1917

CHARTER OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG
^Provided always that the Governor shall in no case, except when the offence
'has been of a political nature unaccompanied by any other grave crime,
■make it a condition of any pardon or remission of sentence that the offender
shall be banished from or shall absent himself or be removed from the
•Colony.
XV. —The Governor may, upon sufficient cause to him appearing, suspension
-suspend from the exercise of bis office any person holding any office within officer8-
the Colony, whether appointed by any commission or warrant from us or
in our name, or by any other mode of appointment. Every such suspen¬
sion shall continue and have effect only until our pleasure therein shall be
signified to the Governor. In proceeding to any such suspension the
Governor is strictly to observe the directions in that behalf given to him
by any instructions as aforesaid.
XVI. —^Whenever the office of Governor is vacant, or if the Governor Succession
become incapable, or be absent from the Colony, our Lieutenant-Governor t*OTernmetl
of the Colony, or if there shall be no such officer therein, then such person
or persons as we have appointed or may hereafter appoint under our sign
manual and signet, and in default of any such appointment, the person
lawfully discharging the functions of Colonial Secretary, shall, during our
pleasure, administer the government of the Colony, first taking the oaths Proviso, c
hereinbefore directed to be taken by the Governor and in the manner ot omce-
herein prescribed; which being done, we do hereby authorize, empower,
and command our Lieutenant-Governor, or any other such administra
as aforesaid, to do and execute, during our pleasure, all things that be!
to the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief, according to the tenor
of these our Letters Patent, and according to our instructions as aforesaid,
and the laws ®f the Colony.*
XVII. —And we do hereby require and command all our officials and officers and
ministers, civil and military, and all other inhabitants of the Colony, anda^istGo^
to be obedient, aiding and assisting unto the Governor and to any person vemor.
for the time being administering the Government of the Colony.
XVIII.—In these our Letters Patent the term “the Governor” shall Term“Gover-
include every person for the time being administering the government of nor” “plained
the Colony.
XIX. —And we do hereby reserve to ourselves, our heirs and successors, Power reserved
full power and authority, from time to time, to revoke, alter, or amend
these Letters Patent as to us or them shall seem meet.
XX. —And we do further direct and enjoin that these our Lett
Patent shall be read and proclaimed at such place or places within 1
Colony as the Governor shall think fit.
In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made
Patent. Witness ourself at Westminster, the nineteenth day of January
in the Fifty-first year of our Reign.
By Warrant under the Queen’s Sign Manual,
Muir Mackenzie.