726315-1855-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION — Page 1

Bongkong

THE

Government

EW SERIES.

GAZETTE.

VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 29TH SEPTEMBER, 1855.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

VOL. I. No. 13.

The Contract for publishing this Gazette, entered into on the 24th September, 1853, was terminated on the 30th ultimo; and notice is hereby ren, 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”

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

By Order,

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

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

Diplomatic Department.

lis Excellency Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary and ef Superintendent of British Trade in China is pleased otify, that in consequence of the retirement of ADAM Illace Elmslie, Esquire, from the Public Service, | Right Honorable The Earl of Clarendon, Her jesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, appointed CHARLES A. WINCHESTER, Esquire, to be tish Vice-Consul at Canton.

By Order,

W. WOODGATE.

erintendency of Trade, Victoria, Hongkong, 25th September, 1855.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

Diplomatic Department.

n Act of Parliament having been passed "to enable ish Diplomatic and Consular Agents abroad to ad. ister Oaths, and do Notarial Acts," a copy of the said is hereby gazetted, for public/information, by the er of His Excellency SIR JOHN BOWRING, Kt. LL.D., Majesty's Chief Superintendent of British Trade in

By Order,

13

W. WOODGATE. erintendency of Trade, Victoria, ongkong, 25th September, 1855.

ANNO DECIMO OCTAVO & DECIMO NONO VICTORIE REGINÆ.

CAP. XLII,

Ad to enable British Diplomatic and Consular Agents Abroad

to administer Oaths and do Notarial Acts.

(2d July, 1855.]

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary..

quired, and whenever he shall see necessary, to administer in such Foreign Country or Place any Oath or to take any Affidavit or Affirmation from any Person whomsoever, and also to do and par- form in such Foreign Country or Place all and every Notarial Acts or Act which any Notary Public could or might be required and is by Law empowered to do within the United Kingdom of Great tion, and every such Notarial Act, administered, sworn, affirmed, Britain and Ireland; and every such Oath, Affidavit, or Affirma- had, or done by or before such Ambassador, Envoy, Minister, Chargé d'Affaires, Secretary of Embassy or of Legation, Vice- Consul, Acting Consul, Pro-Consul, or Consular Agent, shall be as good, valid, and effectual, and shall be of like Force and Effect, to all Intents and Purposes, as if such Oath, Affidavit, or Affirmation, or Notarial Act, respectively, had been administered, sworn, affirmed, had, or done, before any Justice of the Peace or Notary Public in any Part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain or Ireland, or before any other legal or competent Authority of the like Nature.

II. Affidavits taken before Ambassadors, &c., abroad may be used in Courts in the United Kingdom.-Affidavits and Affirmations so taken as aforesaid under the said Act of King George the Fourth or this Act, shall and may be received, read, and made use of in and before any Court of Law or Equity or other Judicature whatever in any Part of the United Kingdom, and the Judges and Officers thereof, in or in relation to any Action, Suit, Cause, Matter, or Proceeding in or before any such Court or Judicature, in like Manner, and shall be of the same Force and Effect, as Affidavits and Affirmations taken in or before such Court or Judicature, or by any Person duly commissioned or authorized by such Court or Judica- ture to take such Affidavits or Affirmations, and shall be filed and dealt with accordingly.

III, Documents to be admitted in Evidence without Proof of the Seal or Signature of the Ambassador or other official Person-Any Document purporting to have affixed, impresser subscribed thereon or thereto the Seal and Signature of any British Ambassa- dor, Envoy, Minister, Chargé d'Affaires, Secretary of Embassy or of Legation, Consul General, Consul, Vice Consul, Acting Consul, Pro-Consul, or Consular Agent, in testimony of any such Oathi, Affidavit, Affirmation, or Act having been administered, sworn, affirmed, had, or done by or before him, shall be admitted in Evi- dence, without Proof of any such Seal and Signature being the Seal and Signature of the Person whose Seal and Signature the same purport to be, or of the official Character of such Person.

Person knowingly and wilfully making any false Oath, Affidavit, or IV. Persons swearing or affirming Falsely quilty of Perjury —Any Affirmation before any Person having Authority to administer such Oath or take such Affidavit or Affirmation under the said Act of King George the Fourth or this Act, shall be deemed guilty of Perjury, and such Offender may be charged, proceeded against, tried, and dealt with in any County or Flace in the United Kingdom in the same Manner iu all respects as if the Offence had been com-

G. 4, c. 87.-Whereas by an Act of the Sixth Year of King the Fourth, Chapter Eighty-seven, Powers are given to Consuls General and Consuls to administer Oaths and do al Acts in the Foreign Places to which they are appointed; is expedient that the like Powers should be given to Ambas-mitted in such County or Place. And other Diplomatic Agents and to Vice-Consuls and Con- Agcats Abroad: Be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent gy, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled,

the Authority of the same, as follows: Oaths may be administered by Ambassadors and other Bri- Ministers Abroad.-From and after the passing of this Act, it and may be lawful for every British Ambassador, Envoy, der, Chargé d'Affaires, or Secretary of Embassy or of Lega- | *xercising his Functions in any Foreign Country, and for British Vice-Consul, Acting Consul,, Pro-Consul, or Consular (as well as every Consul General or Consul) exercising his s in any Foreign Place, whenever he shall be thereto re-

V. Persons Forging Seal or Signature guilty of Felony.-If any Person shall forge any such Seal or Signature as aforesaid, or shall tender in Evidence any such Document as aforesaid with a false or counterfeit Seal or Signature thereto, knowing the same to be false. or counterfeit, he shall be guilty of Felony, and shall upon Convic- tion be liable to Penal Servitude for the Term of Four Years, or to be imprisoned, with or without Hard Labour, for any Term not ex- ceeding Three Years nor less than One Year; and whenever any such Document has been admitted in. Evidence by virtue of this Act, the Court or the Person who has admitted the same may, at the Request of any Party against whom the same is so admitted in Evidence, direct that the same shall be impounded and be kept in the Custody of some Officer of the Court or other proper Person,

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