168
CHARTER OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG.
conviction of the principal offender, or of any one of such offenders, if more than one; and further, may grant to any offender convicted in any Court, or before any judge, or other mag strate within the Colony, a pardon either free or subject to lawful conditions, or any remission of the sentence passed on any such offender, or any respite of the execution of And remission of such sentence for such period as the Governor thinks fit, and may remit the payment of any fines, penalties, or forfeitures due or accrued to us. Provided always that the Governor shall in to case, except when the offence Plitical offences. has been of a political nature unaccompanied by any other grave crime, make it a condition of any pardon or remission of sentence that the offender Proviso, Banish- shall be banished from or shall absent himself or be removed from the meut prohibited.
Colony.
tines.
Suspension of Officers.
Succession to Government.
XV.-The Governor may, upon sufficient cause to him appearing, suspend from the exercise of his office any person holding any office within the Colony, whether appointed by any commission or warrant from us or in our name, or by any other mode of appointment. Every such suspen- sion shall continue and have effect only until our plea-ure therein shall be signified to the Governor. In proceeding to any such suspension the Governor is strictly to observe the directions in that behalf given to him by any instructions as aforesaid.
XVI. —Whenever the office of Governor is vacant, or if the Governor become incapable, or be absent from the Colony, our Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony, or if there shall be no such officer therein, then such person or persons as we have appointed or may hereafter appoint under our sign manual and signet, and in default of any such appointment, the person lawfully discharging the functions of Colonial Secretary, shall, during our Proviso. Oaths pleasure, administer the government of the Colony, first taking the oaths hereinbefore directed to be taken by the Governor and in the manner herein prescribed; which being done, we do hereby authorize, empower, Powers, &c., of and command our Lieutenant-Governor, or any other such administrator as aforesaid, to do and execute, during our pleasure, all things that belong to the office of Governor and Commander-in-chief, according to the tenor of these our Letters Patent, and according to our instructions as aforesaid, and the laws of the Colony.
of Oflice.
Administrator.
Officers and
XVII.—And we do hereby require and command all our officers and and assist Go. ministers, civil and military, and all other the inhabitants of the Colony, to be obedient, aiding and assisting unto the Governor and to any person for the time being administering the government of the Colony.
vernor.
Term "Gover
XVIII. In these our Letters Patent the term "the Governor" shall nor" explained. include every person for the time being administering the government of
the Colony.
Power reserved
to Her Majesty
XIX. And we do hereby reserve to ourselves, our heirs and successors. to revoke alter, full power and authority, from time to time, to revoke, alter, or amend Letters Patent, these our Letters Patent as to us or them shall seem meet.
Publication of Letters Pateut,
XX.—And we do further direct and enjoin that these our Letters Patent shall be read and proclaimed at such place or places within the Colony as the Governor shall think fit.
In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent. Witness ourself at Wesminster, the nineteenth day of January, in the Fifty-first year of our Reign.
By Warrant under the Queen's Sign Manual,
MUIR MACKENZIE.