ORDINANCE No. 20 of 1844
HONGKONG,
ANNO OCTAVO
VICTORIÆ REGINÆ.
No. 20 of 1844.
BY HIS EXCELLENCY JOHN FRANCIS DAVIS, ESQUIRE, Governor and Commander in Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of the Trade of British Subjects in China with the advice of the Legislative Council of Hongkong.
26th day of November, 1844,
AN ORDINANCE to empower the Governor of Hongkong with the advice of the Executive Council thereof in cases of exigency, to place any Districts or Public or Military Stations of the said Island under Martial Law.
WHEREAS, it has been found that from the vicinity of the said Island to the mainland of China a facility is afforded to armed and predatory parties of landing in considerable numbers on the said Island of Hongkong: And whereas from the yet unformed state of the Colony a considerable Police force is not of sufficient ability to afford Her Majesty's Subjects resident thereon adequate protection.
Power to Governor
1.-Be it therefore enacted and ordained by the Governor of Hongkong with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof that from and after the passing of this Ordinance it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor with the advice of the Executive Council of the said Island when and so often as the exigency of the case may seem to him to require such procedure, to declare by any public proclamation or proclamations made in the usual manner and form that in and throughout any certain District or in any Public or Military Station of the said Island Martial Law shall prevail, or that such place shall be under the control and government of such Law by the force and effect of such Proclamation.
2. And be it further enacted and ordained that any such Proclamation shall from and after the publication thereof have the full force and effect as of an Ordinance passed by the said Governor with the advice of the Legislative Council of the said Island.
Passed the Legislative Council of Hongkong,
this 20th day of November, 1844.
JOHN FRANCIS DAVIS,
Governor, &c., &c.
A. E. SHELLEY,
Clerk of Councils.
Hongkong: Published by Authority, and Printed by John Carr,