DROIT
THE HONGKONG
Government Gazette.
No. 48.
No. 116.
Published by Authority.
VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 22ND NOVEMBER, 1862.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
VOL. VIII.
His Excellency the Acting Governor in Executive Council has been pleased to grant leave of absence on sick certificate to H. G. THOMSETT, Esquire, R. N., Harbour Master, &c., of this Colony.
His Excellency has also been pleased to appoint ROBERT MCMURDO, Esquire, to discharge Mr. Thomsett's duties during his absence, or until further notice.
By Order,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 17th November, 1862.
No. 117.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
W. H. ALEXANDER,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
The following Extract of Letter from the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated September 4th, 1862, together with the Imperial Act to which it relates, are published for general information.
The attention of Shipmasters is particularly drawn to the various provisions of this Act.
By Order,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 19th November, 1862.
EXTRACT.
W. H. ALEXANDER, Acting Colonial Secretary.
"It appears to my Lords that it is very important that the earliest opportunity should be taken by the Secretary of State to direct the attention of the Governments of the several Colonies to the provi- sions of the 23rd Section of this Act, which gives to Courts of Inquiry the power which, until the passing of the Act, was exercised exclusively by the Board of Trade, of cancelling or suspending the certificates of Masters and Mates; also to Section 24, which gives the Court a power which they had not previously possessed of demanding the delivery to them of a certificate pending the trial of the offender.
"My Lords would suggest that the Secretary of State should in making known these provisions to the Colonial authorities particularly impress upon them the necessity of a rigid compliance with the requirements of pare graph 6 of the 23rd Section of the Act, and should also point out that it is essential that any Report of an Investigation held in any Colony should not only receive but bear the formal confirmation in writing of the Governor or person administering the government of the Colony in which the Court is held.
"This formality is rendered necessary by the 5th provision of Section 242 of 'The Merchant Ship- ping Act, 1854.'
"It is hardly necessary to observe that unless it is in future shown upon the face of any Report of Inquiry into Wrecks, or into the conduct of Officers in the Merchant Service, that the requirements above referred to have been strictly observed, it will not be in the power of this Board to withhold a certificate that may have been cancelled or suspended abroad, and the intention of the Act will be frustrated.
"I am to add that there are other provisions in the accompanying Act relating to Merchant Scamen, which will form the subject of a further communication for the guidance of Shipping Masters in Her Majesty's British possessions abroad.”