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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE 31ST MARCH, 1877.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
No. 74.
The following Notice from the Collector of Stamp Revenue is published for geral information.
By Cominand,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Ilongkong, 28th March, 1877.
· NOTICE.
H. E. WODEHOUSE, Acting Colonial Secretary.
The Collector of Stamp Revenue has reason to believe that there is a general impression amongst the Community that certain documents which are Minutes or Memoranda of Agreement, such as that known as Memo. of Charter, do not require to be stamped.
The Collector begs to call attention to the first Article of the Schedule to The Stamp Amend- ment Ordinance, 1868, which he is advised includes all such documents as those mentioned above.
The Collector therefore publicly notifies to all whom it may concern that after the expiration of seven days from the publication of this Notice, before exercising the power given to him under Section 16 of The Stamp Ordinance, 1866, of stamping such documents on payment of a penalty, he will require strict proof that the omission or neglect to have any such document stamped did not arise from any intention to evade payment of the stamp duty.
Stamp Office, Hongkong, 27th March, 1877.
ALFRED LISTER,
Collector.
No. 75.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Report of the Marine Court of Inquiry into the loss of the British ship John O'Gaunt, Official Number 24,201, is published for general information.
By Command,
H. E. WODEHOUSE, Acting Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 29th March, 1877.
FINDING.
We find that the British ship John O'Gaunt, Official No. 24,201, of Liverpool, 860 tons, left Brikenhead on the 22nd August, with a cargo of Coals, bound to Manila, and, that while making for the San Bernardino Strait in the Philippine Islands, the vessel struck on a reef, on the morning of the 8th January last, near Bacan Island; and, after passing over this reef, that the vessel floated, but, having received serious damage and making water rapidly, the Master and crew left vessel in a boat, and that about 10 or 15 minutes after doing so, the John O'Gaunt struck on another reef on the East side of the Island of Batag and shortly afterwards sunk.
We find that the Master, JonN PLEASE, Number of whose Certificate of Competency is 11 429, was wanting in proper precaution in that he did not, directly he made out that land was unexpectedly in sight, at once try for soundings and haul the ship to the wind and off shore,
was running We find that the cables were not bent, nor the anchors unstowed, although th
The reason given b e Master is that for the land and by the reckoning was only 26 miles from it. the weather rendered it necessary for the hause plugs to be in, as the crew lived ader a Top Gallant forecastle.
We adjudge that the Master's Certificate be suspended for a period of Six Months from this date. Although this matter has doubtless received the attention of Her Majesty's Consul at Manila, the Court think it their duty to bring to the notice of this Government, the very kindly treatment which the Master and Crew of the John O' Gaunt received from the Spanish Authorities of the Philippine Islands, and more especially from Don VICENTE MOLLEDA, on the Island of Laguan. Given under our hands, at Hongkong, this Twenty-eighth day of March, 1877.
C. MAY,
H. G. THOMSETT, R.N., HERBERT MAGNIAC, ROBERT MCMURDO, W. SYMINGTON,
First Police Magistrate. Harbour Master, &c.,
Un-Official Justice of the Peace. Government Marine Surveyor. Commading British Steam-ship "Hankow,"
Confirmed,
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Administrator.