180
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
No. S. 71. The following Bill was read a first time at a Meeting of the Council held on the 5th May, 1910 :-
Short title.
Repeal f
A BILL
ENTITLED
An Ordinance to amend the Squatters Ordinance,
1890.
BE it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
as
1. This Ordinance may be cited the Squatters Amendment Ordinance, 1910, and shall be read and con- strued as one with the Squatters Ordinance, 1890, here- inafter called “the Principal Ordinance”,
2. Section 12 of the Principal Ordinance is hereby re- Section 12 of pealed and the following shall be substituted for and read the Principal in lieu of the said section :-
Ordinance
and new sec-
tion substi-
tuted there- for.
Granting of lease where claim allow- ed unless Governor de- clines.
Repeal of
Squatters Amendment Ordinance, 1909.
ན་
*12.--(1.) In any case where the Board allows the claim a lease shall be granted within such time as may be convenient, unless the Governor in his discretion declines to grant a lease in which case the claim shall be referred to the Director of Public Works who may negotiate with the claimant in respect of the grant of a lease of other land or lands in lieu of the holding in re- lation to which the claim is made,
(2.) In the event of a failure to effect such a negotiation the Board shall decide what com- pensation shall be paid to the claimant in re- spect of such holding and of any building or fixture, the removal of which is in the opinion of the Director of Public Works necessry or desirable in the public interest, and in such case the amount awarded by the Board shall be paid by the Government to such person as the Board may direct.
Provided always that in estimating any claim for compensation the Board shall take into con- sideration the condition of a building as regards the security of its structure and its sanitary condition,
(3.) No appeal shall lie from any decision of the Board under this section."
3. The Squatters Amendment Ordinance, 1909, is here- by repealed.
Memorandum,
This Bill repeals the Squatters Amendment Ordinance, 1909, and gives effect to instructions of the Secretary of State for the Colonies who is of opinion that the question of compensation to claimants should be left to the Squatters Board and not wholly to the Director of Public Works.
F. A. HAZELAND, Attorney General.