CO885-(10-11) — Page 735

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so, the proposed Letters Patent will not be sufficient to withdraw the Settlements from the diocese of Calcutta, nor to extinguish the metropolitan power, whatever that may be, of the Bishop of Calcutta, such power being created by statute.

3. It follows that the safest, if not the only practical, course is to proceed by Act of Parliament.

The proposed Bill does not contain any clause annexing the Straits Settlements to the diocese of Labuan. We presume that such a clause was intentionally omitted.

If so, the Draft Bill submitted to us appears to be in our judgment sufficient for its object.

The Right Hon. the Earl Granville, K.G.

&c.

&o.

&c.

We have, &c. (Signed)

R. P. COLLIER.

J. D. COLERIDGE.

8835.

No. 584.

(BAHAMAS)

LAW OFFICERS to COLONIAL OFFICE.

MY LORD,

Temple, July 31, 1869. We are honoured with your Lordship's commands signified to us in Sir F. R. Sandford's letter of the 26th instant stating that he was directed by your Lordship to request that we would favour your Lordship with our opinion whether the bonding in the Bahamas Islands of arms and munitions of war which had not been imported from the United Kingdom or any British possession was prohibited and could be prevented under the 159th section of the Customs Consolidation Act, 16 & 17 Vict. c. 107.

In obedience to your Lordship's commands, we have the honour to

Report

That we are of opinion that bonding arms or munitions of war is within the words of 16 & 17 Vict., c. 107, s. 159, but that we fear the Bahamas are not within the words of the earlier part of the section.

The section itself in the following paragraph places them in the West Indies and distinguishes them from South America, and we think it would be straining the words of the first paragraph to construe them as including the Bahamas in the British possessions in America."

The Right Hon. Earl Granville, K.G.,

&c.

&c.

&c.

We have, &c. (Signed)

R. P. COLLIER.

J. D. COLERIDGE.

!

16275,--391.

25.-5/86.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O. 885

Reference :-

11 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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