355.—(1) In the British Islands the Board of Trade, and in a British possession the governor of that possession, may appoint and remove such emigration officers and assistant emigration officers as seem necessary for carrying this Part of this Act into execution, under the direction of the Board or governor, as the case may be.

(2) All powers, functions, and duties, to be exercised or performed, and anything to be done in pursuance of this Part of this Act by, to, or before an emigration officer, may be exercised, performed, and done by, to, or before his assistant, or, at any port where there is no emigration officer or assistant, or in their absence, by, to, or before the chief officer of customs for the time being at such port, and in any such case it shall be the duty of the chief officer of customs to do anything which it is the duty of the emigration officer or his assistant to do.

(3) A person lawfully acting as an emigration officer under this Act shall in no case be personally liable for the payment of any money or costs or otherwise in respect of any contract made, or of any legal proceedings for anything done, by him in his official capacity as an emigration officer and on the public service.