:
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5TH DECEMBER, 1896.
point. By clause 23 an obligation is laid upon the Official Administrator to bring the administration of an estate in his hands to a close within the same time as an ordinary administrator is required to do. By clause 24 the com- mission now collected upon moneys received by the Official Administrator is proposed to be legalized. Clause 25 pro- poses to apply to moneys received or taken possession of by the Official Administrator under the powers conferred upon him by clause 14—which is a re-enactment of the exist- ing law-the provisions of The Unclaimed Balances Or- dinance, 1885. Clauses 26 and 27, relating to the keeping of books by the Official Administrator and the inspection thereof by persons desirous to inspect the same, and to the right of persons applying for office copies of documents to have the same, are taken from the Administrator General's Ordinance, 1887, of British Guiana.
3. The benefits of clause 61, which is taken from The Widows and Children Relief Ordinance, 1886, are, in accordance with the amendment made in 36 and 37 Vict. c. 52 (upon which that Ordinance is founded) by 38 and 39 Vict. c. 27, extended to the case of a widow dying intestate and leaving children resident in the Colony.
4. Clause 74 relating to rules and orders of the Court is in substance a re-enactment of section 10 of Ordinance No. 9 of 1870. It appears that no rules or orders have been made under this enactment, but the custom has been, in case of any contentious business arising, to act upon the power conferred by section 11 of the last-mentioned Ordin- ance, and to direct that the rules and orders of the English Court of Probate shall, with the necessary modifications, be in force in the Court pro hac vice. But copies of the English rules and orders have been sent for, and it is in- tended with their aid to frame without delay a body of rules and orders for use in the Court.
5. Sections 10 and 11 of Ordinance No. 8 of 1860, relating to affidavits, etc., as amended by Ordinance No. 1 of 1861, have been omitted because they appear to be superseded by the provisious on that subject of The Evidence Consolida- tion Ordinance, 1889.
No. 7 of 1884.
No. 10 of 1896.
No. of 1989.
HENRY E. POLLOCK,
Acting Attorney General.
A BILL
ENTITLED
An Ordinance to further amend The Post Office
Ordinance, 1887.
BE
E it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance shall be read and construed together. with The Post Office Ordinance, 1887, (us amended by Ordinances 22 of 1889 and 10 of 1894).
2. The Postmaster General may punish any Officer of the Post Office except the Assistant Postmaster General for misconduct, or for neglect or breach of duty, by a fine not exceeding ten dollars, which shall be deducted by the Postmaster General from the pay of such Officer.
3. The imposition of every such punishment shall be reported without delay to the Governor who shall have power, if he thinks fit, to remit such fine either wholly or partially.
4. A record of every such punishment shall be entered in a book to be kept for that purpose which shall be called the Officers' Misconduct Book.
5. Such fines shall be applied to the general good of the Officers of the Post Office in such manner as may from time to time be directed by the Governor.
Objects and Reasons.
The object of this Ordinance is to confer upon the Post- master General a similar power of inflicting a fine to that which is vested in the Superintendent of the Prison by Rule 2 of the Gaol Regulations.
In many cases the reduction of a delinquent's salary or his dismissal would be an excessive punishment, and it is thought that the institution of a system of small fines will have a salutary effect.
HENRY E. POLLOCK,
Acting Attorney General.
Construction
Power of Postmaster General to fine Officer.
Fine to be reported to Governor who has power to remit it.
Becord of fines to be kept.
Application of fines.
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