So far as the mere amount of fees was concerned, he did not think, if the machinery of the Court was used for wind ing up an estate, that they were excessive, except that they appeared to be a repetition of those pro vided for in the Act of 1862. He did not know whether that was intended; but he was inclined to think that there had been some little blunder, and that one set was intended to cover all. Mr. Paterson: I had much pleasure in com plying with a request that I would meet the Chamber of Commerce, on a very impor tant subject affecting the interests of the commercial community at large. I am cer tain that the Government are in every way inclined to listen to any remonstrance from so influential a body as the -Chamber of Commerce of Dunedin; and that any representation it may make will meet with due attention. It is not to be expected that I should give any authoritative opinion respecting the intention of the framers of the Act which has been so prominently brought under consideration to-day. At the same time, I have no objection what ever to authorise the Inspector to sus pend action in regard to all the cases complained of to-day, until he shall have received further in structions from the Government as to their inten tions in the matter, and as to his own proceed ings. (Hear, hear.) That is, I think, as far as the Chamber will expect me to go. I have no doubt that so soon as I return to Wellington and present the resolutions of the Chamber to the Government, action will be taken to consider the whole matter, and to give instructions to the Inspector upon those points on which dubiety of opinion exists. I may add, as a member of the Assembly, in which the Act was passed, the opinion generally was that it was not intended to apply to such cases as have been referred to to-day; and it may be that, in the hurry with which the Act was passed, at the end of the session, some ex pressions have crept in which are not so definite as they would have been had more deliberation been bestowed on the subject. 