1855-03-01 — Page 1

1st March, 1855.

Present:

His Excellency The Governor

The Honorable The Acting Chief Justice

The Honorable The Acting Attorney General

The Honorable C. B. Hillier, Esqre

The Honorable David Jardine, Esqre

The Honorable J. F. Edger, Esqre

The Council met today by Special Summons.

The Minutes of the last Council were read and approved.

The Governor laid on the Table the Ordinance for declaring valid the Jury List for 1855, which was read the first time at the last meeting, and remarked that, in consequence of difficulties hitherto experienced by the Sheriff in preparing the Annual List, certain sections had since been added to the Ordinance in order to make it compulsory on Residents to give their names in writing to that officer on demand, for the purpose of drawing up future Jury Lists. These additional Sections being considered and approved the Ordinance as amended was read a second time and passed the Council under the title of "An Ordinance to remove Doubts as to the legality of the Jury List to be in force from the 1st Day of March, 1855, and for enabling the Sheriff to render names with greater accuracy in future Lists," being No. 3 of 1855, which was ordered to be published in the next Government Gazette.

His Excellency then laid before the Council an Ordinance "to establish a proper system of Registration for Colonial Vessels," which had been previously sent round to Members, and after premising that the measure was urgently called for in order to put a stop to the many abuses committed by Lorchas registered in the Colony under the Imperial Registry Acts, the provisions of which are inapplicable to such vessels or to others which may be engaged in trade with China during the present disturbed state of the Country, the Ordinance was read a first time and amended, and it was ordered that the same with the requisite amendments, should be laid on the table for the second reading on Saturday next, at one o'clock precisely.

The Council then adjourned.

(Signed) John Bowring,

Governor.

Read and approved this 3rd day of March, 1855,

(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,

Clerk of Councils.