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Land Registration. Ordi-
ance 3 of 1844,
Probate and Administra- tion. Now Ordinance 3 of 1897.
Registration of Births and
Deaths. Now Ordinance 16 of 1896.
Marriage Registration.
Stamps.
Post Office.
Licensing of Auctioneers, Billiard tables, Hawkers, Money changers, Public vehicles, and Chinese undertakers,
Spirit Licences,
Ordinance No. 3 of 1844.—( As to Registration of Deeds, Wills, etc. affecting real and immovable property in Hongkong.)
While it will probably be long before the villagers in the new extension will register small land transactions, yet it seems right that if a European or Chinaman purchases a plot of land and desires to register it in the Hongkong Land Office, be should be able to do so where the land is situated in the new territory just as easily as if it were situated in Hongkong as it exists now. I see no valid reason to exclude this Ordinance.
Ordinance 8 of 1860.-Relating to Probate and Administration.
This has been repealed and the subject matter dealt with and consolidated by Ordinance 3 of 1897.
As regards the new consolidating Ordinance the Chinese in the extension would probably often ignore it as they frequently do now in Hongkong, only taking out Probate or Administration when they require a legal title so as to sell some land or transfer some shares, but I see no reason why Ordinance 3 of 1897 should not apply to the new territory. It will work smoothly in time.
Ordinance 7 of 1872,—Relating to registration of Births and Deaths.
This has been repealed and re-enacted with improvements as Ordinance 16 of 1896 (amended by 20 of 1898). It is important that Births and Deaths should be registered, but till district-registrars are appointed under Section 3, it will be difficult for Chinese in the new territories to give the information as required by the Second Clause of Section 3. Having regard, therefore, to the requirements of Sections 8, 9 and 11 (a), especially 11(e) as to burying, some little time must elapse before the provisions of this Ordinance could be complied with. I should therefore exclude it for the present.
Ordinance 14 of 1875.-Marriage Registration.
Having regard to the restricted application of this Ordinance (See Ordinance 14 of 1896 amending Section 39 of 14 of 1875) it need not be excluded.
Ordinance 16 of 1886.--Stamps.
Amended by 13 of 1894 and 26 of 1895. On the whole I should not ex- clude this Ordinance though, no doubt, it will be largely ignored by the Chinese in the new territory as it is in Hongkong. Chinese do not care to incur expense in stamping even receipts unless they think the documents will have to be pro- duced in Court or they are giving receipts to Europeans.
T
Ordinance 1 of 1887.-Post Office.
I should not exclude this Ordinance. In practice the Chinese would send letters in the new territories by native channels till the Post Office authorities were able to enforce and properly work the monopoly which the Post Master General has, at least in theory, over correspondence and letters.
Ordinance 21 of 1887.— Licensing Consolidation.
I think this Ordinance should, at all events for the present, not be extended to the new territories.
Ordinance 21 of 1886.—(Spirit Licences.)
This has been repealed and re-enacted in a consolidating and amending Ordi- nance (No. 24 of 1898). Possibly, for the present, this Ordinance might be excluded from applying to the new territories.