714488-1865-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION-NO-17 — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 4TH FEBRUARY, 1865.

and

The Bill having gone through Committee, the Governor put the Question-That this Bill do pass,

that the Title be-An Ordinance to facilitate the Remedies on Bills of Exchange and Promissory Notes by the Prevention of frivolous or fictitious Defences to Actions thereon." Question put and carried,-the Ordinance being numbered “No. 12 of 1864.”

The Bill to amend the Laws of Trade and Commerce was read a second time; And the Council went into Committee upon the said Bill.

Sections 1 to 13 inclusive, agreed to.

A new Clause was added, and ordered to stand as Section 14.

Preamble agreed to.

Title agreed to.

The Bill having gone through Committee, the Governor put the Question--That this Bill do pass, and

that the Title be-"An Ordinance to amend the Laws of Trade and Commerce.”

Question put and carried,--the Ordinance being numbered "No. 13 of 1864."

Consideration was given to the Correspondence which had been ordered at the last Mecting to be circulated amongst Members, respecting the Grant of a Pension to the Bishop of Victoria from Colonial Funds; and after discussion, the majority of the Council--the Colonial Treasurer and the Acting Chief Justice dissenting,-agreed to the following Resolutions:

The Council is willing, in consideration of the Colonial Services performed by the Bishop of Victoria without remuneration for several years, to entertain His Lordship's application for a retiring allowance, as an exceptional measure, and to award him a Pension of £300 per annum from Colonial funds to commence from the date of his retirement.

The Council considers that the principle embodied in the 17th Section of the Hongkong Pension Minute should be applied to any Pension allowed to the Bishop of Victoria from Colonial Funds, and that such Pension should cease if he were to obtain Church preferment elsewhere to an equivalent amount or if to a less amount his Pension should bear a proportionate

reduction.

The Council would wish also to place on record its opinion that the Bishop of Victoria has no real claim to a Colonial Pension, and that any future Incumbent of the office should be made to understand that the Grant to Bishop Smith is not in any way to be considered as establishing a precedent.

The Council adjourned sine die.

Read and approved, this 2nd Day of February, 1865.

L. D'ALMADA E CASTRO,

HERCULES G. R. ROBINSON,

Governor.

Clerk of Councils.

No. 17.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

It is hereby notified that, in accordance with Section 12 of "The Police and Lighting Rate Ordinance 1863," His Excellency the GOVERNOR, by and with the advice of the Executive Council, has fixed the Police Rate for the year 1865 at Eight-and-a-quarter per cent for Houses in the City of Victoria, and in accordance with Section 18 of the same Ordinance at Five per cent for Houses in the Villages of this Island.

The above Rate as regards Houses in Victoria will be levied exclusive of a Lighting Rate of One- and-a-half per cent under Section 12 of the above Ordinance, and a Half yearly Water Rate of Two per cent per annum under the Provisions of Ordinance No. 12 of 1860.

The Police and Lighting Rates will, under terms of Ordinance 5 of 1863, Section 13, be payable quarterly in advance, at the Colonial Treasury; for the current Quarter between this date and the 18th Instant, and for the subsequent Quarters of the year between the first and last Days of the first Month in each Quarter.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 1st February, 1865.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

F.