512
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, APRIL 27, 1906.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT.
No. 361.-The following is published for general information.
T. SERCOMBE SMITH, Colonial Secretary.
27th April, 1906.
Masters of
ing decrepit persons not having means of subsistence liable to punishments.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
ACT XLI OF 1850
AS AMENDED BY ORDINANCE IX OF 1906.
An Act to prevent the landing and leaving of Decrepit Beggars in the Settlements of Prince of Wales' Island Singapore and Malacca.
WHEREAS much public inconvenience has arisen by masters of ships and
Nakodas of junks and other vessels landing and leaving in the Settlements of Prince of Wales' Island Singapore and Malacca diseased maimed blind and decrepit persons who afterwards beg for subsistence in the public streets : It is
enacted as follows:-
1. All masters of vessels who shall bring and land or cause to be brought and vessels land landed in any of the Settlements of the Colony without leave of the Chief Police Officer of such Settlement any diseased maimed blind idiot lunatic or decrepit per- son not having the means of subsistence and who may be hindered by his or her diseased blind or disabled state from earning a livelihood or any person who cannot show that he has in his possession or that he is physically able to earn the means of decently supporting himself and his dependents if any or any person who has been banished from any foreign country or has been shipped from any foreign country by the authorities of the Government of such country with a view to his being repatriated other than a person born in the Colony or the Federated Malay States shall on conviction before a Police Court be liable for every such offence to pay a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars.
Police Court
may examine such person and make order for his removal.
Police Off-
cers may
circums-
tances of suspected persons.
2. Any Police Court upon the complaint of the Chief Police Officer or other Officer of Police that any such person who has not resided one month in the Settle- ment has been found begging or has become chargeable to the Settlement may cause such person to be brought before it and may examine such person and any other witness on oath touching the place from which he or she was brought to the said Settlement and may cause any such person to be removed to the place from which he or she was so brought in such manner as shall be from time to time directed by the Governor and the reasonable cost of such removal shall be borne and paid by the master of the vessel by whom such person was brought to the Settlement and may be sued for and recovered as so much money due from him to Her Majesty.
3. It shall be lawful for any Police Officer not below the rank of Inspector or inquire into for any other Police Officer thereunto generally authorized in writing by the Chief Police Officer to enter upon any vessel arriving at any of the ports of the Colony and to detain and inquire into the circumstances of any of the passengers who may reasonably be suspected of belonging to any of the classes of persons whom it is an offence to bring into the Colony under Section one hereof. If after such inquiry it shall be found that any of such passengers belongs to one of the afore- said classes it shall be lawful for the Police Officer to prevent such passenger from landing unless he has obtained the permission of the Chief Police Officer or to detain him until an opportunity arises of returning him to his port of embarkation provided that no passenger able to earn his own livelihood shall be so detained for more than forty-eight hours except on the written authority of a Police Magistrate. If the master of the vessel bringing such passenger is dissatisfied with the result of such inquiry the question of whether such passenger belongs to any class of passengers which it is an offence to bring into the Colony shall be decided by the Port Health Officer.
Liability of master of
vessel bring ing decrepit the Colony.
persons to
Liability of
owner.
Master of
information
4. In cases where a passenger is prevented from landing the master of the vessel if returning to the port of the passenger's embarkation shall afford such passenger a passage free of charge thereto and in cases where the vessel is not so returning and the passenger has landed and is detained in the Colony the master of the vessel shall be liable to pay to Government all costs incurred by the Colony for the maintenance of and removal from the Colony of such passenger.
5. The owner agent and consignee of the vessel shall also be liable to pay all such costs and charges to the Government.
6. The master of any vessel which has been boarded by a Police Officer vessel to give under this Act shall give to such Police Officer any information relating to any passengers suspected of belonging to any of the classes mentioned in Section one hereof as may reasonably be required for the purposes of this Act.
to l'olice
Officer.
Exemption.
7. The Governor in Council may by order exempt from the provisions of the last preceding section any special class of passengers or voyages or any special
Vascal but one hand.
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