Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 475

Dated 19th January, 1889.

Preamble.

CHARTER OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG

Letters Patent passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, constituting the office of Governor and Commander-in-chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies.

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

Whereas, by our Charter under the Great Seal of our United Kingdom Recites Charter of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the fifth day of 5th April, 1843.

of April, 1843, we did erect our Island of Hongkong and its dependencies into a separate Colony, to be known and designated as the Colony of Hong- kong, and did make provision for the Government of our said Colony: And whereas by our Order in our Privy Council, bearing date the February, 1861. fourth 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:

Recites Order in Council of 4th

Recites Letters Patent of 9th April, 1877.

Revokes Charter and Letters Pa- tent recited.

Office of Gover- nor constituted,

Governor's powers and authorities,

Instructions.

Publication of Governor's Com. mission.

Oaths to be tako by Governor.

And whereas we did, by certain Letters Patent under our said Great Seal, bearing date Westminster the ninth day of April, 1877, constitute, order, and declare that there should be a Governor and Commander-in- chief in and over our Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies:

And whereas we are minded to make further provision for the govern- ment of our said Colony:

Now we do by these presents revoke our said Charter and our said Letters Patent, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done there- under.

II. We do declare that there shall be a Governor and Commander- in-chief in and over our Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies (therein- after called the Colony), and that appointments to the said office shall be made by Commission under our sign manual and signet.

III.—We do hereby authorize, empower, and command our said Go- vernor and Commander-in-chief (hereinafter called the Governor) to do and execute all things that belong to his said office, according to the tenor of these our Letters Patent and of such Commissiou 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 manual 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 now or shall here- after be in force in the Colony.

IV. And we do by these our Letters Patent declare our will and pleasure as follows:-

V.-Every person appointed to fill the office of Governor of the Colony shall with all due solemnity, before entering upon any of the duties of his office, cause the commission appointing him to be Governor to be read and published in the presence of the Chief Justice or other judge of the Supreme Court, and of such members of the Executive Council of the Colony as can conveniently attend; which being done he shall then and there take before them the Oath of Allegiance in the form provided by an Act passed in the session holden in the thirty-first and thirty-second years & 32 Vict., cap. of our reign, intitled "An Act to amend the law relating to Promissory Oaths"; and likewise the usual oath for the due execution of the office of Governor, and for the due and impartial administration of justice; which oaths the said Chief Justice or judge, or if they be unavoidably absent, the senior member of the Executive Council then present, is hereby required to administer.

Imperial Act 31

72.

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