claimant, who will be notified of the time and place at which he may attend to support his claim, forms for which are provided. The pension claim, bearing a minute of the magistrate's decision, is filed in the court, and a copy of the minute forwarded to the Deputy-Registrar, who is to enter its purport in the pension claim register. If the magistrate certifies that the pension is rightly claimed, an entry of the amount of the pension to be paid is entered in the register, and a pension certificate will at once be issued.
In order to facilitate the magistrate's investigation of pension claims, he is allowed to authorise the Deputy-Registrar, "or any other fit person," to inquire into the accuracy or otherwise of the matters of fact set forth in the claim; and for that purpose the person so appointed is allowed to have free access to the register of the Lands Transfer and Deeds Registration Office (for the purpose of searching title to land), the records of the Supreme Court (for the purpose of searching mortgages, etc.), and the District Valuation Roll (for the purpose of ascertaining the particulars and valuation of landed property), besides the property real and personal of the claimant, and all books, vouchers, etc., relating to his property or income. These inquiries are, where practicable, to be completed before the magistrate makes his investigation, and are to be reported to him either in writing or by way of evidence at the investigation. Discretion is given to the magistrate as to whether he will accept or reject such testimony; and he is also empowered to receive or accept or reject a statutory declaration made by any clergyman, justice of the peace, postmaster, "or other reputable person," on the subject of the claim. The magistrate, in fact, is given a very free hand; he is not bound by the strict rules of evidence, and may
