725445-1857-BOWRING-PRAYA-NOTIFICATION-CITY-OF-VICTORIA- — Page 1

THE

LONIAL

TREA

Hongkong

HONGHY

Government

GAZETTE.

NEW SERIES.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 3D JANUARY, 1857.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

VOL. II. No. 79.

The Contract for publishing this Gazette, entered into on the 24th September, 1853, was terminated on the 30th ultimo; and notice is hereby given, that a NEW SERIES of this Gazette will be published hereafter, to commence from the 7th instant, under a New Contract, and that

“THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE"

will, as before, be the only Official Organ for PROCLAMATIONS, NOTIFICATIONS, and PUBLIC PAPERS, of this Government.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

No. 1.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 2d July, 1855.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

With reference to Government Notification No. 138 of 1856, the desire of His Excellency The Governor to create a Special Constabulary by voluntary enrolment not having been generally responded to, His Excellency directs it to be notified, that he has, with the advice of the Executive Council, decided to increase still further the European Police Force, and to advance the Police Rate, from the 1st instant.

When the Assessors' valuation shall have been handed in, the Amount of Rate will be fixed and announced in due course.

His Excellency has already directed a Piece of Ground to be set aside for the use of the Volunteer Fire Brigade, and proposes to refer this and other subjects connected with the Security of the City to the consideration of the Legislative Council of the Colony.

By: Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 2d January, 1857.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.

No. 2.

7

BOWRING PRAYA. NOTIFICATION.

CITY OF VICTORIA.

It is hereby notified to the inhabitants of this City,, that His Excellency The Governor has received a Despatch from the Right Honourable The Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated the 10th November, 1856, conveying the sanction of Her Majesty's Government to the construction of a Praya or Sea Wall in front of a part of this City, according to the plan proposed by His Excellency; and that the necessary works will be forthwith commenced, and prosecuted with despatch to their completion.

Her Majesty's Government have considered the objections of the Marine Lot-holders to the proposed plan, and do not find in them any sufficient reasons for believing that, injustice will be thereby done to those parties. The Secretary of State desires it to be clearly understood, that Her Majesty's Government can give no sanction to the supposition, that unauthorized Encroachments by Private Persons upon Public Property, confer on them any title of occupation which can prevail against the Rights of the Crown and Public convenience.

Nevertheless, as the particular circumstances under which those Encroachments have taken place may create a claim in favour of individual Lessees to lenient treatment on the part of the local Government, or, (irrespectively of Encroachments), as there may, in certain cases, exist peculiar circumstances which should entitle any of those Lessees to special consideration, His Excellency will not fail to cause all such exceptional claims to be fully examined and equitably adjusted, between the Crown and the Claimants.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 2d January, 1857.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary.