VPRS 10464 Registers of Inwards Correspondence (1911-1935) and Outwards Correspondence (1912-1943) (also known as Inwards and Outwards Letter Books)

Successive Instructions to Clerks of Courts specified the creation of Registers of letters and other communications, both inwards and outwards to be kept according to a specified format. By the issue of the 1939 Instructions, these registers were referred to as Letter Books.For inwards correspondence, these instructions specified that unless the item was marked to be returned, it should be endorsed, after registration, with the date and the name of the writer, and numbered with a current number (to be recorded also in the register) and filed in consecutive order, a short prcis of the subject matter having been first endorsed therein.Inwards registers recorded the date of receipt, from whom, the date and subject of the letter and how the letter was disposed of (ie dealt with).The Instructions also specified that in cases of importance (a term which was not defined), copies of communications outwards should be written in the (outward) letter register. By 1939 this instruction had been refined to read that all outwards correspondence should be entered in the outward letter books and that copies of communications outwards should be kept in the Office for cases of importance.Outwards registers recorded the date of despatch, to whom sent, subject detail and postage costs.

致法院书记员的系列工作指令明确要求按指定格式创建收、发函件及其他往来通讯登记簿。随着1939年版指令的发布，此类登记簿被正式命名为“函件簿”。针对收函，该指令明确：除标注需退回的函件外，其余均需在登记后加盖批注，标注收函日期及发件人姓名，并按流水号进行编号（编号亦需记入登记簿），按顺序归档；归档前需先在函件上批注简要的事由摘要。收函登记簿需记录收函日期、发件方、函件日期、函件事由及函件处置情况。该指令同时明确：对于重要事项（该术语未作明确定义），需将发往外部的往来通讯副本记入（发函）登记簿。至1939年，该指令经修订后调整为：所有发函均需记入发函簿，且重要事项对应的发函副本需留存于办公室内。发函登记簿需记录发件日期、收件方、函件事由及邮资成本。