CO885-(10-11) — Page 809

8108.

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No. 643.

(STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.)

LAW OFFICERS to FOREIGN OFFICE.

MY LORD,

Temple, May 30, 1870. We are honoured with your Lordship's commanda, signified in Mr. Hammond's letter of the 23rd instant, stating that he was directed to transmit to us a letter from the Colonial Office, with its enclosures, respecting the question of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in certain cases in Siam, and to request that we would take these papers into our consideration, and furnish your Lordship with our opinion on the points raised in the Colonial Office letter.

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

Report

That the Supreme Court of Singapore, in which certain powers were vested by Her Majesty's Order in Council of 28th July 1856, and the Imperial Act, 20 and 21 Vict. c. 75, was, in our opinion, the court created by Letters Patent or Charter of the Queen. which was formerly recognised by 18 and 19 Vict. c. 93, and that it will be necessary, if it be thought desirable to transfer to the new court created by the Legislature of the Straits Settlements the powers vested in the Supreme Court by the Order and Statute above-mentioned, to pass an Imperial Statute enacting that the said Order and Statute shall be construed to apply to the new court. We would further observe that, if it is contemplated that the new court shall exercise the Admiralty jurisdiction exercised under 18 and 19 Vict. c. 93. by the Supreme Court, it will be necessary to provide by Act of Parliament for the transfer of such jurisdiction as was done in the case of the Supreme Court itself by that Statute.

The Earl of Clarendon, K.G.

We have, &c. (Signed)

R. P. COLLIER. J. D. COLERIDGE, TRAVERS TWISS.

o 16978-795. 95.-5/86.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O. 885

11 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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