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Objects and Reusons.
A umler the provisions of the Bili now bofore the Legislative Council entitled “ An Ordinance to amend and consolidate the laws relating to Opium", that part of the existing Opium Ordinance, 1909, which refers to Morphine and Compounds of Opium is ent out from the purview of the new Opium Bill, it becomes necessary, as is indicated in the Objects and Reasons attached to the new Opium Bill, to make provision with regard to Morphine and Com- pounds of Opium by including such substances within the ambit of the Pharmacy laws.
This inclusion it is proposed should be effected partly by Order of the Governor-in-Council and partly by resolu- tion of the Legislative Council under the provisions of the Pharmacy Ordinances; and partly by the provisions of the present Bill substantively amending the Pharmacy Ordinances. It is proposed in the first place that under the provisions of section 9 of the Pharmacy Ordinance, 1908, Sebedule "A" of that Ordinance should be amended by the introduction into Part 11 thereof of a new defini- tion of “ Morphine and its compounds"; this step being effected by Order of the Governor-in-Council.
C
Secondly, it is proposed to insert as a poison in tho Schedule to Ordinance No. 9 of 1910 (which is incorpora- ted in the Pharmacy Ordinance, 1905,) a similar new de- tuition of the same substances; this change being effected by resolution of the Legislative Council under section 2 of Ordinance No. 9 of 1910.
Thirdly, by the present. Bill, it is proposed to make some slight alterations in the existing Ordinance No. 9 of 1910 as incorporated in the Pharmacy Ordinance, 1908. These alterations will be found in section 2 of the present Bill and the features of these alterations which deserve remark are as follows :-
(a,) in section 3 of Ordinance No. 9 of 1910 the powers given to a Police officer of search for poisons, under warrant issued by a Justice of the Pence, are extended to Revenue officers; (4) by giving power in cases of urgency to European Police or Revenue officers to search without warrant for poisons believed to be illegally concealed or deposited in any place;
(c.) by altering the pecuniary penalty for contra- vention of the Ordinni e so as to give as au alternative to the precent maximum fine of 2,000 dollars a pecuniary penalty of ten times the market value of the poison in respect of which an offence has been committed ;
(d) it is also provided that the market value of
any poison in respect of which any offence has been committed against the Ordinance shall be determined by a certificate of the Government
Analyst.
JOHN A. BUCKNILL, Attorney General. .
A BILL
ENTITLED
An Ordinance to amend the Arms and Ammuni-
tion Ordinance, 1900.
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Arms and Am- Short title. munition (Amendinent) Ordinance, 1914, and shall be read and construed as one with the Arins and Ammunition
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