703955-1870-PROCLAMATION — Page 2

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST JANUARY, 1870.

Sects. 328 and 163 of

16 & 17 Vict. c. 107, repealed.

Registrars of British

ships in British

possessions.

Application of Merchant Shipping

Acts to Canada.

Colonial certificates to master, mates, and engineers.

No. 149.

(1.) The Act or Ordinance shall contain a suspending clause, providing that such Act or Ordinanc shall not come into operation until Her Majesty's pleasure thereon has been publicly signified i the British possession in which it has been passed.

(2.) The Act or Ordinance shall treat all British ships (including the ships of any British possession

in exactly the same manner as ships of the British possession in which it is made.

(3.) Where by treaty made before the passing of this Act Her Majesty has agreed to grant to an ships of any foreign state any rights or privileges in respect of the coasting trade of any Britis possession, such rights and privileges shall be enjoyed by such ships for so long as Her Majest has already agreed or may hereafter agree to grant the same, anything in the Act or Ordinance t the contrary notwithstanding.

5. The following sections of The Customs Consolidation Act, 1853, are hereby repealed; namely, Section three hundred and twenty-eight as from the commencement of this Act:

Section one hundred and sixty-three as from the date in the case of each British possession at whic either an Act or Ordinance with respect to the coasting trade made within two years after th commencement of this Act in such British possession comes into operation, or if there is no suc Act or Ordinance, at which the said two years expire.

Merchant Shipping.

6. It shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by Order in Council, from time to time to declare, with respe to the British possession mentioned in the order, the description of persons who are to be registrars British ships in that British possession, and to revoke any order so made.

After the date specified in the order, or, if no date is specified, after the date of the proclamation the order in the British possession, the order shall have effect as if it were contained in section thirty the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854.

7. In the construction of The Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and of the Acts amending the sam Canada shall be deemed to be one British possession.

8. Where the legislature of any British possession provides for the examination of, and grant certificates of competency to persons intending to act as masters, mates, or engineers on board British ship and the Board of Trade reports to Her Majesty that they are satisfied that the examinations are so co ducted as to be equally efficient as the examinations for the same purpose in the United Kingdom und the Acts relating to Merchant Shipping, and that the certificates are granted on such principles as to sho the like qualifications and competency as those granted under the said Acts, and are liable to be forfeite for the like reasons and in the like manner, it shall be lawful for Her Majesty, by Order in Council,

1. To declare that the said certificates shall be of the same force as if they had been granted under tl

said Acts:

2. To declare that all or any of the provisions of the said Acts which relate to certificates of competenc

granted under those Acts shall apply to the certificates referred to in the said order:

3. To impose such conditions and to make such regulations with respect to the said certificates, and

the use, issue, delivery, cancellation, and suspension thereof, as to Her Majesty may seein fit, ar to impose penalties not exceeding fifty pounds for the breach of such conditions and regulations. Upon the publication in the London Gazette of any such Order in Council as last aforesaid, the pr visions therein contained shall, from a date to be mentioned for the purpose in such order, take effect as they had been contained in this Act.

It shall be lawful for Her Majesty in Council to revoke any order made under this section.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

It is hereby notified that, for the ensuing Year, the Hongkong Stone Quarry Farm is let, unde certain Conditions, to Tang-Sze and Ip-King-Mau; and that the Kowloon Stone Quarry Farm is sim: larly let to Tsang-Karn.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 31st December, 1869.

No. 150.

J. GARDINER AUSTIN,

Colonial Secretary.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Report from the Superintendent of the Hongkong Fire Brigade, is published fo general information.

1

By Command,

J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 31st December, 1869.

No. 18.

VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 31st December, 1869. SIR,-I have the honor to present for the information of His Excellency the Governor, the usual Report of the Fi Brigade.

A general Parade and Inspection of the Government and Volunteer Brigades was held on the 23rd November last. T two Government Steam Engines, the "Hongkong" Insurance Steam Engine, the Hand Engine of the "Imperial" Insuranc the Government Hand Eugines, and three Hand Engines of Chinese Associations, were brought to the place appointed an then proceeded to the vicinity of the Canton Steamer Wharf, when all were brought into work.

The No. 2 Government Steam Engine was stopped working, and the fire drawn owing to a fracture in one of th cylinders, which has necessitated the casting of a new cylinder (with the permission of the Senior Naval Officer) at the Roy Naval Yard; unfortunately the first casting was found to have à flaw in it, and this has delayed the completion of the repair On the 5th December, the Government Hand Engines were examined, and some amendment made in the suction pij of one of them.