35910-1914-Regulations-respecting-Foreign-Orders-and-Medals — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, JULY 17, 1914.

DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

No. 260.

CIRCULAR.

DOWNING STREET,

2nd June, 1914.

SIR, With reference to my Circular despatch of the 8th of June, 1911, I have the honour to transmit to you copies of new Regulations respecting Foreign Orders and Medals which have recently received the King's approval.

2. These regulations, which supersede all those hitherto in force, are now divided into two separate codes : :--

A.-Applicable to persons in the service of the Crown.* B.-Applicable to persons not in the service of the Crown.

The Officer Administering the Government of

I have, &c.,

L. HARCOURT,

HONGKONG.

B

Regulations respecting Foreign Orders and Medals applicable to Persons

NOT in the Service of the Crown.

Orders.

1. Ir is the King's wish that no subject of His Majesty shall wear the Insignia of any Foreign Order without having previously obtained His Majesty's permission to do so, signified either:-

(a.) By Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual, or

(b.) By private permission conveyed through His Majesty's Private Secretary.

2. Permission given by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual will enable the Insignia of the Foreign Order to be worn at all times and without any restriction.

Private permission will only enable the Insignia to be worn on the occasions specified in the terms of the letter from the King's Private Secretary conveying the Royal sanction.

3. The full and unrestricted permission by Warrant under the Royal Sign-Manual is designed to meet cases where the Decoration may be said to have been earned by some valuable service rendered to the Head of the State conferring it, or to the State itself. Ap- plication will be made to His Majesty for full permission by His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on behalf of any person who, not being at the time in the Service of the Crown, is either in the salaried employment of a Foreign State or has rendered valuable services within the period of two years immediately preceding the noti fication of the Decoration to His Majesty's Government as prescribed under Rule 5.

The expression "valuable services" must be construed as meaning some service ren- dered to a Foreign Head of State or Government specifically, and must be indisputably valuable in the strict sense of the word. Though such services need not necessarily be gratuitous, as in the case of a person actually in the employ of a Foreign Government, they must be unconnected with any transaction of a commercial or financial character brought about in the ordinary course of business. The term "valuable services" does not therefore, as a general rule, apply to services connected with the fulfilment of Government or Muni- * Not published.