[Ord. 9 anno 1854.]

tofore per

No. LX.-LXI.

Governor to сс any of the duties heretofore performed by the High-Sheriff and appoint per. sons to perform "Sheriff of Essequebo, respectively, except as hereinafter excepted," the duties here- and so much of the second section of said Ordinance as provides formed by the "that it shall be lawful for the Governor to appoint any Magistrate High Sheriff and Sheriffs. "or Justice of the Peace receiving from Her Majesty's Treasury or "the Colony a salary or stipend to perform any of the duties here"tofore performed by the Sheriff of Berbice, except as hereinafter "6 excepted," shall be and the same are hereby repealed, and after the publication of these Presents, the Governor may appoint any person he may think fit to perform all or any of the duties heretofore performed by the High Sheriff, Sheriff of Essequebo, and Sheriff of Berbice respectively, except as in said Ordinance is excepted.

Person ap.

2. Every person so appointed as last aforesaid, shall be subject to and be governed by all the provisions of Ordinance 18, of the subject to Ord. year 1851, and of any Ordinance amending the same.

pointed to be

18 of 1851, and

to any amend.

ment thereof. [Section 8 repealed by Ordinance 10 of 1855; Sections 4 to 7, inclusive, repealed by Ordinance 7 of 1872.]

Repealing clause.

8. Sections 4 and 5, of Ordinance No. 9 of the year 1852, intituled "An Ordinance to amend Ordinances No. 8 of the year "1849 intituled 'An Ordinance to establish a Body of Rural Con❝stables in this Colony,' and No. 18 of the year 1851, intituled "An Ordinance to provide a more Economical and Efficient Ad""ministration of Criminal Justice throughout the Colony of "British Guiana,"" are hereby repealed.

No. LXI.

[Ord.16 anno AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND 1854.] COLLECTION OF THE COLONIAL CUSTOMS.

Preamble.

Enacted 20th September, 1854, published the 27th following, came into operation on publication.

[P. E. WODEHOUSE, Governor.]

WHEREAS it is necessary to repeal the Ordinances relating

to the collection of the Colonial Import Duties and to make other

provisions

provisions in lieu thereof: Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governor of British Guiana, with the advice and consent of the Court of Policy thereof, as follows:

repealed.

1. Ordinance No. 18, of the year 1849, intituled "An Ordi- Ordinances "nance to provide for and regulate the Collection of Colonial Import "Duties ;" and Ordinance No. 3, of the year 1850, intituled " An "Ordinance to add to and amend Ordinance No. 18, of the year "1849," shall be and the same are hereby repealed.

&c.

2. It shall be lawful for the Governor to appoint proper officers Appointment of Officers, for the due management and collection of the Colonial Customs, their securities and to require of such persons such securities for their good conduct as the Governor shall deem reasonable and necessary, and such officers shall be as follows:

Firstly-A Comptroller of Colonial Customs, whose duty it shall be to exercise a general controul and supervision in and over all persons and things connected with the management and collection of Colonial Customs.

Secondly, for the Port of Georgetown-A First Clerk and Warehouse-keeper, and such number of Clerks and Lockers as may be found necessary for the services of the in-door and warehousing departments.

Thirdly, for the said Port-An Out-door Supervisor of Aidwaiters, whose duty it shall be to supervise and enforce, under the direction of the Comptroller, the duties of the several officers employed in warehousing and out-door duty. Fourthly, for the said Port-Such number of Aid-waiters as may be found necessary by the Comptroller for the services of the out-door and warehousing departments.

Fifthly, for the Port of New-Amsterdam-A Sub-Comptroller, a Clerk and Warehouse-keeper, and such number of Aidwaiters as may be found necessary by the Comptroller for the services of the out-door and warehousing departments.

pointments to

And it shall be lawful for the Governor to remove any of such Existing apofficers, and to appoint some other proper person in the room of remain in the officer so removed, or in the room of any officer dying, resign- force. VOL. II. ing

Z

Payment of officers.

officers and

their acts.

ing, or becoming incapable of discharging the duties of his office: Provided always, that nothing in this Ordinance contained shall be construed to invalidate the appointment of any officer now em. ployed in the collection of Import and Export Duties.

3. All officers employed under this Ordinance shall be remunerated at such rates and in such mode and manner as the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Court of Policy, combined with the Financial Representatives, shall think proper.

4. Every person employed by the Comptroller on any special Definition of duty or service relating to the Colonial Customs shall be deemed to be an officer for that duty or service; and every act required by law to be done by, to, or with any particular officer nominated for such purpose, being done by, to, or with any person appointed by the Comptroller to act for or in behalf of such particular officer, shall be deemed to be done by, to, or with such particular officer; and every act required by law to be done at any particular place within the said Colony, being done at any place within such Colony appointed by the Comptroller for such purpose, shall be deemed to be done at the particular place so required by law.

5. Every person who shall be appointed to any office or employDeclaration to ment under and by virtue of this Ordinance, shall, on his admission be made by thereto, make before the Governor the following declaration, that is to say :

officers.

officers from

"I, A.B., do declare that I will be true and faithful in the execution, to the best of my knowledge and ability, of the trust committed to my charge and inspection as an Officer of Colonial Customs, and that I will not require, take, or receive any fee, perquisite, gratuity, or reward, whether pecuniary or of any other sort or description whatever, either directly or indirectly, for any service, act, duty, matter, or thing, done or performed, or to be done or performed, in the execution or discharge of any of the duties of my office or employment, on any account whatever, other than my salary, and what is, or shall be allowed me by law, or by any special order of the Governor and Court of Policy."

6. No person serving under the provisions of this Ordinance Exemption of shall, during such service, be compelled to serve in any corporate or parochial or other public office or employment, or to serve on any jury or inquest, or in the militia, any law, usage, or custom to the contrary notwitstanding.

service on juries, &c.

7. The Governor shall appoint the hours of attendance of all Officers hours. persons employed under this Ordinance at their proper offices and

places

places of employment; and the office of the Comptroller shall be held in the Guiana Public Buildings in Georgetown, and that of the Sub-Comptroller at such place in the town of New-Amsterdam as the Governor may from time to time appoint.

8. No day shall be kept as a public holiday, at any of the offices Holidays. aforesaid, except Christmas Day and Good Friday in every year, and any day appointed by Proclamation for the purpose of a general Fast, or of a general Thanksgiving, and any day appointed for the celebration of the birthday of Her Majesty.

9. No goods shall be imported into or exported from any place Appointment of ports. in British Guiana, except into or from the port of Georgetown, in the County of Demerara, or into or from the port of New-Amsterdam, in the County of Berbice, except by special sufferance granted by the Comptroller of Colonial Customs; and if any goods shall be imported into or exported from any other port or place in British Guiana, except as before excepted, such goods shall be forfeited: Provided always, that if the Governor shall deem it expedient to extend the provisions of this Ordinance to any other port or place not mentioned in this Ordinance, it shall be lawful for the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Court of Policy, by Proclamation, to extend the provisions of this Ordinance to such port or ports, place or places; and from and after the day mentioned in such Proclamation, all the privileges and advantages of this Ordinance, and all the provisions, penalties, and forfeitures herein contained (subject, nevertheless, to the limitations and restrictions hereinafter mentioned) shall extend to every such port or place as fully as if the same had been inserted and enumerated in this Ordinance.

10. It shall be lawful for the Governor, with the advice and con- And for special sent of the Court of Policy, in any Proclamation extending the purposes. provisions of this Ordinance to any other port or place, to limit and confine the appointment of such port respectively to any and such purposes only as shall be expressed in such Proclamation.

be computed

II. All sums of money granted or payable as duties, or as penal- Duties how to ties or forfeitures, under this or any Ordinance or Law in force in and payable. this Colony, relating to duties on goods, shall be deemed and are hereby declared to be the current money of British Guiana, and

z 2

shall

[Ord.16 anno 1854.]

of duties.

No. LXI.

shall be collected, recovered, and paid to the amount of the value which such nominal sums bear in British Guiana, and such money may be received and taken in the current money of Great Britain, at four shillings and two-pence per dollar, or in foreign coins at such rates as are, or shall be, declared equivalent to current money of British Guiana, by any Proclamation; and all duties now or hereafter leviable shall be paid and received in every part of British Guiana, according to the weights and measures by law at the time established; and in all cases where duties are imposed according to any specific weight, measure, quantity, or value, the same shall be deemed to apply in the same proportion to any greater or lesser weight, measure, quantity, or value.

12. The sums of money granted and payable as duties under Appropriation any Ordinance or Law relating to duties on goods, shall be paid into the hands of the Receiver-General, or other proper officer authorised to receive the same, to be applied to such uses as shall be directed by any Ordinance passed or to be passed by the Governor and Court of Policy of British Guiana, combined with the Financial Representatives of said Colony.

Date of importation of goods on

arrival of ship.

13. If, upon the first levying or repealing of any duty, or the first permitting or prohibiting of any importation, or at any other time, or for any of the purposes of any Ordinance or Law relating to the Colonial Customs, it shall become necessary to determine the precise time at which an importation of any goods shall be deemed to have had effect, such time shall be deemed to be the time at which the ship importing such goods shall have been reported on arrival as hereinafter enacted; and if any question shall arise upon the arrival of any ship in respect of any charge or allowance upon such ship, exclusive of cargo, the time of such arrival shall be deemed to be the time at which the report of such ship shall have been or ought to have been made.

14. The duties imposed by any Ordinance or Law relating to As to goods duties on goods, shall be ascertained, levied, and recovered for and brought by inland carriage upon all goods brought or imported or exported by land or inland or navigation. navigation, in the same manner and by the same means, and under the same rules, regulations, restrictions, penalties, and forfeitures, as far as the same are applicable, as the duties on the like goods imported