43684-1915-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time--Evidence-Amendment- — Page 2

321

An amendment of section 25 of the Principal Ordinance " in is necessary because the definition of "consular officer the Interpretation Ordinance, 1911, does not appear to be quite wide enough.

It is also proposed to amend section 32 of the Principal Ordinance in three points. This is dealt with in clause 4.

Paragraphs (a) and (c) of that clause correct a gram- matical mistake.

Paragraph (b) does away with what has often been a source of embarrassment and has sometimes led to the loss of valuable evidence, ie, the requirement that before a deposition can be taken some medical practitioner must express an opinion that the patient "is not likely to recover”.

Paragraph (d) corrects a double error. In the first place, the section as a whole relates only to indictable offences, so that the clause introduced by the words, "if the same relates to any indictable offence ", exhausts the whole class and leaves nothing to be operated upon by the clause intro- duced by the words, "and in all other cases", In the second place, the proper officer to receive the deposition in cases where the accused has not been committed or bailed to appear for trial is obviously the Magistrate's Clerk and not the Registrar of the Supreme Court.

A BILL

INTITULED

J. H. KEMP,

Attorney General,

An Ordinance to amend the Land Registration

Ordinance, 1844.

BE it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Land Registra- Short title tion (Amendment) Ordinance, 1915, and shall be read and and construed as one with the Land Registration Ordinance, construction, 1844, bereinafter called the Principal Ordinance, and the said Ordinance and this Ordinance may be cited together

as the Land Registration Ordinances, 1844 and 1915,

2. Section 6 of the Principal Ordinance is amended by Amendment the repeal of the words "by the plaintiff" in the ninth of Ordinance line thereof, and by the substitution therefor of the follow- No. 1 of

1844, s. 6. ing

by a party to the action in which such judgment is delivered or by his agent or by a persoD. "claiming under or through such party ".

3. Sub-section (2) of section 8 of the Principal Ordi- Amendment

"" of Ordinance nance is amended by the insertion of the words "if any and a comma after the word "secured,” in the third line No. 1 of thereof, and by the insertion of the words "if any" after 1844, s. 8 (2).

the word "thereon" in the fourth line thereof.

4. Sub-section (1) of section 13 of the Priucipal Ordi- nance is amended by the insertion of the words "if any and a comma after the word "recovered," in the seventh line thereof, and by the insertion of the words "if any after the word "thereon" in the ninth line thereof.

Amendment

of Ordinance No. 1 of

1844, s. 13 (1).