16 April 1857
Present:
His Excellency The Governor,
The Honorable The Lieutenant Governor,
The Honorable The Chief Justice,
The Honorable The Acting Colonial Secretary,
The Honorable The Attorney General,
The Honorable J. F. Edger, Esquire.
The Council met today pursuant to adjournment.
The Minutes of the last Council being read and approved. The Honorable The Lieutenant Governor was, from indisposition, obliged to leave his seat and retire.
This Excellency The Governor laid on the Table the following Letter which was read, from the Attorney General:
"No. 1"
"Attorney General's Office,"
"Hong Kong, 10 April, 1857"
"Sir,
"A question having arisen yesterday in the legislative Council hour for the forms of that body are governed by those of Parliament, particularly as to the duty of every member to address himself directly to the chair, and as to the power of any member to move (for the purpose of procuring the dropping of a bill in Committee) that the President do leave the 'Chair,' which duty and which power were asserted by myself but denied by the Acting Colonial Secretary, it was stated by the Lieutenant Governor that a code of orders for transaction of business in the Legislative Council had been prepared and adopted by Governor Sir John Davis, which had never been repealed. As therefore it must be deemed still in force, I have the honor to request that a copy of the said orders be made and sent. To me, for my future guidance as a Legislative Councillor in such cases.
"I have also to request that this my letter be communicated to the Legislative Council at its next meeting for the usual purposes."
"I have, &C.,
(Signed) "T. Chisholm Anstey, A. G. M. L. C."
"L. d'Almada e Castro, Esquire
Clerk of Councils."
The Rules and Regulations alluded to in the foregoing letter, and which passed the Executive Council on 7th March 1845, were next produced and read; and a similar course was adopted with Her Majesty's Sign. Manual Instructions bearing on the subject. His Excellency then read. Despatch No. 82, of 29 July 1856, from Mr. Secretary Labouchere, a transcript of which was published in the Government Gazette. Extraordinary of the 2nd March last, together with the correspondence relating to the re-construction of the Legislative Council. His Excellency observed, and the Honorable Members present concurred in the opinion, that the Rules adopted by Sir John Davis in 1845, were, with very few exceptions, inapplicable to the Proceedings of the Legislative Council as at present constituted; but as the reconstruction of the Legislative Council was now under reference to the Home Government, he proposed that the preparation of new Rules for the guidance of the Council should be deferred till the receipt of final Instructions from The Secretary of State.
Consideration of the Registration Ordinance was resumed.
Mr. Inglis, who formerly held the office of Registrar General, was called in and examined, and he was requested to report in writing his views respecting the Ordinance now under discussions.
Sections XI to XXIII inclusive, were then separately discussed, amended, and passed unanimously.
It was ordered that the Ordinance as amended and passed up to Clause XXIII, should be printed, anew with Sunday additional sections which were this day introduced by the Attorney General, and which received the general approval of the Council.
The Council then adjourned till Tuesday next the 21st Instant, at 1 P.M.
(Signed) John Bowring,
Governor.
Read and approved,
this 21 Day of April, 1857.
(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,
Clerk of Councils.