ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS--HONGKONG
9.-Any Bill whereby persons not of European birth or descent may be subjected or made liable to any disabilities or restrictions to which persons of European birth or descent are not also subjected or made liable:
10.-Any Bill containing provisions to which Our assent has been once refused, or which have been disallowed by Us:
immediate
Ordinance.
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Unless in the case of any such Bill as aforesaid the Governor shall Proviso in cases have previously obtained Our instructions upon such Bill through one of of emergency for Our Principal Secretaries of State, or unless such Bill shall contain a clause operation of an suspending the operation of such Bill until the signification of Our pleasure thereupon, or unless the Governor shall have satisfied himself that an urgent necessity exists requiring that such Bill be brought into immediate operation, in which case he is authorised to assent in Our name to such Bill, unless the same shall be repugnant to the law of England, or inconsistent with any obligations imposed on Us by treaty. But he is to transmit to Us, by the earliest opportunity, the Bill so assented to together with his reasons for assenting thereto.
XXVII-Every Bill intended to affect or benefit some particular per- Private Bills. son, association or corporate body shall contain a section saving the rights of Us, Our heirs and successors, all bodies politic and corporate, and all others except such as are mentioned in the Bill and those claiming by, from, and under them. No such Bill, not being a Government measure, shall be introduced into the Legislative Council until due notice has been given by not less than two successive publications of the Bill in the Hongkong Government Gazette, and in such other manner as may be required by the Standing Rules and Orders for the time being in force; and the Governor shall not assent thereto in Our name until it has been so published. A certificate under the hand of the Governor shall be transmitted to Us with the Bill signifying that such publication has been made.
duly authenti-
XXVIII.-When any Ordinance shall have been passed or when any Ordinances, &c., Bill shall have been reserved for the signification of Our pleasure, the to be sent home- Governor shall transmit to Us, through one of Our Principal Secretaries of cated. State, for Our final approval, disallowance or other direction thereupon, a full and exact copy in duplicate of the same, and of the marginal summary thereof, duly authenticated under the Public Seal of the Colony, and by his own signature. Such copy shall be accompanied by such explanatory observations as may be required to exhibit the reasons and occasion for passing such Ordinance or Bill.
XXIX.-At the earliest practicable period at the commencement of Collection of each year, the Governor shall cause a complete collection to be published, Ordinances to be for general information,of all Ordinances enacted during the preceding year.
year.
LegislativeCoun-
XXX.-Minutes shall be regularly kept of the proceedings of the Minutes of pro- Legislative Council, and at each meeting of the said Council, the Minutes Ceedings of of the last preceding meeting shall be confirmed, or amended, as the case cilto be kept, and may require, before proceeding to the despatch of any other business.
The Governor shall transmit to Us, through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, as soon as possible after every meeting a full and exact copy of the Minutes of the said Council.
send home after every meeting.
reservations to
disposed of.
XXXI. Before disposing of any vacant or waste land to Us belong. Surveys and ing the Governor shall cause the same to be surveyed, and such reservations be made before to be made thereout as he may think necessary for roads or other public waste lands are purposes. The Governor shall not, directly or indirectly, purchase for Governor not to himself any of such lands without Our special permission given through purchase lands, one of Our Principal Secretaries of State.