*kih སནི, ཧོ, ༢॰ ཝཛིཧཱུྃ
الحمرا
WM.
In 1864 Hong Kong
RECEIVED
SEP. 13 1844
389
DRO
HONGKONG.
ANNO SEXTO ET SEPTIMO
VICTORIÆ REGINÆ.
No. 12 of 1844.
BY His Excellency Sir Henry Pottinger, Baronet, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, Major General in the Service of the East India Company, Governor, and Commander in Chief of the Colony of Hongkong, and its Dependencies, and Superintendent of the Trade of Her Majesty's Subjects in China, with the advice of the Legislative Council of Hongkong.
Title.
Preamble, Governor to appoint Chief Magistrate of Police.
An Ordinance for the Establishment and Regulation of a Police Force in the Colony of Hongkong.
[1st day of May, 1844.] WHEREAS it is expedient that provision should be made, for establishing an effective system of Police, within the Colony of Hongkong. Be it enacted, that it shall, and may be lawful for His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong, to nominate, and appoint a proper person to be Chief Magistrate of Police, throughout the Colony and assistant Magistrates of Hongkong, who shall reside in the Town of Victoria, and shall be charged, and invested, with the general direction, and Superintendence of the Force, to be established under this Ordinance, and to appoint from time to time, fit and proper persons to be respectively marine, and assistant Magistrates, and Superintendents of Police, under the said Chief Magistrate, and proper persons to be Clerks in the Office of such Chief Magistrate, and every such marine, and assistant Magistrates, and Superintendent of Police, shall on his appointment to such Office, forthwith take before any two Justices of the Peace at Hongkong, the Oaths required to be taken, by Justices of the Peace in Hongkong aforesaid, and also the Oath hereinafter contained, and shall thereupon become and be, without further qualification or appointment, and continue so long as they shall hold the said offices, but no longer, Justices of the Peace for the Colony of Hongkong.
"I do swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lady the Queen in the office of Chief, or assistant, or marine Magistrate, or Superintendent of Police (as the case may be) without favor, or affection, malice, or ill-will, that I will see and cause Her Majesty's Peace to be kept, and preserved, and that I will prevent, to the best of my power, all offences against the same, and that while I shall continue to hold the said office, I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to Law, so help me God."
And no person appointed under this Ordinance, to be Chief, or assistant, or Marine Magistrate, or Superintendent of Police, shall be capable of holding the said Office, or of acting in any way therein, until he shall take and subscribe the above Oath, and the said Oath shall be administered by any two Justices of the Peace at Hongkong, and such Justices shall forthwith give to the person taking the same a certificate thereof under their hands, such certificate to be forwarded to the Governor of the said Colony, or to such person as he shall appoint.
Oaths to be taken.
Oath.
2. And be it enacted, that a sufficient number of fit and able men shall from time to time be appointed by the Governor, as a Police force for the whole of the Colony of Hongkong, who shall be sworn in by the Chief or assistant Magistrates, to act as Constables for preserving the Peace, and preventing robberies, and other felonies, and apprehending offenders against the Peace, and the men so sworn in shall have all such powers, authorities, privileges, and advantages, and be liable to all such duties, and responsibilities, as any constable duly appointed now has, or hereafter may have, either by the common law, or by virtue of any English statute, or Colonial Ordinance, now, or hereafter to be in force in the said Colony of Hongkong, and shall obey all such lawful orders...