This is a document made on 6 August 1897 concerning the matter of James Aitken and Song Ong Siang. Aitken and Song were engaged by the petitioner Gan Eng Seng who refused to pay the relevant charges when presented with the bill of costs, citing excessive charges as the reason for his refusal. The matter was subsequently referred to the Registrar of the Supreme Court of the Straits Settlements, Singapore. This document is part of a collection of legal documents from the 19th and early 20th centuries which provides a glimpse into the work of the notable personalities who left their mark on Singapore’s legal history, and the economic and other transactions undertaken by ordinary immigrants in 19th century Singapore that tell stories of misfortune and indebtedness which would otherwise have disappeared from history.
