w:Government of Hong Kong

“ To this a very obvious reply suggests itself on the part of the Chinese Government, namely,—that the capture of an isolated sea-port on the coast of a vast Empire, can in no sense abrogate a solemn Treaty entered into between the two Sovereigns of Great Britain and China. The obligations continue to exist on either side, although for a time the means of giving full effect may, by insurrection or violence, be wanting to one of the contracting parties. ”

“ Many arguments more or less cogent have at the same time been urged as reasons why sailing of ships should be authorized, without regard to a Treaty, for the moment in abeyance at this Port, or any Trade Regulations to the contrary. H. M.'s Consul thinks it right under these circumstances to state in the plainest manner his views in reference to the means suggested for diminishing the disastrous influence of the Insurrection on Trade at the Port; more especially in reference to the arguments which have been suggested as something an unfettered line of action. ”

“ No British Vessel without either an Imperial or Colonial Register to use the waters of this Colony. I. Be it therefore enacted and ordained by His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, that from and after the passing of this Ordinance no ship or vessel whatsoever owned by a British Subject shall be an Imperial at liberty to trade in any of the harbours of this Colony unless in the case of an outward trading ship or vessel she be provided with a Certificate of Registry in conformity with the Imperial Acts of Parliament on that behalf ”

“ No simple declaration of shippers as to goods landed or shipped without any check, sanction or supervision of Custom-house Officers, will be held satisfactory if doubt should arise as to their accuracy, and other and better means are attainable. All such parties will bear in mind that they can plead no legal authority whatever for either the landing or shipping of goods since the morning of the 7th instant, and have no right therefore to complain of any scrutiny it may be deemed necessary to institute for the verification of manifests made under such circumstances. ”

“ We find that Dollars have hitherto formed the principal medium, through which the Trade has been conducted. Now however, we learn that of the various kinds of Dollars, those with flowery millings are gradually disappearing from circulation, and the Dollars now imported consist chiefly of mixed sorts, bearing a variety of impressions, such as eagles, horses, flowers, and plants, on which all the Merchants and Dealers demand a discount of five per cent. ”

“ Harbour Master's Certificate. VII. And be it further enacted and ordained, That the certificate to be granted by the Harbour Master do specify the proper measurement of the ship or vessel requiring a Colonial Register and that such ship or vessel has proper anchors and chains, canvas sails, her bottom sheathed with metal, and that her master is a British subject or a person conversant with the English language. ”

“ I have accordingly directed the District Magistrates of Nanhae and Pwanyu, to make it publicly known to those who are engaged in the Trade, and others whom it may concern, that, as equity should be observed by them in all their transactions, it is permitted that the new Dollars shall in future be used according to their established purity or touch, by which means all parties will be protected from loss,—the market rates will be properly adjusted, and abuses of long continuance effectually corrected. ”

“ Assessors to fix Salary of Tepo,V. The majority of Assessors may from time to time, not being oftener than once in the year, by petition to the Governor declare what Salary they consider it necessary that the Tepo should receive,Expense how to be defrayed. and the Governor may thereupon authorize the said Assessors to levy on the Annual Value (as assessed to the Police Tax) , of all Premises in the occupation of Chinese Tenants, a Rate per Cent sufficient to defray the amount of such Salary:Application of surplus Funds. ”

“ That this is the view taken by H. M.'s Plenipotentiary, and by H. M.'s Government, has been placed beyond doubt. It remains therefore simply for H. M .'s Consul to observe the Treaty; and in any measures adopted to the peculiar circumstances of the time, to take care that the rights of the Chinese Government suffer no infringement.
It has been further stated that whatever precautions may be taken to insure good faith in respect to the Chinese Revenue under the British Flag, there is no power to insure a similar course in respect to Trade and Custom duties under every other Flag ”

“ But if you meet with any Dollars of inferior quality, the intrinsic value of which you cannot accurately determine, no objections can be made to your satisfying yourselves on this point, by melting one or two of the doubtful pieces, and comparing them with the broken or old Dollars. ”

“ Power of Sheriff and Justices of the Peace where those of Sheriff are insufficient.IV. If a Prisoner be guilty of any of the above Offences, or of a breach of Gaol Regulations or Discipline for the due punishment of which the Sheriff may deem the Powers vested in him insufficient, it shall be lawful for the Sheriff in conjunction with any Justice of the Peace for the said Colony, after due inquiry, to punish such Prisoner by close or solitary Confinement, on Bread and Water, or Rice and Water, for not exceeding Fourteen Days ”

“ Transcripts may be printed abroad.III. That when the record of proceedings or evidence in the caused appealed has been printed or partly printed abroad, the Registrar or other proper officer of the Court from which the Appeal is brought shall be bound to send home the same in a printed form, either wholly or so far as the same may have been printed, and that he do certify the same to be correct, on two copies, by signing his name on every printed sheet, and by affixing the seal, if any, of the Court appealed from to these copies, with the sanction of the Court. ”

“ Now, however, old Dollars have become scarce and new ones plentiful: still as the Shroffs and Money-changers are not yet familiar with the latter, they feel some uncertainty as to their purity, which cannot be so easily determined by them, as the touch of old Dollars. ”

“ For particulars regarding Freight and Passage, apply at the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company's Office, Hongkong.
Contents, and Value of Packages, are required.
A written declaration of Contents and Value of the Packages for the Overland Route is required by the Egyptian Government, and must be delivered by the Shipper to the Company's Agents with the Bills of Lading, or with Parcels; and the Company do not hold themselves responsible for any Detention or Prejudice which may happen from incorrectness in such declaration. ”

“ That every vessel for which a Sailing Letter has been obtained, before proceeding on any voyage, after the granting of such Sailing Letter, shall have painted in white or yellow letters, not less than seven inches long, her name upon some conspicuous part of her stern, in a distinct manner, and in Chinese and Roman characters, and shall so keep and preserve the same. ”

“ Appellant, when successful, may recover costs of appeal.I. That, any former usage or practice of Her Majesty's Privy Council notwithstanding, an Appellant who shall succeed in obtaining a reversal or material alteration of any judgment, decree, or order appealed from, shall be entitled to recover the costs of the Appeal from the Respondent, except in cases in which the Lords of the Judicial Committee may think fit otherwise to direct. ”

“ They lose sight of the fact that coins of different nations cannot be identical with each other in respect to figure or device, and merely because the Merchants of the interior are partial to those they have been accustomed to use, they set a higher value of Dollars with flowery millings, and thus induce the opinion that none of the other kinds will pass current among the people. ”

“ Assisting Prisoners to escape.V. Any person who shall convey, or cause to be conveyed into any Prison, or in any manner to or within the reach of any Prisoner whether within the Gaol Walls or without, any disguise, Instrument, or Arms to facilitate the escape of any Prisoner, shall, on conviction before the Petty Sessions, be subject to Imprisonment with Hard Labour for a period not exceeding Six Months. ”

“ Whereas it has been represented to Us that in Our Colonies in Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, Mauritius, and Hongkong, the Silver Coins of Our United Kingdom pass current as an unlimited tender for payments, and it is expedient that the regulations which govern the circulation of the Coins of Our United Kingdom as by law established should be enforced in Our said Colonies ”

“ Postal Notes should always be forwarded in Registered Covers. If this precaution is not taken no enquiries whatever will be made as to the loss or alleged loss of any Note. Postal Notes issued in the United Kingdom are not payable in Hongkong or China. ”

“ Tonnage required for the Conveyance from Hongkong to Colombo, in the Island of Ceylon, for the following Detail for the Ceylon Rifle Regiment, which may slightly differ before the day of embarkation:—
The above Native Officers and Men are to be provided with the usual Fittings, and the proper proportion of Provisions daily, as follows:—
Each Native Woman to receive half of a Man's allowance, and each Child one-half that of a Woman, which is to be done at the expense of the Master or Owners of the Vessel accepted ”

“ By these means a circulating medium, available alike for either the upper or the lower classes, will be provided, and not only will those losses you have hitherto suffered, be saved you, but the increased prosperity which you will soon be observable will mark the general benefits accruing from the measure. ”

“ That the applicant for such Sailing Letter do make a declaration of ownership with regard to the vessel for which such sailing letter is sought, which declaration shall, if necessary, be proved the satisfaction of the Chief Superintendent of Trade. ”

“ The Viceroy announces (illegible text) will punish those who disobey his Proclamation (illegible text) the utmost rigor of the Law. His Excellency the Chief Superintendent of Trade hereby gives notice, that parties who shall engage in Illegal Traffic of pur (illegible text) Chinese Females, expose themselves to the penalty provided under the Anti-Slavery Act; and Orders will be given to Her Majesty's Authorities in China to enforce those penalties against the Subjects of Her Majesty.
By Order,
W. Woodgate.
Superintendency of Trade, Victoria,
Hongkong, 6th July, 1855. ”

“ Acts heretofore done by Aliens to be valid.⁠II. And that every such Grant, Conveyance, Lease, Assignment, or Request, Sale, Transfer, or other Act heretofore made or done by or with any such Alien, shall be deemed in Law as valid and effectual as if it had been made or done by or with any Natural Born British Subject.
S. G. Bonham.
Passed the Legislative Council of Hongkong,
this 17th Day of November, 1853. ”

“ All Claims against the Estate of the late William Ellis, must be sent in to the undersigned, on or before the 8th day of April, 1854, and all Parties indebted to the said Estate, are requested to make payment to
T. Jones Gibb,
Administrator.
Hongkong, 10th October, 1853.
Notice.
The Hours of Divine Service in the Cathedral Church of St. John are, on Sundays at 11 A. M. and 4 P. M., and on Thursdays at 5 P. M.
Hongkong, 24th October, 1853.
Printed and Published by Robert Strachan, at the Hongkong Register Office, Queen's Road, Victoria, Hongkong. ”

“ He believes however from the best information he can obtain that to insist upon payment at the present moment with the City in the hands of an unknown Band of Insurgents, and Soochow itself probably in the same condition, would amount to a declaration that the ships shall not depart until order be re-established. ”

“ A non-American governmental edict may still be copyrighted outside the U.S. Similar to {{PD-in-USGov}}, the above U.S. Copyright Office Practice does not prevent U.S. states or localities from holding copyright abroad, depending on foreign copyright laws and regulations. ”

“ Surveyor-General's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 7th February 1854.
Government Notification.
It is hereby notified that all Government Land Rents must for the future be paid in Dollars, according to the terms of the Lease.
W. T. Mercer,
Colonial Treasurer.
Colonial Treasury, Victoria, Hongkong, 9th February 1854.
Diplomatic Department. The annexed Return of British Trade at the Port of Foochow during the Year ended 31st December 1853, together with a statement of the Foreign shipping which have entered and left that Port during the same Period, are published for general information. ”

“ Provided that the Company of Artillery now on its passage from Ceylon to this Port does not arrive previously to the proposed departure of the Corps of Invalids in the last week in December next, Tonnage will only be required for the Invalids, and in no case will the number of Officers exceed three. ”