1939-HKRS29-8-10_Part01 — Page 15

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Hong Kong,

and

ATENT passed under the Great Seal of the Realm, amending the Letters Patent of the 14th of February, 1917 konstituting the office of Governor Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hong Kong

to Dependencies.

Duted 29th June, 1989.

GEORGE THE SIXTH, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominious beyond the Seus King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India:

To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting I

Letters

February.

WHEREAS by certain Letters Pakul under the Great Seal, Recites bearing date at Westminster the Fourteenth day of February; Paint of 1917 (hereinafter referred to as "The Letters Patent of 14 1917), as amended by Letters Patent bearing date the 1917 ad Thirtieth day of April, 1938, the office of Governor and 30th April, Commander-in-Chief" in and over Our Colony of Hong Kong and its Dependenpies is constinted

AND WEERRAs We are minded in amend the Letters

Patent of 1917 in the manner following:

Now Know YB that We do hereby declare Our will and

pleasure as follows :----

1938.

I. Article XV1 of the Letters Patent of 1917 is hereby Repokes revoked, and the following Articles are substituted therefor: 4d replaces

Article

XVII of

Lutters

Patent of 1917.

KELLING.

**

* XVII. Whenever the office of Governor is vacant, or "Burnin the Governor is absent from the Colony, or is from any cause to reru prevented from, or incapable of, acting in the duties of bis office, then such person as may be appointed under the Royal Sign Manual and Signet, or, if there shall be no such person or the person so appointed shall be absent from the Colony or prevented from, or incapable of, acting as aforesaid, then the person lawfully discharging the functions of Colonial Secretary, or if there shall be no person discharging such functions, then the senior member of the Executive Council actually present in the Colony, shall during Our pleasure administer the Government of the Colony, first taking the Oaths hereinbefore directed to be taken by the Governor and in the manner herein prescribed; which being done, We do hereby authorise, empower and command such person, to do and execute, during Our pleasure, all things that belong to the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief, as provided in these Our Letters l'atent :

Provided that the Governor or the person appointed as aforesaid, when visiting any neighbouring territories in the exercise or discharge of any powers or duties by these Letters Patent or otherwise conferred or imposed upon him by Us, or through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, shall not be regarded as absent from the Colony for the purposes of this Article.

"Appoint ment of Deputies to Governur,"

Any such person as aforesaid shall not continue to administer the Government after the Governor or some other person having a prior right to administer the same has notified that he is about to assume the administration."

at

"XVII.A. In the event of the Governor having occasion any time to be temporarily absent for a short period from the seat of Government, or, in the exercise or discharge of any powers or duties by these Letters Patent or otherwise conferred or imposed upon him by Us, or through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, to visit any neighbouring territories. le may by an Instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony appoint any person or persons to be his Deputy or Deputies within the Colony or any part or parts thereof during his absence from the seat of Government or from the Colony, as the case may be, and in that capacity to exercise, perform and execute for and on behalf of the Governor during such absence, but no longer, all such powers and unthorities by these Letters Patent or otherwise vested in the Governor as shall in and by such Instrument be specified and limited, but no others. Every such Deputy shall conformi to and observe all such Instructions as the Governor shall from time to time address to him for his guidance. By the appoint- ment of a Deputy or Deputies as aforesaid the power and authority of the Governor shall not he abridged, altered, or in any way affected otherwise than We may at any time hereafter think proper to direct."

II. We do hereby reserve to Ourselves. Our heirs and successors, full power and authority from time to time to revoke, alter, or amend these Our Letters Patent as to Us or them shull seern fit.

IIT, And We do direct and enjoin that these Our Letters Patent shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by the Governor by Proclamation in the Hong Kong Government Gazette, and shall be published in the said Gazette, and shall be read and proclaimed at such place or places within the Colony as the Governor may think fit.

In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Lutters to be made Patent.

Witness Ourself at Westminster this twenty-ninth day of June. 1939, in the Third year of Our Beign.

By Warrant under The King's Sign Manual.

Solluster.