deliver to his successor the process and papers in his charge, the District Court, or any judge thereof, may, upon application, order the delivery of the process and papers.

SECTION 26.-Salary of marshal. Account of fees collected by him to be sent to the Treasurer of Porto Rico.-The marshal shall receive a salary of one thousand eight hundred dollars per annum, said salary to be payable monthly by the disbursing officer of the Department of Justice. The fees for services rendered by the marshal shall be as set forth in an Act, entitled "An Act concerning the fees of certain public officers." These fees shall be collected by the marshal in advance, and be by him paid to the insular treasurer on the last day of each month, and if the marshal shall fail to collect or pay over said fees to the insular treasurer, as provided, then the amount which he shall so fail either to collect or pay over shall be deducted from his salary. He shall make and file with the Auditor such statements of accounts as the Auditor may prescribe.

SECTION 27.-Salaries of deputies.-Deputy marshals shall be entitled to receive salaries as set forth in an Act, entitled "An Act to reorganize the judiciary of Porto Rico, and for other purposes."

SECTION 28.-Fees to be collected in advance.-Unless otherwise provided in the Act fixing the fees to be paid the marshal for services as herein set forth, said fees shall be collected in advance; Provided, the plaintiff or defendant, as the case may be, is not exempt from paying said costs under the terms of said Act concerning the fees of certain public officers.

SECTION 29.-Appointment of deputies to be approved by the Attorney General.-No more deputies shall be appointed than the necessities of the service require, and in no instance shall a deputy be appointed except the necessity of such deputy be shown to the Attorney Gener

al and said appointment be approved by the Attorney General, as herein set forth, before becoming effective.

SECTION 30.-Marshal to give five thousand dollars bond.-Before entering upon the discharge of the duties of his office, the marshal shall execute an official bond to the People of Porto Rico, in the penal sum of five thousand dollars, conditioned that he will faithfully perform the duties of his office and at all times account for and pay over all moneys in his hands as marshal, said bond to be approved as to sufficiency of sureties by the Treasurer of Porto Rico, and as to form and execution by the Attorney General.

SECTION 31.-Term of office of marshal.-The term of office of the marshal shall be for four years; but he shall be subject to removal at any time by the Governor for cause shown.

SECTION 32.-The marshal shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the district which he serves at the next election; and the person so elected shall become the successor of the incumbent at that time holding said office, regardless of his time of service; Provided, that said office shall be held by appointment for a period from the time this Act takes effect until the person elected shall take possession of his office, which will be on January 1, 1905.

SECTION 33.-This Act shall take effect and be in force on and after twelve o'clock noon on July 1, 1904. All royal decrees or orders, military orders, Acts, or parts of Acts, in conflict with the same, are hereby repealed.

Approved, March 10, 1904.

AN ACT

CREATING THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF DISTRICT COURT, DEFINING HIS DUTIES AND FIXING THE COMPENSATION THEREFOR.

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico: SECTION 1.-Upon the passage of this Act, the Governor, by and with the consent of the Executive Council, shall appoint a secretary of the District Court for each judicial district, who must perform such duties as are prescribed in the Code of Civil Procedure and in the Penal Code and such duties as may be required of him by the rules and practice of the court.

SECTION 2.-The secretary may appoint such deputies as the Executive Council shall determine, provided that the next Legislative Assembly shall designate the number of same in the budget, and all such appointments to be approved by the Attorney General. Said deputies shall not be removed except in writing and for cause. The office of the secretary shall be at the court-house, and he must in person or by deputy attend every session of the District Court held in his district.

SECTION 3.-Before entering upon the discharge of the duties of his office, the secretary must execute and deposit in the office of the Treasurer, an official bond to the People of Porto Rico, in the penal sum of five thousand dollars, conditioned that he will faithfully perform the duties of his office, and at all times account for and pay over all moneys in his hands as secretary, said bond to be approved as to sufficiency of surety by the Treasurer of Porto Rico, and as to form and execution by the Attorney General. The secretary may require a bond from any deputy.

SECTION 4.-For any wrongful act or omission to perform any duty imposed, by himself or his deputy, the secretary is liable on his official bond to any person injured.

SECTION 5.-The secretary of the District Court shall demand and receive the fees for services rendered in discharging the duties imposed upon him by law, as set forth in "An Act concerning the fees of certain public officers." All fees collected by the secretary must be by him paid into the insular treasury on the last day of each month, and if the secretary shall fail to collect or pay over said fees to the insular treasurer as provided, then the amount which he shall so fail to collect or pay over shall be deducted from his salary. He shall make and file with the Auditor such statements of accounts as the Auditor may prescribe.

SECTION 6.-The secretary shall receive a salary of one thousand eight hundred dollars per annum, and the same shall be payable monthly on the first day of each month to cover the salary of the month last past. The salary shall be paid by the disbursing officer of the Department of Justice, upon a receipt by him from the Auditor to the effect that the secretary has accounted and paid into the treasury all moneys received by him as provided by law.

SECTION 7.-He shall keep such books as are prescribed by the different Codes of Porto Rico; and the Attorney General may direct the form and style of the record to be kept by the secretaries of the District Courts of the Island, but the same shall be uniform throughout the different courts of Porto Rico.

SECTION 8.-The secretary shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the district which he serves at the next election; and the person so elected shall become the successor of the incumbent at that time holding said office, regardless of his time of service; Provided, that said office shall be held by appointment from and after the time this Act takes effect for the period of time up to January 1, 1905, at which time the person elected in the next elections shall take possession of his office.

SECTION 9.-This Act shall take effect and be in force

on and after twelve o'clock noon of July 1, 1904.

All royal decrees or orders, military orders, Acts, or parts of Acts, in conflict with the same, are hereby repealed.

Approved, March 10, 1904.

AN ACT

TO PROVIDE FOR THE APPOINTMENT, DUTIES AND COMPENSATION OF STENOGRAPHER OF THE DISTRICT COURT.

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico :

SECTION 1.-There shall be appointed for each of the District Courts of Porto Rico, by the Attorney General, a stenographic reporter, who shall be well skilled in the art of stenography and capable of reporting the oral testimony in court verbatim.

SECTION 2.-Said reporter shall take the oath required to be taken by judicial officers; give a bond, to be approved by the Attorney General, in the sum of five thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful discharge of his duties, which bond shall be filed in the office of the Treasurer of Porto Rico; he shall receive a salary of one thousand two hundred dollars per annum, to be paid in the same manner as salaries of other insular officers are paid.

SECTION 3.-The said reporters shall correctly report all oral proceedings had in said courts and the testimony taken in all cases tried before said court, but the parties may, with the consent of the judge, waive the reporting by such reporter of any such proceedings or testimony.

SECTION 4.-The reporter shall file the stenographic records and reports made by him with the secretary of the District Court of the district in which such report was taken and the action was tried.

SECTION 5.-It shall be the duty of each reporter to furnish, on the application of the Attorney General, dis