Directory_and_Chronicle_1925 — Page 446

386

Unofficial Members.

Provisional

Members

absent &c.

CONSTITUTION OF COUNCILS - HONGKONG

not exceeding six in number at any one time, as at the date of the coming into operation of Our said recited Letters Patent are Unofficial Members of the said Council, or as the Governor, in pursuance of Instructions from Us, through one of our Principal Secretaries of State, may from time to time appoint by an Instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony, and all such persons shall be styled Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council.

XIV.--Whenever any Official Member other than an ex-officio appointments in place of Official Member of the Legislative Council of the Colony shall, by writing under his hand, resign bis seat in the Council, or shall die, or be suspended from the exercise of his functions as a Member of the Council, or be declared i by the Governor by an Instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony to be incapable of exercising his functions as a Member of the Council, or be absent from the Colony, or shall be acting in an office the holder of which is an ex-officio Member of the Council, the Governor may, by a Instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony, provisionally appoint some person to be temporarily an Official Member of the Council in the place of the Member so resigning, or dying, or being suspended, or declared incapable, or being absent, or sitting as an ex-officio Member.

Such person shall forthwith cease to be an Official Member of the Council if his appointment is disallowed by Us, or if the Member in whose place he was appointed shall return to the Colony, or shall be released from suspension, or shall be declared by the Governor by an Instrument under the Public Seal capable of again discharging his functions in the said Council, or shall cease to sit in the Council as an ex-officio Member. The Governor shall, without delay, report to Us, for Our confirmation be immediately or disallowance, through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, every provisional appointment of any person as an Official Member of the Revocation of Legislative Council. Every such person shall hold his place in the Council during Our pleasure, and the Governor may by an Iustrument under the Public Seal revoke any such appointment.

Provisional appointments to

reported.

such appoint- ments.

Provisional

appointments in

cial Members

absent, &c.

XV. If any Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council shall die, or place of Unoffi. become incapable of discharging his functions as a Member of the Council, or be suspended or removed from his seat in the Council, or be absent from the Colony, or if he resign by writing under his hand, or if his seat become vacant, the Governor may, by an Instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony, provisionally appoint in his place a fit person to be temporarily an Unofficial Member of the said Council.

Provisional

appointments to

reported.

Such person shall forthwith cease to be a Member if his appointment is disallowed by Us, or if the Member in whose place he was appointed shall return to the Colony, or, as the case may be, shall be released from suspension, or shall be declared by the Governor by an Instrument under the Public Seal capable of again discharging his functions in the said Council.

The Governor shall, without delay, report to Us, for Our confirmation be immediately or disallowance, to be signified through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, every provisional appointment of any person as an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council. Every such person shall hold his place in the Council during Our pleasure, and the Governor may by an Instrument under the Public Seal revoke any such appointment.

Revocation of such appoint- ments.

Vacation of seats

by Unofficial Members.

XVI.-Every person who at the date of the coming into operation of Our said recited Letters Patent is an Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council may retain his seat until the end of six years from the date of his appointment, and every Unofficial Member appointed after the date of the coming into operation of Our said recited Letters Patent shall vacate his seat at the end of six years from the date of the Instrument by which or in pursuance of which he is appointed, unless it is otherwise provided by that Instrument.