THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 23RD MAY, 1885.
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ascertained, and shall extend to stocks and funds and real and other securities the produce of which is directed to be invested in the purchase of land.
The expression "the Chief Justice" shall mean the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the expressions "the Land Officer and Land Office" shall mean the Land Office and Land Officer of this Colony.
2. A married woman may by deed dispose of any land and money subject to be invested in the purchase of land, and also dispose of, disclaim, release, surrender, or extin- guish any estate which she alone, or she and her husband in her right, may have in any land or in any such money, and also release or extinguish any power which may be vested in, or limited, or reserved to her in regard to any land, or any such money, or in regard to any estate in any land, or in any such money, as fully and effectually as she could do if she were a feme sole, but no such disposition, disclaimer, release, surrender or extinguishment shall be valid and effectual nuless the husband concur in the deed by which the same is effected, nor unless the deed be acknowledged by her as hereinafter directed.
Provided that the powers of disposition given to a mar- ried woman by this Ordinance shall not interfere with any power which, independently of this Ordinance, may be vested in, or limited, or reserved to her, so as to prevent her from exercising such power in any case, except so far as by any disposition made by her under this Ordinance she may be prevented from so doing in consequence of such power having been. suspended or extinguished by such disposition.
3. Every deed to be executed by a married woman for any of the purposes of this Ordinance shall upon her executing the same, or afterwards, be produced and acknowledged by her as her act and deed before a Com- missioner to be appointed as hereinafter provided.
4. The Commissioner before he shall receive such ac- knowledgment, shall examine the woman apart from her busband touching her knowledge of such deed, and shall ascertain whether she freely and voluntarily consents to such deed, and, unless she does so, shall not permit Lur to acknowledge the same, and in such case such deed shall, so far as relates to the execution thereof by such married woman, be void.
5. The Chief Justice may, whenever it seems desirable to him so to do, appoint one or more Commissioners for taking acknowledgments by married women of the deeds to be executed by them as aforesaid, and such Commis- sioners shall be removable by and at the pleasure of the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice may also from time to time as occasion may require appoint a Special Commissioner to take the acknowledgment of any particular married wo- man in England or in any other place out of the Colony.
6. When a married woman acknowledges any such deed, the Commissioner taking such acknowledgment shall sign a memorandum to be endorsed on, or written at the foot, or in the margin of such deed, which memorandum, shall be to the following effect, viz. :—
"This deed marked (here add some letter or other mark for the purpose of identification) was this day produced before me and acknowledged by
therein named to be her act and deed, previous to which acknowledgment the said
was examined by me separately and apart from her husband touching her knowledge of the con- tents of the said deed and her consent thereto and declared the same to be freely and voluntarily executed by her," and the same Commissioner shall also sign a certificate of the taking of such acknowledgment which may be to the following effect, viz. :-
"These are to certify that on the
of
day
in the year IS hefore me the undersigned, A. B. a Commissioner appointed for the Colony of Hongkong, for taking the acknowledgments of deeds by married women pursuant to the Married Women's Disposition of Property Ordinance, 1885, appeared personally the
wife of
Chief Justice, Judge, Land Ufficer.
Land Officer.
A married wo- man with hus- band's concurs Fence and by deed acknow. Jedged may dispose of
Lands
Tired by married wo- Lint to be acknowledged.
Examination
of married woman apart from husband.
Appointment
of Commis- sioners.
Person taking acknowledg ment to sign memorandum,
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