, 1892-02-03

WILL the Government take the necessary
steps, enthusiastically or by Legislative
enectments. to prevent the Dealing Court IN
future from Interfering, by registering of the
effects, by sealing Of apartments ETC., or IN
any other manner, with the administration of
Estates after Deceased Persons when Execu-
torres testament are appointed to administrate
such Estates, before the Executors have had
sufficient time after the demise of the party to
obtain the necessary RoyAl Grant?
Christiansted, 18th January 1892.
A. E. STAKEMANN.
2nd Member for Christiansted (StGkemGnn)
said the present Interpolation is occaSioned
BY a recent act of the Dealing Master IN CHRIS.
tiansted, which 10 against all previous rules and
habits. 1t is namely this, that q person died
leaving a will by which she a%ppointedtwo ex-
ecutors. It is the general custom on such oc-
casions onlv to show the Will to the Dealing
Master. and then all steps are postponed, until
the ROYAL Grant can be obtained. In the pre-
sent case. the person died on the End instant,
on the 9th the petition with a translation IN
Danish Of the will and with a copy thereof
were duly forwarded to the Dealing Court
for further transmission to Government. Any
ono acquainted with these matters Will know
that all that was required Ut the Dealing Mac
ter was to sign on the petition that the execu-
tors were trustworthy men, nothing further
it is known to the Dealing Master that such
matters have to 90 to the Governor, who is at
present in ST. Thomas, and that the mail
schooner leaves here for St. Thomas Thurs
day and Monday. To give that declaration
could not have required much time, since more
over the Executors in question were known to
everybody as Trustworthy and reliable men;
still the petition WAS not expedited by
the Dealing Master for the mails on
Thursday he (Stskemann), does not know
exactly when it was sent in, but at all events
it did not reach st. Thomas till the following
Monday. During this time nothing was
done in the whole affair, a. is the case always
otherwise; but suddenly on Monday the
Dealing Master called one OF the Executors
and told him that the registration OF the es-
tate would now take place; the Executors
protested, 90 the motive Of the testatrix was
expressly to avoid all interference of the Deal.
ing Court, and 10 regards previous usage,
il was ALWAYS observed that the Dealing
Court never interfered. This rule has now
beon changed in Christiansted since Monday;
in Frederiksted and St. Thomas, and also in
ChriStiansted up to Monday, it has always
been followed that the Executors were given
sufficient time to obtain the grant. This is
also the rule and practice in the Mother
Country; several authorities on the subject
ratify what he had now said on this head. But
moreover there 10 q special Law for the West
Indies in this respect. and which it would
seem that the Dealing Master in Christiansted,
who is new has not known it is g Law OF
18th November 1866; it is rather ali old law,
but it bias been brought into application very
lately in o suit in Copenhagen, and there oan
be no doubt that it 10 in existence still; it
was originally given only for Estates owners,
but by a Rescript of 9th July 1902 it WAS made
applicable to all and every ono in these Is
lands. That law provides that owners OF eS-
tates in these Islands shall be at liberty 10
make Wills containing any testamentary dis.
posals which the parties consider adapted to
protect the interests of the family and the pre-
s~ervation. of the estates, and appointing Exc
cutors and Guardians for children, and after
stating that When such Wills aEe TO be sent
home for Royal confirmation, they shall pre-
viousry be entered ia the protocol, 1t is enact