whose business is to see that all births and deaths in their area are reported and correctly registered. There is too a Registrar-General for the whole of the Federated Malay States, and such number of Registrars and Deputy Registrars in each State as may be necessary.

The registers may be searched at any time, and certified copies of entries will be prima facie evidence in all Courts of the dates and facts set forth therein (s. 10).

The Enactment sets out the persons on whom the duty of reporting is cast (s. 12), and provides penalties for failure to report (ss. 13, 19, 20, and 21). Provision is also made for post-registrations and rectifications of errors (s. 23).

Customs (No. 31) re-enacts as a Federal enactment the various State Enactments, beginning from 1898, relating to customs duties; and, except in matters of detail, reproduces the prior law. The power to fix duties and to make rules, hitherto vested in the Resident (the Chief Executive Officer) attached to each individual State, with the approval of the Chief Secretary to Government, is now transferred to the latter functionary alone.

The superintendence and management of all matters relating to customs throughout the Federated Malay States are conferred on the Commissioner of Customs, subject to the direction and control of the Chief Secretary.

Schools, Registration (No. 27). This is a replica of the Straits Settlements Ordinance (No. 21 of 1920), and unifies the system of registration of educational establishments for the whole of Malaya (vide supra, p. 144).

Minor Offences (No. 25) re-enacts, with amendments, the State laws relating to small offences beginning from 1898, and incorporates a number of the provisions contained in the Minor Offences Ordinance No. 13 of 1906 of the Straits Settlements. It provides increased protection for traffic on the public roads, and a summary remedy for damage caused by animals straying on public or private property. It provides for the licensing of second-hand dealers and pedlars, and prohibits the unauthorized use of uniforms and of Government survey-marks, and repeals the State Enactments (beginning from 1894) relating to these matters.

Police Force (No. 22) consolidates, like the analogous Ordinance No. 20 of 1920 of the Straits Settlements (vide supra, p. 143), into one Federal enactment the State laws, beginning from 1897, relating to the constitution of the Police Force, and the granting of pensions to Asiatic members thereof. In addition to alterations of detail, corresponding to those of the Straits Settlements Ordinance, it legalizes the position of persons appointed for police duties by a Government Department (s. 26), and removes dismissal and confinement in prison from the list of punishments which may be inflicted by the officer authorized to try offences committed by members of the Police Force (ss. 30 to 33). It provides for the granting of pensions, gratuities, or other allowances to the dependents of Asiatic members of the Force (s. 37), and increases the jurisdiction of a Chief Police Officer from $100 to $500, the latter being the limit prevailing in the Straits Settlements for the administration of the moveable property of intestates taken charge of by him for the purpose of safe custody (s. 40).

Probate and Administration (No. 4). Enactment No. 14 of 1918

having constituted one Supreme Court for the whole Federation, the State laws of 1904 providing for grant of Probate and Letters of Administration were necessary to be replaced by a Federal measure. Hence this new Enactment, which, besides reproducing prior Enactments of the States in Federal form, and in terms rendering Probate and Letters of Administration operative throughout the Federation, contains the following new features:

S. 27 provides for allowing to executors and administrators a commission, which may perhaps tend to overcome a not uncommon reluctance to assume the burden of the office.

Ss. 28 to 36 (c. 3) supersede the prior State Enactments (of 1905) relating to Official Administrators, the duties incidental to which post are proposed to be combined with those of another new executive department.

S. 82 exempts Official Administrators and Trustees from the obligation to give security, a matter which has often created difficulty in the past.

Ss. 151 to 156 (c. 15) provide for resealing Probates or Letters of Administration granted under a State law, so as to render them operative throughout the Federation.

Ss. 157 to 171 (c. 16) provide for resealing Probates or Letters of Administration granted in the Straits Settlements or (subject to reciprocity being assured) in the United Kingdom, or any British Pos

session.

Trustees (No. 19) enacts, with the necessary modifications, the Trustee Ordinance No. 28 of 1914 of the Straits Settlements (vide Review of Legislation, p. 63 in Journal, vol. xvi.), which again was modelled on the Trustee Act, 1893, of the United Kingdom. The Enactment mitigates the terrors of the office of trustee, by laying down rules for his guidance in the execution of the trust. It sets out the class of investments in which he may place trust funds (s. 3), and protects him against charges of breach of trust for loss incurred in lawful investments, if he acts with prudence and caution (ss. 6 and 7). It provides for the appointment of new trustees (s. 8) and the retirement of trustees (s. 9), and lays down provisions for the guidance of a trustee for sale (ss. II and 12). It authorizes a trustee to appoint solicitors and bankers to assist him (s. 13), and provides for the conduct of the business of a trust (ss. 14 to 22).

Part III of the Enactment (ss. 23 to 40) empowers the Court to appoint trustees when necessary, and provides for vesting the trust property in them.

Lastly, any trustee may apply to the Court for advice (s. 40), and thereby escape responsibility if he acts honestly.

Waters (No. 9).-Damage had frequently been caused by obstruction or diversion of, or other interference with, rivers and streams, riverbeds had been encroached upon for building sites, and those whose agricultural or other operations necessitated the introduction or elaboration of drainage systems had not always been liable to contribute to the rest of the establishment and maintenance of such systems.

This Enactment remedies these evils, by preventing unauthorized interference with rivers and streams and imposing on those responsible for any such interference the cost of remedying it, provides for the restriction of building operations in immediate proximity to rivers, and

consolidates and amends the State laws hitherto in existence by regulating the constitution of drainage areas and irrigation areas and imposing rates in respect thereof.

4. MAURITIUS.

[Contributed by E. KOENIG, Esq., Procureur-Général.]

During the session 1920 fifty-nine Ordinances were passed by the Council of Government and assented to by the Governor, of which the following are the most important or otherwise require special notice:

The Slaughtering of Cattle Restriction (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 1), which empowers officers of police and sanitary officers to prosecute for all offences against the Regulations made under the Slaughtering of Cattle Restriction Ordinance, 1918.

The Customs Tariff (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 2), which increases by 2 cents of a rupee per 100 kilos the export duty on sugar, the produce of the Colony, and the sum thus obtained being applied for the purpose of destroying the pest known as Phytalus Smithi.

The Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 3), which provides for the issue, transfer, and giving in pledge of debentures by companies registered in the Colony.

The Stray Dogs Destruction Ordinance, 1920 (No. 5), which provides for the seizure and eventual destruction of stray dogs, the large number of which would constitute a grave danger in case rabies were introduced into the Colony.

The Treaty of Peace Ordinance, 1920 (No. 8), which adapts to the circumstances of the Colony the provisions of the Treaty of Peace Order, 1919.

The Pension Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 10), which makes service in Mauritius continuous with service in any of the colonies mentioned in the schedule, for pension purposes.

The Stamps (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 17), which raises stamp duties from 15 cents and above by about 50 per cent., stamp duties levied for postal purposes being excepted.

The Registration (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 18), article 2 of which raises certain registration duties from per cent. toper cent. Article 3 imposes a uniform proportional duty of 2 per cent. on the several Acts set forth in article 69, paragraph VII of the Arrêté of 16 Frimaire, Year XII, instead of the decreasing rate imposed by article 1, paragraph (ii), of Ordinance No. 26 of 1852. Article 4 removes the exemption granted to the sales of merchandises described in article 14 of Ordinance No. 3 of 1838. Article 5 raises from 50 cents to I rupee per 1,000 rupees the duty for transcribing deeds of sale or transfer of property, thereby assimilating it to the duty for inscribing privileged or mortgaged claims fixed in the same schedule at I rupee per 1,000 rupees.

The Tobacco (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 20), which empowers the Governor to remit the tax provided by Ordinance No. 19 of 1890, with a view to the encouragement of the cultivation of tobacco.

The Profiteering Ordinance, 1920 (No. 22), which reproduces the provisions of the Profiteering Act, 1919, with certain modifications. The Customs Consolidated Tariff (Amendment) (No. 3) Ordinance,

1920 (No. 24), which has been introduced in view of the frequent changes in the rate of exchange, and in order to dispense with the necessity of having recourse to the Council of Government whenever such rate has to be altered.

The Sanitation (Amendment). Ordinance, 1920 (No. 29), which gives a right of appeal against the orders issued by the Sanitary Authority under article 3 of the Sanitation Consolidating Ordinance, 1900.

The Paper Currency (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 30), which allows the introduction into the Colony of Indian Currency Notes.

The Mauritius Sugar Syndicate Ordinance, 1920 (No. 31), which facilitates the sale of the sugars of the 1920-21 crop to the Sugar Commission.

The District Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Amendment Ordinance, 1920 (No. 33), which brings the offences of "defamation" and of "indecent assault," which are generally of a trivial nature, within the jurisdiction of a magistrate sitting alone.

The Contracts of Service (Rodrigues) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 35), which empowers the magistrate of Rodrigues to pass contracts of service to be performed in Mauritius.

The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 40), which was introduced for the purpose of recognizing the certificates of competency of masters and mates, issued in Seychelles.

The Sale of Bread Ordinance, 1920 (No. 43), which empowers the Receiver-General to make regulations applicable to the whole Colony except the town of Port Louis, to control the sale of bread.

The Mauritius Stock Breeders' Association Incorporation Ordinance, 1920 (No. 44), which empowers the Governor to issue, under Ordinance No. 22 of 1874, a Charter of Incorporation to the society," The Mauritius Stock Breeders' Association," formed to promote the improvement of the industry of raising live-stock.

The Treaty of Peace (Austria) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 46), which adapts to the circumstances of the Colony the provisions of the Treaty of Peace (Austria) Order, 1920.

The Treaty of Peace (Bulgaria) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 47), which adapts to the circumstances of the Colony the provisions of the Treaty of Peace (Bulgaria) Order, 1920.

The Stamps (Amendment No. 3) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 49), which applies the item of the Stamp Ordinance (No. 2 of 1869) providing for the Stamp Duty to be levied on passports, to the Certificates of Identity issued in lieu of passports to those foreigners, principally Chinese people, whose country of origin is not locally represented by a Consul.

The Profiteering (Additional Powers) (Amendment) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 52), articles 2 and 3 of which amend Ordinance No. 22 of 1920: article 2 by enabling the Local Committee to disregard the fact of successive sales when the consequence of such successive sales has been an undue inflation of price; article 3 by making it an offence on the part of a person against whom a complaint has been lodged to refuse to sell to the complainant or to certain other person connected with the complaint.

The other articles deal with unreasonable rents, to the investigation and control of which the jurisdiction of the Local Committee is extended. Those provisions are mainly borrowed from the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interests (War Restrictions) Act, 1915 (5 & 6 Geo. V.,

c. 97) and from a South African Bill entitled the Rents Act, 1920, published in The Union Gazette Extraordinary of March 30, 1920.

The District Courts (Civil Jurisdiction) Amendment Ordinance, 1920 (No. 55), the District Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Amendment (No. 3) Ordinance, 1920, (No. 56), and the Ushers' Fees Ordinance, 1920 (No. 57), which raises by about 30 per cent. the tariff of fees payable to ushers.

The Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Ordinance, 1920 (No. 25), which reproduces the provisions of the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act, 1920.

5. CEYLON.

[Contributed by L. MAARTENSZ, Esq., District Judge, Colombo.]

Ordinances passed—24.

The majority of the ordinances passed merely introduced amendments of an unimportant character.

Education. The Education Ordinance (No. 1). The object of the Ordinance is to make better provision for Education and to revise and consolidate the ordinances dealing with Education.

Hitherto there was no special legislation dealing with the Department of Education, although in the repealed Education Ordinances references are made to the Director of Education and to certain powers conferred on him.

Part I of the Ordinance contains the provisions which deal with the statutory establishment of the Department of Education, at the head of which is placed the Director of Education.

Part 2 deals with the constitution and work of the Board of Education. The Board is composed of not less than 16 and not more than 20 members nominated by the Governor, of whom the Director and Assistant Director of Education and two unofficial members of the Legislative Council are to be four.

The Board may make regulations dealing with (1) Elementary and Secondary Education, (2) Training of Teachers, (3) Intermediate and Night Schools.

Part 3.-By s. 13 no applicant is to be refused admission into an assisted school on account of religion, nationality, race, caste, or language. S. 15 provides that attendance at, or abstention from, any religious observance is not to be made a condition of admission to any such school. Part 4 provides for local committees which are to assist the central authority in working the Educational System.

Part 5 deals with Estate Schools.

Part 6 contains general provisions.

Part 7 deals with finance.

Midwives.-The Midwives Ordinance (No. 2) is modelled on the Midwives Act of 1902, but does not go quite so far.

S. 2 provides that the Council of the Ceylon Medical College and one other person to be appointed by the Governor shall form a Board to be called the Ceylon Midwives Board with power to frame regulations (1) regulating the conditions of admission to the register of midwives;