Short title. Persons brought ipso facto free. Coast Colony, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows; viz.: 1. This Ordinance may be cited as the "Gold Coast Slave-dealing Abolition Ordinance, 1874." 2. Every person who as a slave or otherwise shall be within Colony brought or induced to come within the Colony, so or in order that such person should be dealt or traded in, sold, purchased, bartered, transferred, or taken, or should become or be a slave or be placed in servitude or transferred as a pledge or security for debt, shall become and be and is hereby declared to be a free person. Slave-dealing contracts void. 3. Every present contract in which it is stipulated or agreed that any person shall be bought or sold, or placed in servitude, or be transferred either as a pledge or security for debt, or in any other way, shall so far as regards any such stipulation or agreement be and is hereby declared to be wholly and in every particular null and void, and every future contract which shall contain any such stipulation or agreement, shall be absolutely illegal. Short title. EMANCIPATION. Ordinance No. 2 of 1874. AN ORDINANCE to provide for the emancipation of persons WHEREAS divers persons under the native laws of the Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof as follows, viz. :— 1. This Ordinance may be cited as the "Gold Coast Emancipation Ordinance, 1874." November, 2. All persons who after the fifth day of November of Persons born the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four shall after 5th have been or shall be born within the limits to which this 1874, deOrdinance applies, who under the native laws of the Pro-clared free: proviso. tected Territories are, or may be liable to be holden, or but for this Ordinance would or might be, or be liable to be holden in slavery are, and shall be, and are hereby declared free persons to all intents and purposes: but providing that, except in so far as inconsistent with this Ordinance and with the "Gold Coast Slave-dealing Abolition Ordinance, 1874," nothing herein contained shall be construed to diminish or derogate from the rights and obligations of parents and of children, or from other rights and obligations, not being repugnant to the law of England, arising out of the family and tribal relations customarily used and observed in the Protected Territories. affecting saving lawful exceptions. 3. If at any time after this Ordinance shall have come No claim into operation any claim or alleged right over or affecting liberty to the liberty of any person shall be made, stated, or brought receive effect: into controversy, or shall arise, or come in question, whether as a ground or cause of action or by way of plea, answer, demurrer, or defence of in or to any suit, action, cause, indictment, information, prosecution, or proceeding, or in any other manner of way whatsoever, then and in every such case such claim or alleged right shall be deemed and be of no force or validity, and every Court of Justice, Judge, Magistrate, Native King, Chief, and other tribunal, authority, and person before whom any such claim or alleged right may be made, stated, brought into controversy, or shall arise, or come in question as aforesaid, shall refuse, disallow, discharge, and dismiss the same for all purposes. and effects whatsoever: Providing always that this enactment shall not be construed to include or apply to such rights as under the ordinary rules of English law applicable to the Gold Coast Colony may arise under and by virtue of contracts of service between freemen, or as are included and reserved in the last preceding section. Short title Ordinances shall be printed. Impression ticated by AUTHENTICATION OF ORDINANCES. Ordinance No. 6 of 1875. AN ORDINANCE to make provision for the authentication and for a record of Ordinances. [31st December, 1875. WHEREAS it is expedient to make certain provisions respecting the authentication and for a record of Ordi nances: Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows: 1. This Ordinance may be cited as the "Ordinances Authentication Ordinance, 1875." 2. Every Ordinance which shall be passed by the Legislative Council of the Gold Coast Colony shall be immediately after it is passed set up in fair and legible type by the Colonial Printer or other person employed for printing the Bills of the said Council, and an impression in triplicate from the type so set up, on vellum or on paper of an enduring quality, shall be struck off by him, to be dealt with as hereinafter provided. 3. The said printed impressions shall be carefully comto be authen- pared by the Clerk of the Legislative Council with the Bill which has passed the said Council, and on being found by him to be true and correct, the said printed copies of the said Bill shall be authenticated by him as such, and such authentication shall be attested by his signature. Governor's assent to be recorded on printed copies. Copies of promulgated. 4. When the Governor assents to any Bill so passed, his assent shall be recorded on the said authenticated printed copies. One of these documents shall then be deposited with the Colonial Secretary, one other with the Chief Judicial Officer of the Colony, and the remaining one with the Clerk of the Legislative Council, and shall be preserved and be records of the Ordinance. 5. The copies of every Ordinance promulgated in the first instance shall be impressions from the same form as the aforesaid deposited copies. allowance or of Ordinances. 6. Upon the notification of Her Majesty's allowance or Record of disallowance of any Ordinance being received in the Her Majesty's Colony, the Colonial Secretary shall, in his own hand- disallowance writing endorse or inscribe upon the copy of the Ordinance deposited in his office, a note of the fact of such allowance or disallowance, together with a note of reference to the despatch of Her Majesty's Secretary of State notifying the same, and shall subscribe the said notes and shall likewise communicate to the Chief Judicial Officer of the Colony, and to the Clerk of the Legislative Council, the fact of such allowance or disallowance with a reference to the said despatch, and the said Judicial Officer and Clerk of the Legislative Council shall in like manner endorse or inscribe a note of the fact of such allowance or disallowance with a reference to the said despatch on the copies of the Ordinance held by them respectively. the Gazette of allowance 7. Any proclamation purporting to be published by Publication in authority of the Governor in the Gazette, and signifying Her Majesty's Her Majesty's assent to any Bill which may have been assent or disreserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure by prima facie the Governor, or Her Majesty's disallowance of any Ordi- evidence. nance of the Gold Coast Colony, shall be primâ facie evidence of such assent or disallowance. INTERPRETATION. Ordinance No. 3 of 1876. AN ORDINANCE for embodying in one Ordinance the Rules of Interpretation applicable to certain terms and provisions usually adopted in Ordinances and Rules of [31st March, 1876. Court. WHEREAS it is expedient to embody in one Ordinance the Rules of Interpretation applicable to certain terms and provisions usually adopted in Ordinances and Rules of Court; Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of the Gold Short title. Ordinances to be divided Coast Colony, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows: 1. This Ordinance may be cited as the "Interpretation Ordinance, 1876." 2. All Ordinances shall be divided into sections, if there into sections be more enactments than one, which sections shall be without intro- deemed to be substantive enactments without any introductory words. ductory words. Date and commence nances. 3. The Clerk of the Legislative Council shall inscribe ment of Ordi- on every Ordinance, immediately after the title of such Ordinance, the day, month, and year when the same shall have received the Governor's assent, and such inscription shall be taken to be a part of such Ordinance, and to be the date of its commencement where no other commencement shall be therein provided. Repealed Ordinances not revived by repeal of repealing Ordinance. Repealed pro Ordinance to remain in force till the substituted provisions 4. Where any Ordinance repealing in whole or in part any former Ordinance is itself repealed, such last repeal shall not revive the Ordinance or provisions before repealed unless words be added reviving such Ordinance or provisions. 5. Wherever any Ordinance shall be made repealing in visions of any whole or in part any former Ordinance and substituting some provision or provisions instead of the provision or provisions repealed, such provision or provisions so repealed shall remain in force until the substituted provision or provisions shall come into operation by force of the last made Ordinance. commence. Ordinances to be deemed public Ordi nances. All Ordinances to apply to Colony. Interpreta 6. Every Ordinance made after the commencement of this Ordinance shall be deemed and taken to be a public Ordinance and shall be judicially taken notice of as such unless the contrary be expressly provided and declared by such Ordinance. 7. Every Ordinance now in force or hereafter coming into force shall, subject to any express limitation or extension contained in it, apply to the Colony as herein defined. 8. The following words and expressions shall, if inserted tion of terms. in any Ordinance, Order of the Governor in Council, or |