Latter patent
111
Great Seal thereof, the Twelfth day of January, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-four, and of Our Reign the Seventeenth.
H. C. ROTHERY, Registrar. Diplomatic Department.
His Excellency Sir John Bowring, Knight, LL.D., Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, Chief Superin- tendent of the Trade of British Subjects in China, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, is pleased to direct that the fol- lowing Commissions from Her Most Gracious Majesty THE QUEEN be published for general infor- mation.
W. H. MEDHURST, Officiating Secretary to H.B.M.'s Plenipotentiary, &c., &c.
By Order,
Victoria, Hongkong, 13th April, 1854.
COMMISSION.-Chief Superintendent under Signet and Sign Manual, Dated 24th December, 1853. VICTORIA R.
(L.S.) VICTORIA by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the faith, &c. To all and singular to whom these presents shall come, Greeting! Whereas, by a certain act of Parliament, passed in the Session of Parliament holden in the third and fourth year of the Reign of His late Majesty, King William the Fourth, intituled, "An Act to regulate the Trade to China and India," it was amongst other things enacted, that it should and might be lawful for Us, by any Commission or Commissions, or Warrant or Warrants, under our Royal Sign Manual, to appoint not exceeding three of Our Subjects to be Superintendents of the Trade of Our Subjects to and from the dominions of the Emperor of China, for the purpose of protecting and pro- moting such Trade; and Whereas by a certain other Act of Parliament passed in the Session of Parliament, holden in the sixth and seventh years of Our Reign, intituled "An Act for the better Government of Her Majesty's Subjects resorting to China," it is amongst other things enacted, that it shall be lawful for Us, by any Commission or Warrant, under Our Royal Sign Manual, to make such provision as to Us may seem fit, for the temporary exercise of the duties of Chief Super- intendent of the Trade of Our Subjects to and from China, in the event of a vacancy occurring in that Office by death, resignation, or otherwise; and Whereas in pursuance and in exercise of the Powers in Us vested, in and by the recited Acts, We, on the twenty-seventh day of November, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, by a Warrant under Our Sign Manual of that date, did appoint SAMUEL GEORGE BONHAM, Esquire, to be Chief Superintendent of the Trade of Our Subjects to and from the Dominions of the Emperor of China, and did make such provision, as to Us seemed fit, for the tem- porary exercise of the duties of the said Chief Superintendent, in the event of a vacancy occurring in that Office, by the death, or resignation, of the said SAMUEL GEORGE BONHAM, Esquire, or otherwise. Now KNOW YE, that We have revoked, and do hereby revoke the said recited warrant of the twenty- seventh day of November, One thousand eight hundred and forty seven, and, We, in further pursuance and execution of the Powers and Authorities, in Us vested by the said recited Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, do by this Our Commission or Warrant, under Our Royal Sign Manual, constitute and appoint Our Trusty and Well beloved, JoHN BOWRING, Esquire, now Our Consul at Canton, to be Chief Superintendent of the Trade of Our Subjects to and from the Dominions of the Emperor of China, for the purpose of protecting and promoting such Trade. And We do declare and grant, that the said John Bowring, Esquire, shall hold the said office during the pleasure of Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, and no longer; and We do hereby strictly charge and require the said JOHN BOWRING, Esquire, in the execution of this Our Commission to conform to and observe all such Rules and Re- gulations as are or shall be given to him for his guidance, under Our Royal Sign Manual, or in such instructions as shall from time to time be given to him in Our Privy Council, or by Us through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State. And We do in pursuance and exercise of the Powers aforesaid, further direct and appoint that in the event of a vacancy occuring in the Office of Chief Superin- tendent as aforesaid, by the death or resignation of him the said JOHN BOWRING, Esquire, or otherwise, the person who shall be administering the Government of the Island of Hongkong shall in such case
Der ble assume and hold the Office of Chief Superintendent, and exercise all the Powers and Duties thereof, until such time as any person appointed by Us to hold the said Office, shall arrive in Hongkong, and ele shall undertake the Duties of the said Office. And We do further direct, that this Our Commission shall take effect from and after the arrival of him the said JOHN BOWRING; Esquire in the Island of
the Hongkong, and not before. Given at Our Court at Saint James's, the twenty-fourth day of Decem- ber, one thousand eight hundred and fifty three;-in the seventeenth Year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesty's Command,
CLARENDON.
COMMISSION.-Legislative Powers under the Great Seal, Dated 24th December, 1853.
VICTORIA R.
VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith &c., &c., &c. To all and singular to whom these presents shall come, Greeting! Whereas, by a certain Act of Parliament passed in the seventh year of Our Reign entituled, "An Act for the better Government of Her Majesty's Subjects resorting to China," it is. amongst other things enacted, that it shall be lawful for Us, by any Commission or Commissions under the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom, or by any instructions under Our Signet and Sign