by any alien, either under the said fifth section or under this section, shall be three years, instead of five years as provided by the said fifth section.

3. Nothing in this act contained shall be construed to prejudice or affect any right which at the time of the passing of this act any alien or statutory alien has acquired or is entitled to under the provisions of the fifth section of the alien act, 1897.

4. Where any person shall desire to obtain a prolongation of the term of three years in which, under the provisions of Article I of the said convention, he would be allowed to sell any real property in these islands, he may present a memorial in writing to the governor, stating the circumstances which render it necessary that such term should be reasonably prolonged, and in any such case it shall be lawful for the governor in council, by warrant under his hand and the great seal of these islands, to prolong the said term for such reasonable period as the governor in council shall deem expedient.

BRITISH GUIANA.

COURT OF POLICY.

[Ordnance No. 7 of 1891.]

AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO THE LEGAL CONDITION OF ALIENS AND BRITISH SUBJECTS."

Ordinance enacted by His Excellency Sir Charles Bruce, knight .commander of the most distinguished order of Saint Michael and Saint George, lieutenant-governor and commander in chief in and over the colony of British Guiana, vice-admiral and ordinary of the same, &c., &c., &c., with the advice and consent of the honourable the court of policy of the said colony.

To all to whom these presents do, may, or shall come, Greeting! Be it known:

Be it enacted by the governor of British Guiana, with the advice and consent of the court of policy thereof, as follows:

1. This ordinance may be cited for all purposes as the naturalization ordinance, 1891.

STATUS OF ALIENS.

2. Movable and immovable property of every description may be taken, acquired, held, and disposed of by an alien in the same manner in all respects as by a natural-born British subject; and a title to movable and immovable property of every description may be derived through, from, or in succession to an alien in the same manner

• Numbered 4/91 in Revised Laws.

Text as printed in the appendix to the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee. Parl. Pap. (1901), Cd. 723.

in all respects as through, from, or in succession to a natural-born British subject: Provided that this section shall not

(1) Confer any right on an alien to immovable property situate out of this colony, and shall not qualify an alien for any office or for any legislative franchise, but a person shall not be deemed to be disqualified for the office of interpreter by reason of his being an alien; or

(2) Entitle an alien to any right or privilege as a British subject, except such rights and privileges in respect of property as are hereby expressly given to him; or

(3) Affect any estate or interest in movable or immovable property to which any person has or may become entitled, either mediately or immediately, in possession or expectancy, in pursuance of any disposition made before the coming into force of this ordinance, or in pursuance of any devolution by law on the death of any person dying before the coming into force of this ordinance; or

(4) Affect the liability of an alien to serve on juries under the provisions of any ordinance for the time being in force relating to juries.

NATURALIZATION.

3. (1) An alien who has resided in this colony, or has been in the service of the Crown, for a term in either case of not less than three years, and who intends, when naturalized, either to reside in this colony or to serve under the Crown, may apply to the government secretary for a certificate of naturalization.

(2) The applicant shall adduce in support of his application such evidence of his residence or service, and of his intention to reside or serve, as the case may be, as the government secretary may require. The government secretary shall, if satisfied with the evidence adduced, take the case of the applicant into consideration, and may, with or without assigning any reason, give or withhold a certificate, as he may think most conducive to the public good, and no appeal shall lie from his decision. No such certificate shall take effect until the applicant has taken the oath of allegiance, and until such certificate and oath have been recorded in the office of the registrar of British Guiana. Such oath shall be taken within two months after the date of the certificate, and such oath and certificate shall be recorded in a register book, to be kept for that purpose in the office of the registrar, within three months after the date of the certificate; and if default is made in complying with either of these requirements, the certificate shall be void and of no effect. A notice of the recording of every such certificate and oath shall forthwith be published by the registrar in "The Official Gazette."

(3) An alien to whom a certificate of naturalization is granted shall in this colony be entitled to all political and other rights, powers, and privileges, and be subject to all obligations to which a natural-born British subject is entitled or subject in this colony, with this qualification, that he shall not, when within the limits of the foreign state of which he was a subject previously to obtaining his certificate of naturalization, be deemed to be a British subject unless he has ceased to be a subject of that state in pursuance of the laws thereof or in pursuance of a treaty to that effect.

4. The government secretary may, in manner aforesaid, grant a special certificate of naturalization to any person with respect to whose nationality as a British subject any doubt may exist, and such certificate shall contain a statement that it is granted for the purpose of quieting doubts as to the right of such person to be deemed a British subject, and the grant of such certificate shall not be deemed to be any admission that the person to whom it was granted was not previously a British subject.

5. The oath hereinbefore referred to as the oath of allegiance shall be in the form set forth in the promissory oaths ordinance of 1870, and the provisions as to affirming in lieu of swearing contained in the said ordinance shall apply in the same manner as if they were enacted in this ordinance.

6. Where the father, or the mother, being a widow, has obtained a certificate of naturalization in this colony, every child of such father or mother who during infancy has become resident with such father or mother in this colony shall within this colony be deemed to be a naturalized British subject.

SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISIONS.

7. A certificate of naturalization granted under this ordinance shall be in the form contained in the first schedule to this ordinance. 8. The oath of allegiance may be administered by any stipendiary magistrate, and shall be administered without fee.

9. (1) The fees payable in respect of a certificate of naturalization shall be those set forth in the second schedule to this ordinance.

(2) All such fees shall be paid over in such manner as the governor may from time to time direct to the receiver-general for the public use of the colony.

10. The governor and court of policy may from time to time make, and, when made, alter, amend, or repeal, regulations with respect to all or any of the following matters:

(1) The registration of certificates of naturalization;

(2) The imposition and application of fees in respect of the making of any declaration or the granting of any certificate authorised to be made or granted by the naturalization act, 1870, of the Imperial Parliament; and,

(3) Generally for the better carrying out of the provisions of this ordinance, and for the due proof in legal proceedings of all acts and things done thereunder.

11. The following provisions shall have effect with respect to evidence under this ordinance:

(1) Any declaration authorised to be made under the naturalization act, 1870, of the Imperial Parliament or under this ordinance may be proved in any legal proceeding by production of the original declaration, or of any copy thereof certified to be a true copy by the registrar, or by any person authorised by any regulation as a foresaid to give certified copies of such declaration; and the production of such declaration or of such copy shall be evidence of the person therein named as declarant having made the same at the date in the said declaration mentioned.

(2) A certificate of naturalization may be proved in any legal proceeding by the production of the original certificate, or of any copy thereof certified to be a true copy by the registrar, or by any person authorized by any regulation as aforesaid to give certified copies of such certificate; and

(3) Entries in any register authorised to be made in pursuance of this ordinance shall be proved by such copies and certified in such manner as may be directed by the registrar, and the copies of such entries shall be evidence of any matter by this ordinance, or by any regulation as aforesaid, authorised to be inserted in the register.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

12. Every person who wilfully or corruptly makes or subscribes any declaration under the naturalization act, 1870, of the imperial parliament, or under this ordinance, knowing the same to be untrue in any material particular, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

13. Nothing in this ordinance shall affect the provisions of the aliens ordinance, 1886.

14. Ordinance No. 16 of 1871 entitled "An ordinance to provide for the carrying into effect in this colony of the naturalization acts, 1870," is hereby repealed.

15. This ordinance shall come into force on the publication thereof. And that no ignorance may be pretended of this our ordinance, these presents shall be printed and published in the customary

manner.

Thus done and enacted at our adjourned quarterly assembly held at the Guiana public buildings, Georgetown, Demerara, this second day of April, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one, and published on the eighth day of April, in the same year.

Know all men by these presents, that by virtue of the provisions of the naturalization ordinance, 1891, I have this day granted this certificate of naturalization to -, a native of [L. S.]

of

Government Secretary.

Note. The above certificate is void and of no effect unless the following oath is taken before a stipendiary magistrate within two months of the above date.

I,

do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.

Note. The above certificate and oath must be recorded in the office of the registrar of British Guiana within three months from the date of the certificate, otherwise the certificate is void and of no effect.

[8TH AUGUST, 1891.] Whereas it is expedient to amend in certain respects the naturalization ordinance, 1891:

Be it therefore enacted by the governor of British Guiana, with the advice and consent of the court of policy thereof, as follows:

1. This ordinance may be cited as the naturalization ordinance, 1891, amendment ordinance, 1891.

2. This ordinance shall be construed as one with the naturalization ordinance, 1891, and the two ordinances may be referred to as the naturalization ordinances, 1891.

3. Sections 3 and 4 of the principal ordinance shall respectively be construed and have effect as if the word "the government secretary" were omitted therefrom and the words "the governor were substituted instead thereof.

4. The form of a certificate of naturalization contained in the first schedule to the principal ordinance is hereby repealed, and the form of such certificate contained in the schedule to this ordinance shall be substituted instead thereof.

5. Notwithstanding anything in the principal ordinance, any alien holding office at the commencement of the principal ordinance or of this ordinance shall not be deemed to be disqualified for such office on account of his being an alien.

6. Nothing in the principal ordinance or in this ordinance shall affect the employment of any alien in any special and temporary service.

7. Nothing in this ordinance shall affect any naturalization of an alien already effected under the principal ordinance.

8. This ordinance shall come into force on the publication thereof.

SCHEDULE.

CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION.

British Guiana.

No.

Whereas

The naturalization ordinances, 1891.

an alien, now residing at — in the county of in said colony, has presented to me a memorial praying for a certificate of naturalization, and alleging that he is a and that he has resided in this colony for a term of years [or has been in the service of the Crown

a Numbered 4/91 in Revised Laws.

Text as printed in the appendix to the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee. Parl. Pap. (1901), Cd. 723.