86 BRITISH BORNEO. 
are reserved to the Government, and, in order to protect the 
native proprietors, it is provided that any foreigner desirous of 
purchasing land from a native must do so through the Goy- 
ernment. 
Titles and mutations of titles to land are carefully regis- 
tered and recorded in the Land Office, under the provisions 
of the Hongkong Registration of Documents Ordinance, which 
has been adopted in the State. 
The local Government is administered by a Governor, select- 
ed by the Court of Directors subject to the approval of the Se- 
cretary of State for the Colonies. Heis empowered to enact 
laws, which require confirmation by the Court, and is assisted 
in his executive functions by a Government Secretary, Resi- 
dents, Assistant Residents, a Treasurer-General, a Commis- 
sioner of Lands, a Superintendent of Public Works, Command- 
ant, Postmaster-General and other Heads of Departments 
usually to be found in Crown Colonies, and the British Colo- 
nial Regulations are adhered to as closely as circumstances 
admit. The title of Resident is borrowed from the Dutch 
Colonies, and the duties of the post are analogous to those 
of the Resident Councillors of Penang or Malacca, under the 
Governor of Singapore, or of the Government Agents in Cey- 
lon. The Governor can also call to assist him in his delibera- 
tions a Council cf Advice, composed of some of the Heads of 
Departments and of natives of position nominated to seats 
therein. 
The laws are in the form of ‘‘ Proclamations’ issued by 
the Governor under the seal of the Territory. Most of the 
laws are adaptations, in whole or in part, of Ordinances en- 
acted in Eastern Colonies, such as the Straits Settlements, 
Hongkong, Labuan and Fiji. 
The Indian Penal Code, the Indian Codes of Civil and 
Criminal -Procedure and the Indian Evidence and Con- 
tract Acts have been adopted in their entirety, “so far as 
the same shall be applicable to the circumstances of this 
Wernitoryes 
The Proclamation making these and other Acts the law in 
North Borneo was the first formal one issued, and bears date 
the 22rd) December room: 
