When any civil action is pending in the Superior Court and has been ordered by the court to be tried before a committee appointed by the court, without a motion or written request for such committee, and no provision is made by law for the expense of such committee, the judge shall tax and allow for the services of the committee a reasonable fee, not exceeding forty dollars per day, and, when required, for the services of a stenographer and for a transcript furnished to the committee, the same rate as is allowed by law to the official court reporter. Such amounts when so taxed, shall be paid by the clerk of the court to which the action is made returnable in the same manner as other court expenses.