Directory_and_Chronicle_1885 — Page 861

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CHARTER OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG.

XIII.-And we do hereby reserve to us, 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 shall seem meet:

In witness whereof, we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent. Witness ourself, at Westminster, the Fifth day of April, in the Sixth year of our Reign. [1843].

BY THE QUEEN HERSELF.

EDMUNDS.

SUPPLEMENTARY CHARTER, 8TH JUNE, 1875.

Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith: To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:

Whereas, by certain Letters Patent, under the great seal of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the fifth day of April, 1848, in the sixth year of our Reign, we did erect our Island of Hongkong and its dependencies (as therein described and set forth), into a separate Colony, to be known and desi nated as the Colony of Hongkong, and did further provide for the govern- ment thereof, as upon relation being had to our said Letters Patent will more fully and at large appear: And whereas by our Order in our Privy Council, bearing date the 4th day of February, 1861, in the twenty-fourth year of our Reign, it was ordered that the Kowloon district, therein described, should be part and parcel of our said Colony: And whereas, by our said Letters Patent, we did reserve to ourselves full power and authority from time to time to revoke, alter, or amend the same: Now know ye that we do hereby revoke Article XI. of our said Letters Patent, whereby provision is made for the administration of the government of our said Colony, in the event of the death or absence of the Governor for the time being thereof; and we do hereby declare our will and pleasure to be that in the event of the death, incapacity, or absence out of our said Colony, of such person as may be commissioned and appointed by us to be the Governor thereof, all and every the powers and authorities by our said Letters Patent, or by these presents, granted to the Governor of our said Colony for the time being, shall be, and the same are hereby vested in such person as may be appointed by us, by warrant under our sign manual and signet, to be the Lieutenant-Governor of our said Colony, or in the event of there being no person in our said Colony commissioned and appointed by us to be Lieutenant-Governor thereof, then our pleasure is, and we do hereby provide and declare that the said powers and authorities shall be and the same are hereby vested in the Colonial Secretary, or person lawfully discharging the functions of Colonial Secretary in our said Colony for the time being; and every such Lieutenant-Governor or such Colonial Secretary, or person lawfully discharging the functions of Colonial Secretary for the time being, shall execute all and every the said powers and authorities, until our further pleasure shall be signified therein, and according to such instructions as our said Governor may have received, and such further instructions as such Lieutenant-Governor, Colonial Secretary, or other person as aforesaid, may receive from us, either under our sign manual and signet, or by instructions under the band of one of our Principal Secretaries of State.

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II.---And whereas, by our said recited Letters Patent, we have (amongst other things) given and granted unto our said Governor full power and authority, as be should see occasion, in our name and on our behalf, to graut certain pardons to offenders in the manner and on the terms therein mentioned: And whereas it is expedient to give our said Governor additional powers of granting pardons: Now we do hereby authorize and empower our said Governor, as he shall see occasion, in our name and on our behalf, when any crime has been committed within our said Colony, to grant a pardon to any accomplice, not being the actual perpetrator of such crime, who shall give such information and evidence as shall lead to the apprehension and conviction of the principal offender.

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