1917

CONSTITUTION OF COUNCILS-HONGKONG
449
And whereas by the Thirteenth Clause of Our Instructions under
Our Sign Manual and Signet, bearing date th^ Nineteenth day of Jan¬
uary, 1888, accompanying Our said Letters Patent, We did constitute
Our said Legislative Council as therein is set forth ; and by the Six¬
teenth Clause of Our sa,id Instructions We did provide for the prece¬
dence ol' the Members of Our said Legislative Council;
And whereas We are minded to reconstruct Our said Legislative
Council:
I.—Now therefore We do, by these Our Additional Instructions
under Our Sign Manual and Signet, revoke the aforesaid Thirteenth
and Sixteenth Clauses of Our said Instructions of the Nineteenth day of
January, 1888, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done there¬
under. and instead thereof We do declare Our pleasure as follows:—
IT.—The Legislative Council of the Colony shall consist of the Gov¬
ernor, the Lieutenant Governor (if any), the Senior Military Officer for
the time beina in command of Our Begnlar Troops within the Colony,
the persons for the time being lawfully discharging the functions of
Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General, and Treasurer of the Colony, and
such other persons bolding offices in the Colony, and not exceeding three
in number at any one time, as at the time of the receipt of tnese Our
additional Instructions in the Colony are Official Members of the said
Council, or as We may from time to time appoint by any Instructions or
Warrants under Our Sign Manual and Signet, and all such persons shall
be styled Official Members of the Legislative Council; and further of such
persons, not exceeding six in number at any one time, as at the time of
the receipt of these Our Additional Instructions in the Colony are
Unofficial Members o the said Council, or as the Governor, in pursuance
of any Instructions from Us, through one of Our principal Secretaries of
State, may from time to time appoint by any Instrument under the
Public Seal of the Colony, and all such persons shall be styled Unofficial
Members of the Legislative Council.
Every person who at the time of the receipt of these Our Additional
Instructions in the Colony is an Unofficial Member of the Legislative
Council may retain his seat until the end of six years from the date of his
appointment, and every Unofficial Member appointed after the receipt of
these Additional Instructions shall vacate his seat at the end of six years
from the date of the Instrument by which he is appointed.
III.—The Official Members of the Legislative Council shall take
precedence of the Unoffical Members; and among themselves shall take
precedence as We may specially assign, and, in default thereof, first the
above-mentioned Officers in the Order in which their offices are mentioned
(except the Senior Military Officer, if below the rank of Lieutenant-
Colonel in Our Army, shall take precedence alter the person lawfully
discharging the functions of Attorney-General), then other Official Mem¬
bers according to the priority of their respective appointments, or if ap¬
pointed by the same Instrument according to the order in which they are
named therein.
Appointment op Members
By a Despatch from the Secretary of State, the following
followed in the appointment of unofficial members :—
Appointed by the Governor (one at least of whom
being a member of the Chinese community) 4
Elected by the Chamber of Commerce 1
Elected by the Justices of the Peace 1
Total 6
course IS c. O. Despatch
7th August, 1883,
and 29th May,
15