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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 15TH FEBRUARY, 1896.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 44.

The following Bills, which were read a first time at a Meeting of the Legislative Council held this day, are published.

Council Chamber, Hongkong, 11th February, 1896.

A BILL

Title.

Recital.

Documents

heretofora scaled with

the sual of the Colonial Court of Admiralty to be as valid

as if sealed

with the scal of the Suprome 4ourt.

Suspending clause.

ENTITLED

An Ordinance to prevent doubts as to the validity of documents heretofore sealed with the Seal of the Colonial Court of Admiralty of Hongkong.

HEREAS a seal, hearing the inscription "Colonial Court of Admiralty of Hongkong," has been used in the Registry of the Supreme Court for proceedings in the Admiralty Jurisdiction of the said Court. And whereas doubts have been expressed whether the use of the said seal was duly authorized.

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

1. Every writ, warrant, release, commission, attachment, or other instrument which has hitherto been issued from the Registry of the Supreme Court sealed with the above mentioned seal, shall, to all intents and for all purposes, be taken to have, and to have had, the same force and effect as if it had been issued, sealed with the seal of the Supreme Court, as authorized by section 6 of Ordinance 12 of 1873.

2. This Ordinance shall not come into operation unless and until the Governor notifies by Proclamation that it is Her Majesty's pleasure not to disallow the same and, there- after, it shall come into operation upon such day as the Governor shall notify by the same or any other Procla-

mation.

Objects and Reasons.

Section 2 of the Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act, 1890, constituted the Supreme Court of this Colony a Colonial Court of Admiralty. The inscription on the former Vice- Admiralty Court Seal was, thereupon, altered to Colonial Court of Admiralty of Hongkong," in 1891, and the Seal as altered was used for the Colonial Court of Admiralty.

As, however, the Colonial Court of Admiralty is, in reality, the Supreme Court exercising its Admiralty Juris- diction, it would seem the more correct practice to use, in Admiralty matters, the Supreme Court Seal which is described in section 6 of Ordinance 12 of 1873. In order, however, to prevent any question as to the validity of documents heretofore sealed with the Seal bearing the inscription "Colonial Court of Admiralty of Hongkong," it is deemed advisable to give by Ordinance statutory validity to such documents.

HENRY E. POLLOCK,

Acting Attorney General.

J. G. T. BưCKLE,

Acting Clerk of Councils.