1856-02-23 — Page 1

23rd February 1856.

Present:

His Excellency The Governor,

The Honorable The Lieutenant Governor,

The Honorable The Chief Justice,

The Honorable The Attorney General,

The Honorable C. B. Hillier, Esquire,

The Honorable J. F. Edger, Esquire.

The Council met to day by Special Summons.

The Minutes of the last Council were read and approved.

The Governor laid on the table Draft of 4 Ordinances (one Consular, and 3 Colonial), prepared by the Attorney General, and their purport having been, at His Excellency's request, separately explained to the Council by that offices, they were, one by one, read a first time, ordered to be printed, and circulated amongst the Honorable Members; and it was Resolved, that the next meeting of the Council should be on Wednesday, the 5th March, at one o'clock precisely, where the proposed Ordinances, in a printed form, should be brought forward, and submitted for a second reading.

These Ordinances, are read a first time in Draft, bore the following titles: -

1st "An Ordinance to declare the Law respecting the Distribution of Estates of Insolvents at "the Five Ports in China."

2nd "An Ordinance for the Amendment of Procedure in Civil and Criminal Cases."

3rd "An Ordinance to extend the Criminal Procedure Ordinance No. 4 of 1852."

4th "An Ordinance relating to Wills suade by Chinese people.

(Singed) John Bowring,

Governor

Read and approved

this 5th day of March 1856,

(Signed) L. d'Almada e Castro,

Clerk of Councils.