Directory_and_Chronicle_1926 — Page 442

390

Executive

Council.

CONSTITUTION OF COUNCILS-HONGKONG

Constitution of II. The Executive Council of the Colony shall consist of the Lieut

enant-Governor of the Colony (if any), the Senior Military Officer f the time being in command of Our Regular Troops within the Colon bl the persons for the time being lawfully discharging the functions Colonial Secretary, of Attorney-General, and of Treasurer of the Colonpi who are hereinafter referred to as ex officio Members, and of such oth persons as at the date of the coming into operation of Our said recite Letters Patent are Members of the said Council, or as We may from time to time appoint by any Instructions or Warrant under Our Sig Manual and Signet, or as the Governor in pursuauce of Instruction from Us through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State may fro time to time appoint under the Public Seal of the Colony.

Provisional

Members of the

Executive

Council.

III.-Whenever any Member, other than an ex officio Member, appointment of the Executive Council of the Colony shall, by writing under his hand resign his seat in the Council, or shall die, or be declared by th Governor by an Instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony to incapable of exercising his functions as a Member of the Council, or absent from the Colony, or shall be acting in an office the holder which is an ex officio Member of the Council, or shall be suspended from the exercise of his functions as a Member of the Council, the Governor may, by an Instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony, provisionalle appoint any public officer to be temporarily an Official or Unofficio Member of the Council, and any person not a public officer to be tere. porarily an Unofficial Member of the Council in the place of the Membe so resigning, or dying, or being suspended, or declared incapable, d being absent, or sitting as an ex officio Member.

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

Such provisional IV. The Governor shall without delay, report to Us, for Our com appointments to firmation or disallowance, through one of Our Principal Secretaries d reported. State, every provisional appointment of any person as a Member of th

be immediately

Precedences.

Governor to communicate

Instructions to Executive Council.

said Executive Council. Every such person shall hold his place in th Council during Our pleasure, and the Governor may by an Instrumen under the Public Seal revoke any such appointment.

V.-The Official Members of the Executive Council shall take pre cedence of the Unofficial Members, and among themselves shall hav seniority and precedence as We may specially assign, and, in defau thereof, first, the ex officio Members in the order in which their office are above mentioned (except that the Senior Military Officer, if belo the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in Our Army, shall take precedence afte the person lawfully discharging the functions of Attorney-General), an then other Official Members and all Unofficial Members according to th priority of their respective appointments, or if appointed by or in pur suance of the same Instrument, according to the order in which they ar named therein.

VI.-The Governor shall forthwith communicate these Our Instruc tions to the Executive Council, and likewise all such others, from time t time, as We may direct, or as he shall find convenient for Our service to impart to them.