A STUDY IN LEGAL ADMINISTRATION AND RECORDS SHARON ...

December of the sarne year. One of the factors in his appointment was his
"extensive knowledge of legal matten relating to land."" That knowledge would
be particularly vatuable during the following years of expansion and settlement
in the province. Wallbridge's reputation as a "sound lawyer, whose training at
the bar had been wide and variedn gained him the respect of Manitoba's legal
profes~ion.~ He believed fimly in the common law and 'had an aversion to
legislation which puts obstacles in the way of access to the That
sentiment had parallels in the ancient objections to writ restrictions that
prevented the English from having their fair avenue to the courts.
A new systern of land titles was introduced during Wallbridge's tenn of
office. Prior to 1885 land deeds were exchanged between parties, who were
supposed to register the deeds at a public office. That method proved to be
prone to error and neglect. Under the improved "Torrens" system titles "became
a matter of public recordn and were g~aranteed.~ The new system had an
immediate attraction. In his annual report Attorney-General C.E. Hamilton
remarked on the "... success which has attended the introduction of the mode of
registration of title, [the] 'Torren's System,'" and on the "... marked increase in
the number of transactions . ...n67
Another important reforrn of the era affected the Court of Queen's Bench.
There had been difficulties associated with the dual-sidedness of the court.
Lawyer John S. Ewart, founder of Manitoba Law Reports, gave voice to the
problem in 1884: