George the Fifth by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India: To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.
WHEREAS by certain Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster the Nineteenth day of January 1888, Her Majesty Queen Victoria did constitute the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, as therein described, and did provide for the Government thereof:
And whereas by Orders of Her said Majesty in Her Privy Council bearing date respectively Twentieth day of October 1898, and the Twenty-seventh day of December 1899, certain territories adjacent to the said Colony were, for the term therein referred to, declared to be part and parcel of the Colony in like manner and for all intents and purposes as if they had originally formed part of the Colony:
And whereas We are minded to make other provision in lieu of the above recited Letters Patent of the Nineteenth day of January 1888:
Now, know ye that We do by these presents revoke the above recited Letters Patent of the Nineteenth day of January 1888, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done thereunder; and We do by these Our Letters Patent declare Our Will and Pleasure as follows:-
I. There shall be a Governor and Commander-Chief in and over Our Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies (hereinafter called the Colony), and appointments to the said Office shall be made by Commission under Our Sign Manual and Signet.
II. We do hereby authorise, empower, and command Our said Governor and Commander-in-Chief (hereinafter called the Governor) to do and execute all things that belong to his said office, according to the tenour of these Our Letters Patent and of any Commission issued to him under Our Sign Manual and Signet, and according to such Instructions as may from time to time be given to him, under Our Sign Manual and Signet, or by Order in Our Privy Council, or by Us through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State, and to such laws as are now or shall hereafter be in force in the Colony.
III. Every person appointed to fill the office of Governor shall, with all due solemnity, before entering upon any of the duties of his office, cause the Commission appointing him to be Governor to be read and published in the presence of the Chief Justice or other Judge of the Supreme Court, and of such Members of the Executive Council of the Colony as can conveniently attend; which being done he shall then and there take before them the Oath of Allegiance, in the form provided by an Act passed in the Session holden in the Thirty-first and Thirty-second years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria Intituled “An Act to amend the Law relating to Promissory Oaths”; and likewise the usual Oath for the due execution of the office of Governor and for the due and impartial administration of justice; which Oaths the said Chief Justice or Judge, or if they be unavoidably absent, the senior Member of the Executive Council then present, is hereby required to administer.
IV. The Governor shall keep and use the Public Seal of the Colony for sealing all things whatsoever that shall pass the said Public Seal.
V. There shall be an Executive Council in and for the Colony, and the said Council shall consist of such persons as We shall direct by Instructions under Our Sign Manual and Signet, and all such persons shall hold their places in the said Council during Our pleasure. The Governor may upon sufficient cause to him appearing suspend from the exercise of his functions in the Council any Member thereof pending the signification of Our pleasure, giving immediate notice to Us through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State. If the suspension is confirmed by Us through one of Our Principal Secretaries of State the Governor shall forthwith by an instrument under the Public Seal of the Colony revoke the appointment of such Member, and thereupon his seat in the Council shall become vacant.