The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-20
Nearly Complete for Opera
ton of New Law.

The appointment of District Attorney
Herbert Parker, w. S. B. Hopkins and
Charles A. Merrill as examiners of
titles for Worcester county under the
operation of the new Torrens law for
the registration and confirming of land
titles was officially made yesterday at
Boston
The commissions were signed by
Judge Boyd B. Jones of the court of
registration and will be received by the
appointees today. Assistant Judge
Charles Thornton Davis has been in
consultation with Judge Jones, and one
more step has been made to secure the
speedy execution of the Jaw.
The appointment of Col. Hopkins in
cludes the full firm of Hopkins, Smith
& Hopkins, and this is the only case
| in the entire commonwealth where a
| firm receives the appointment in place
| of an Individual The firm through Col.
| Hopkins has had one of the largest ex-
| periences in land questions in this part
of the state, and as it could not be eX-
pected that Col Hopkins himself could
| give his undivided time to the duties
of the position, Frank B. Smith and w.
| S. b. Hopkins Jr.. We're made parties
| to the appointment.
The commissions are signed by Judge
| Jones, but the salaries or fees will be
| fixed by the governor and council, who
are now considering the matter. The
| question of the establishment of the
| salary has been brought before the
| governor and at the next meeting of the
| council some definite announcement as
| to the action win be made without
| doubt
| One Of the most significant facts con-
nected with the execution of the Tor
rens land act is that. the most eminent
and experienced legal talent have been
| secured as official examiners of titles.
1t is far from probable that the exam
| iners themselves will ever examine into
title, and for this reason the official
| designation of the office is in way
| misleading to the laity, as the eXamin-
! ers win be in word and deed counsel
! for the commonwealth, this and nothing
more.
| The state of Massachusetts guaran-
| tees the full validity of title after it
| has been approved by the court of jur-
| isdiction, and accordingly 1t has been
| found both advisable and necessary to
| have in the service of the common
wealth, the most able and expert coun-
| Gil, who have been familiar with land
questions with legal aspect and who
can represent the state in close ques-
! tions when great interests are involved
over the legality of a property title.
| Assistant Judge Charles Thornton
| Davis, who perhaps more than any
other man apprecited the situation
| fully and knew that in the guarantee
by the state of a title it would require
| the brightest and most experienced
| lawyers to secure that guarantee when
| title disputes came up for settlement by
the court of registration, has had this
idea constantly before him, and to him
| is due the action of the court of regis
tration in commissioning as title eX-
aminers not only for Worcester county,
but other counties of the state, the
highest legal talent.
! The guarantee of the title by the
state is a serious undertaking, and the
title examiners will be in reality counsel
for the state in as full a sense as the
district attorney is an officer for the
state. The examiners viii represent
the commonwealth in the actual sit
ting of the court of registration. For
this reason lawyers with wide expert
ence in practice have been appointed.
1t is probable that Elliott H. Pea
body, who received a substantial en-
dorsement of Worcester county law
yers for title examiner, will have the
1 actual work of examination of titles
under his guidance. His experience in