1854-10-31 — Page 1

31st October, 1854.

Present:

The Honorable The Lieutenant Governor,

The Honorable The Acting Chief Justice,

The Honorable The Acting Attorney General,

The Honorable David Jardine, Esqre,

The Honorable J. F. Edger, Esqre.

The Council met today pursuant to adjournment.

The Minutes of the last Council were read and approved.

Read a second time and passed, the Ordinance, entitled "An Ordinance to declare certain Acts of the Imperial Parliament to be in force in this Colony," being No. 3 of 1854.

Read a second time and passed, the Ordinance, entitle "An Ordinance for reducing the number of Jurymen from Eighteen to Ten," being No. 4 of 1854.

Read a second time and passed, the Ordinance, entitled "An Ordinance to amend and extend the Ordinance No. 9 of 1845, entitled 'An Ordinance to invest the Supreme Court of Hongkong with a Summary Jurisdiction in certain cases,'" being No. 5 of 1854.

Read a second time, and passed with a suspending clause, the Ordinance, entitled "An Ordinance to provide for the disposal of unclaimed Balances of the Estates of Persons dying intestate within the Colony of Hongkong," being No. 6 of 1854.

Resolved that the foregoing Ordinances be printed and published in the Government Gazette.

Read and passed Rule of Court of Michaelmas Term, 31st October, 1854, ordering Criminal Sessions to be holden once a month in every year, and reducing the Court Fees, which was ordered to be printed and published in the Government Gazette.

Read a second time the Ordinance, entitled "An Ordinance for the suppression of the Triad and other Secret Societies." The Acting Chief Justice considered certain provisions of this Ordinance to be objectionable namely: the power of transportation for 15 years (rescinded on the first reading), the constitution of the proposed Court in having the Attorney General, although an Executive Officer, a member of the Court, and that not only there was no appeal from such Court, but that the constitutional one to the Supreme Court was expressly taken away.

The Lieutenant Governor and the other Members present, supported the Ordinance in its present form; and it was agreed, that the passing and publication of the same should be postponed, and that a Copy be submitted to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies for approval and confirmation.

(Signed) John Bowring,

Governor.

Read and approved this 12th Day of December, 1854.

(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,

Clerk of Councils.