This Ordinance is in accordance with the provisions of
Imperial Act 17 and 18 Vic. chap. 36, which has hitherto been in force here by virtue of
Section 2 of Ordinance No. 7 of 1856, and by the insertion of this amongst other Statutes in the schedule.
The Commissioners appointed to compile the new Edition of the Ordinances suggested however that this mode of legislation by reference was extremely inconvenient, not only because the volume containing the particular Statute might not be at hand at the time required, but because the extent to which the Imperial Enactment was applicable to local circumstances would in every case form subject of enquiry.
In this view I entirely concurred, and the Commissioners were accordingly good enough to undertake the preparation of the present Ordinance which carries out so far as possible the recommendation contained in the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch No. 47 of 20th March last.