CO129-531-3 Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Ordinance- 1931 16-10-1931 - 21-12-1931 — Page 7

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transfer of office and staff from one department to another

involves no changes in the routine of registration.

3.

Sections 3 and 10 (1) and (4) implement section

14 (2) of the Probates Ordinance, 1897, (No.2 of 1897

as amended by No.21 of 1930) in order to give effect to

an arrangement which has been arrived at between His

Majesty's Government and the United States Government,

relating to the manner in which the provisions of Article

3 of the Real and Personal Property Convention of

Washington of the 2nd March, 1899, which has been applied

to this Colony, may be carried out. Under that

arrangement, provision is made for notification to the

nearest American Consul whenever a citizen of the United

States dies in the Colony. Under section 14 of the Probates

Ordinance, the notification is made by the Official

Administrator.

The amendments made in the principal

Ordinance by this Ordinance make provision for informing

the Official Administrator.

Informants for purposes of

Registration of Deaths are therefore required to state,

in addition to the usual particulars, the nationality

of the deceased, if known; and where the information is

of the death of a citizen of the United States, the

Registrar is required to pass such information on to

the Official Administrator and through him to the Consul.

4. Section 4 of this Ordinance amends section 10 (2)

of the principal Ordinance. Under that sub-section,

which was introduced into the principal Ordinance by

Ordinance No. 26 of 1923, the late registration fee, after

twelve months, is at the rate of five dollars for every

year or part of a year that has elapsed since birth.

It is considered that the progressive fee defeats its

object as it deters persons from registering who might

otherwise do so particularly in the New Territories

where the absence of district registries has been

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conducive to late registration.

5. Sections 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 (2) and (3) raise the

statutory fees for certificates and searches.

6.

Section 11 postpones the operation of this Ordinance

until the 1st January, 1932.

7.

In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His

Excellency the Governor may properly as sent in the name

of His Majesty and on His behalf.

Alabaster

Attorney General.

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