1847-05-20 — Page 1

20th May, 1847.

Present:

His Excellency the Governor,

The Honorable Major General D'Aguilar,

The Honorable the Acting Attorney General.

The Minutes of the last Council were read and approved.

His Excellency the Governor read a Despatch from Viscount Palmerston No. 48 of 25th March, desiring repeal of Consular Ordinance No. 2 of 1844, which was anticipated by Consular Ordinance No. 1 of 1847.

His Excellency read also a Despatch from Earl Grey, No. 73 of 18th February, remarking on the Draft of an Ordinance for extending the summary jurisdiction of the Police Magistrates and Justices of the Peace which was submitted to his Lordship in September last Earl Grey desired that it should be revised and amended accordingly before confirming the same. The Acting Attorney General stated that under the existing Colonial Enactments, the object of that proposed ordinance was already met, and consequently that there was no need for passing the same. With regard to the infliction of corporal punishment on Chinese, to which Earl Grey does not at all object in his Despatch, the Acting Attorney General suggested that His Lordship's opinion should be pointed out to the Chief Justice, in order that sentence of flagellation, in cases where the Law of England permits the whipping of Criminal, may be added in the cases of Chinese convicted of similar crimes.

(Signed) J. F. Davis

Read and approved this 1st day of July, 1847.

(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,

Clerk of Councils.