SAINT JOHN'S CATHEDRAL CHURCH ORDINANCE, 1899

SAINT JOHN'S CATHEDRAL CHURCH ORDINANCE, 1899

No. 5 of 1899.
An Ordinance to provide for the performance of divine
Worship in accordance with the rites and ceremonics
of the Church of England at Saint John's Cathedral
Church, and elsewhere; for the incorporation of a
Church Body; and for other purposes.

As amended by No. 15 of 1923.
As amended by Law Rev. Ord,, 1924.





[23rd March, 1899.]

WHEREAS Saint John's Cathedral Church was erected on Crown
land partly by means of private subscriptions and partly by means
of public Moneys, and has since been maintained and keDt up, and
divine worship has been performed therein and elsewhere in this
Colony, in accordance with the provisions of certain Ordinances,
and it is expedient to provide for a continuance of the performance
of such divine worship and services according to the rites and
ceremonies of the Church of England ; AND WHFIRFAS the said
Church is now vested in and administered by an incor-
porated Church Body, and it is expedient to provide for the
continuance of the said Body, for the purposes and with
the powers hereinafter mentioned, and for other purposes connected
with the said Cathedral Church

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Saint John's
Cathedral Church Ordinance, 1899.

2. In this Ordinance,

(a) The church mearis Saint John's Cathedral church at victoria.

(6) The church Body means the trustees of the church.

The Church Eody.
3. There shall be, subject to the provisions of this Ordi-
nance, a church Body, which shall consist of the Bishop.of
the Church of England residing and officiating at Victoria,
of the chaplain hereinafter mentioned, and of six lay mem-
bers of the church duly elected or appointed and holding
office in accordance with the regulations.

4.-(1) All. change in the constitution of the Church
body shall be notified to the Colonial Secretary and published
in the Gazette.
(2) The Church Body shall, when required by the
governor, jurnish to him satisfactory proof of the
election, or appointment of any new member thereof.

5. The church body is hereby declared to be a body
corporate under the name of The Trustees of Saint John's
cathedral church in hongkong, and by that name shall

As amended bY Law Rev. Ord., 1924.




have perpetual succession, and shall and may sue and be
sued in all courts, and shall and may have use a common
seal, and may break, change, alter, and make anew the said
seal, it shall have power to acquire, accept leases of,
purchase, take, hold, and enjoy any lands, buildings,
messuages, or tenements, of what nature or kind soever and
wheresoever situate, and also to invest moneys upon
mortgage of any lands, buildings, messuages, or tenements
or upon the mortgages, debentures, stocks, funds, shares,
or securitites of any corporation or company, and also
to purchase, acquire, and possess goods and chattels,
of what nature or kind soever; and also by deed under its
seal, to grant, sell, convey, assign, surrender, yield up,
mortgage, demise, re-assign, transfer, or otherwise, yield up,
any lands, buildings, messuages, tenements, mortgages,
debentures, stocks, funds, shares, or securitites, or goods and
chattels, which are vested in or belong to the church body,
on such terms as to the church body may seem fit; provided
always that the power of sale hereby granted shall not extend
to the church or the precincts thereof without the consent
in writing of the governor.

6. the church and the precincts thereof (a plan of which,
signed by the director of public works and sealed with the
seal of the colony, was deposited at the land office on the
29th day of april, 1892), together with all rights, easements
and appurtenances thereunto belonging, and together with
all the estate, right, title, and interest fo teh church body
as herertofore constituted, shall continue to be vested in the
church body for the sole and express purpose of a church
and to the intent that divine worship and the services usual
in the church of england shall be therein performed and
carried on in accordance with the rites and ceremonies of
the said church, subject, nevertheless, to the road and right
of way delineated and coloured red on the said plan, which
road shall be maintained as heretofore by the government;
provided always that if at any time the church shall cease
to be used as a church for divine worship and the services
usual in the church of england shall cease to be performed
and carried on therein in accordance with the said rites and
ceremonies, the church and the precincts thereof shall revert
to and become the absolute property of the crown, unless
the same shall be sold or otherwise disposed of with the
consent in writing of the governor.





7.(1) all books, deeds, papers, and other documents
hitherto kept at the church or belonging and appertaining
thereto, and all moneys belonging or due or owing to the
church or to the church body for the purposes
aforesaid.

(2) all monuments, tablets, and memorials in or about the
church shall be under the care and custody of the church
body.

administration.

8.(1) the church body may appoint a chaplain and one
or more assistant chaplians to perform and carry on divine
worship and the services usual in the church of england,
according to the rites and ceremonies of the siad church.

(2) the church body may also appoint such other officers
and servants as may be necessary, on such terms and condi-
tions as it may think fit.

9. all matters connected with the religious services of the
churhc or the rits and ritual thereof shall be under the
immediate direction and managemnet of the chaplian, subject,
nevertheless, to the control of the bishop.

10. the temporal affairs of the church shall be managed,
directed, and governed by the church body; provided,
however, theat the members of the church body shall not be
deemed personally liable for any payments of money in excess
of that provided or available for the purposes of the church.

11. so long as an annual sum of not less than five hundred
dollars shlal be paid to the church body for the use of the
church by the troops constituting the garrison, the church
body shall allow and arrange for the use of the church by
the said troops for one service at least on every sunday in
the year, but shall not be bound to provide any clergyman
to perform the same.

12. it shall be lawful for the governor to appropriate such
proportion of any sum which may be voted by the legislative
council for general ecclesiastical or religious purposes as he
may deem proper to the church body, and thereupon the
chaplian or the senior chaplain as the case may be, if such






sum is accepted by the Church Body, shall be bound, when
so required, to provide for all requisite religious services and
ministrations of the church of england at the gaol and the
Goverment Civil Hospital.

regulations

13. It shall be lawful for the church body to make regula-
tions relating to all or any of the following matters


(1) the qualification, election, and tenore of office, of the
lay members oft he church body and the mode of filling up
casual vacancies among the said members;
(2) the holding of meeting of the church body and the
conduct of business thereat ;
(3) the election and tenure of office of an auditor, and the
appointment and tenure of office of a treasurer and sercretary,
and the mody of filling up casual vacancies among such
officers

(4) the appointment, tenure. of office, salaries, and duties
of a chaplain and assistant chaplains, in organist, a verger,
and such other officers and servants is the Church Body, may
think necessary ;
(5) the keeping of registers of seat-holders and subsecibers
of the church, and of baptisms, marriages, and burials.

(6) the holding of meetings of the scat-holdens and subscribers
subscribers of the the right of voting and the voting and the taking
and recording fot he votes at such meetings, and the conduct
of business generally thereat;
\
(7) the appropriation, allotment, arrangement, and use of
the sittings in the-church;
(8) the rents and subscriptions, if any, to be paid for the
sittings in the church and the mode of collectioin thereof;
the fees to be taken for baptisms and burials or
other services ; and the collection and disposition of money
offerings, offertories, and donations;
(9) the, keeping of accounts of moneys received and
expended by the Church Body;
(10) the erection and maintenance of monuments, tablets,
or other memorials in the church or in the precincts thereof,
and the fees to be taken therefor - and





(11) all other matters relating to the affairs of the church

or of the church Body.

14. No regitlatIons. made by the Church Body shall be,
valid until they have been approved at all annual or special
meeting of the seat-holders and subsecibers of the church.

miscellaneous.

15. The church body shall have power to sue for all rents,
SUbscriptions, fees, and moneys due or owing under the
regulations or otherwise.

16. Tt shall be lawful for the church body to declare any
sitting in the church vacant-

(1) if the person entitled thereto fails to pay the rent of
such sitting within three months from. the time when demand
for payment thereof has been made upon him personally or
in writing; or

(2) If such person, after a like demand and period, fails to
pay any moneys due from him to the Church. Body ; or
(3) if such person is convicted under section 17.

17. Every person who willfully and maliciously, either
within or from without the church, disturbs the performance
of divine worship or any service therein, or in any way during
such time molests any of the congregation, shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor, and shall upon summary conviction be liable
to a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars.

18. No burial shall take place within the church or the
precincts thereof.

19. The Church Body may order the removal of any
monument, tablet, or other memorial in the church or in the
precincts thereof which has become ruinous, dilapidated, or
unsightly, if the owner thereof cannot be found or refuses to
properly repair and maintain such monument, tablet, or
memorial, to the satisfaction of the Church Body : Provided
always that three rnonths notice of such intended removal

As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1924.

shall be given in writing to the owner if he can be found,
and, if he cannot be found, a notice signifying such intended
removal shall be posted for three months in the western
porch of the church.

20. nothing in this ordinance shall affect or be deemed
to affect the rights of his majesty.

nos. 6, 7 and 8 of 1899, repealed by no. 34 of 1910.
[Originally No. 8 of 1899. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Interpretation. Constitution of Church Body. Notification of changes in Church Body. Incorporation and general powers of Church Body. Vesting of church and precincts in Church Body. Vesting of other property in Church Body. Appointment of chaplains and officers. Direction of religious services. Management of temporal affairs. Right of troops to use the church on payment of certain sum. Government grant for services at the Gaol and Government Civil Hospital. Regulations. Approval of regulations. Power to sue for moneys due. Power to declare sitting vacant. Punishment of person disturbing divine worship, etc. Prohibition of burial. Power to remove ruinous monument, etc. Saving of rights of the Crown.

[Originally No. 8 of 1899. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Interpretation. Constitution of Church Body. Notification of changes in Church Body. Incorporation and general powers of Church Body. Vesting of church and precincts in Church Body. Vesting of other property in Church Body. Appointment of chaplains and officers. Direction of religious services. Management of temporal affairs. Right of troops to use the church on payment of certain sum. Government grant for services at the Gaol and Government Civil Hospital. Regulations. Approval of regulations. Power to sue for moneys due. Power to declare sitting vacant. Punishment of person disturbing divine worship, etc. Prohibition of burial. Power to remove ruinous monument, etc. Saving of rights of the Crown.

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