to the costs of any proceeding which shall have been had or taken previously to the first day of Easter term next ensuing.

LXXX. That such of the foregoing orders as relate to the course of proceeding in the offices of the Masters of the Court, or to the authority of the Masters, shall have effect from and after the first day of Easter term next ensuing, and shall be acted upon by the Masters in all cases, except where from the then advanced stage of any proceeding they are not practically applicable.

LXXXI. That subject to the regulations hereinbefore specified, the foregoing orders shall take effect as to all suits whether now depending or hereafter commenced, on the first day of EASTER TERM next.

LYNDHURST, C.

JOHN LEACH, M. R.

LANCELOT SHADWELL, V. C.

GENERAL ORDERS

OF

THE COURT OF CHANCERY,

23d NOVEMBER, 1831.

THE Right Honourable Henry Lord Brougham and Vaux, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, by and with the advice and assistance of the Right Honourable Sir John Leach, Master of the Rolls, and the Right Honourable Sir Lancelot Shadwell, Vice Chancellor of England, doth hereby order and direct, that the Orders of the 3d April, 1828, be amended as to numbers VI., XIII., XVI., XVII., XVIII., XIX., XXIV., and LXXVI., in manner following; that is to say,

VI. That if the plaintiff do not, within three weeks after a defendant's second or third answer is filed, refer the same for insufficiency on the old exceptions, such answer shall thenceforth be deemed sufficient.

XIII. That after an answer has been filed, the plaintiff shall be at liberty, before filing a replication, to obtain upon motion or petition without notice, one order for leave to amend the bill; but no further leave to amend shall be granted after an answer, and before replication, unless the Court shall be satisfied by affidavit that the draft of the intended amendments has been settled, approved, and signed by counsel, and that such amendments are not intended to be made for the purpose of delay or vexation, but because the same are considered to be material to the case of the plaintiff; such affidavit to be made by the plaintiff, or one of the plaintiffs, where there is more than one, and his, her, or their solicitor, or by such solicitor alone, in case the plaintiff or plaintiffs, from being abroad or otherwise,