Registrar-Generals-Department-Annual-report-1965-1966 — Page 58

in the case of any grant by the Crown of land by private treaty to a charitable body or for charitable purposes. The amendment was made retrospective to the date of the coming into operation of the principal Ordinance because no licences had ever been issued in such cases and doubts were entertained as to whether they should have been. The opportunity was taken to make certain minor amendments, mainly for the avoidance of doubt and clarification of the purposes of the principal Ordinance.

174. The Crown Rent (N.T.) (Revocation) Regulations 1965 revoked the Crown Rent (N.T.) Regulations, which had been made in 1905 to deal with the collection of Crown rent in the New Territories, but had through the passage of time and changes in circumstances ceased to serve a useful purpose.

175. The Public Reclamations and Works (Amendment) Ordinance 1966 amended the principal Ordinance by providing that where no objection to a proposed undertaking to which the principal Ordinance applies and no claim of private right in respect thereof is submitted to the Director of Public Works the Governor instead of the Governor in Council might authorize the undertaking.

176. The Foreshores and Sea Bed (Amendment) Ordinance 1966 made several amendments to the Foreshores and Sea Bed Ordinance. The principal Ordinance provided that before any Crown lease could be granted under the principal Ordinance the Governor in Council had to declare that the granting of the lease was expedient for certain specified purposes. The Ordinance amended this to enable the Governor alone to make the declaration without the necessity of consulting the Council. The Governor was also empowered to grant Crown leases for any term not exceeding 99 years instead of 75 years as provided in the principal Ordinance, which brought the Governor's powers to grant leases under the principal Ordinance into line with his authority to grant leases otherwise than under the principal Ordinance. The Ordin- ance also amended the principal Ordinance by incorporating provisions similar to those in the Public Reclamation and Works Ordinance 1956 relating to publication of notifications.

Companies

177. The Companies (Prevention of Evasion of the Societies Ordin- ance) Ordinance 1959 was extended for a further year by a resolution of the Legislative Council passed on 22nd December 1965.

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