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Objects and Reasons.
1. Section 45 of the principal Ordinance permits orders of the Governor to be signified under the hand of the Colonial Secretary or the Principal Assistant Colonial Secretary. Clause 2 of this Bill, which replaces section 45, is somewhat wider in its scope, extending the permission to signify to such matters as the grant of exemptions, the remittance of fees and the exercise of any other power whatsoever. Clause 2 is identical with section 10 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinances, Cap. 87 of the 1935 Revised Edition (amended by Ordinance No. 21 of 1938) of the Laws of the Uganda Protectorate, except that the words "Colonial Secretary and "Principal Assistant Colonial Secretary" are substituted for the words 'Chief Secretary to the Government" and "Deputy Chief Secretary" respectively.
2. Clause 3 of the Bill which is taken from section 14 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance, Cap. 87 of the 1935 Revised Edition (as amended by Ordinance No. 21 of 1938) of the Laws of the Uganda Protectorate, gives the Governor power to delegate authority to the holders of various offices. This power is very desirable in order to avoid the unnecessary delay and trouble involved in forwarding documents for the perusal and signature of the Governor where the matters in question are of a routine nature, easily determinable by the head of a department. This power to delegate is practically universal in the Colonies.
March, 1940.
C. G. ALABASTER,
Attorney General.
[No. 6-13.3.40.-1.]
A BILL
INTITULED
An Ordinance to amend the Fire Investigation Ordinance,
1895.
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Fire Investiga- Short title. tion Amendment Ordinance, 1940.
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2. Section 2 of the Fire Investigation Ordinance, 1895, is amended by the repeal of the words either personally or by some officer of police of grade not lower than inspector" and by the substitution therefor of the words "by the police officer in charge of the district or by such police officer as shall be deputed by the Superintendent in charge of the Division ".
Amendment of Ordinance
No. 8 of 1895, s. 2.