Directory_and_Chronicle_1887 — Page 906

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CHARTER OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG.

virtue of our said Charter of the fifth day of February, 1843, and these present Letters Patent, and of such Commission as may be issued to him under our sign manual and signet, and according to such instructions as may from time to time be given to him, under our sign inanual and signet, or by our order in our Privy Council, or by us through one of our principal Secretaries of State, and to such laws as are or shall hereafter be in force in our said Colony.

II.—And whereas, by Article IV. of our said Charter, we did make provision for the constitution of an Executive Council for our said Colony of Hongkong: Now we do hereby declare our pleasure to be that, henceforth, any person or persons may be named or designated by us as members of our said Executive Council of our said Colony by warrant, under our sign manual and signet, as well as by any instruction or instructions addressed by us to our said Governor, and that our said Governor shall summon to our said Executive Council any person or persons so named or designated.

III.--And we do hereby declare our pleasure to be that, in addition to the power of granting pardons conferred upon our said Governor by Articles VIII. and IX. of our said Charter, our said Governor shall be authorized, and he is hereby empowered, as he shall see occasion, in our name and on our behalf, when any crime has been committed within our said Colony, or for which the offender may be tried therein, to grant a pardon to any accomplice, not being the actual perpetrator of such crime, who shall give such information as shall lead to the conviction of the principal offender; and to remit any fines, penalties, or forfeitures whatsoever, which may become due and payable to us, notwithstanding that the same may exceed the sum of fifty pounds sterling in any case.

IV. And whereas, by Article XI. of our said Charter we did make provision 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 whereas we have revoked that Article of our said Charter, and we do hereby further 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

and authorities by our said Charter, 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 our Lieutenant-Governor in our said Colony, or if there shall be no such Lieutenant-Governor in our said Colony, then in such person or persons as may be appointed by us under our sign manual and signet to administer the government of our said Colony; or in the event of there being no person in our said Colony commissioned and appointed by us to be such Lieutenant- Governor or Administrator 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 tine being shall execute all and every the said

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 hand of one of our principal Secretaries of State.

V. And we do hereby require and command all our officers and ministers, civil and military, and all other the inhabitants of our said Colony, to be obedient, aiding, and assisting unto our said Governor, or in the event of his death, incapacity, removal, or absence, to such person or persons as may under the provisions of our said Charter, and these Letters Patent, administer the government of our said Colony.

VI.—And 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 shall seem meet.