THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, MAY 31, 1918.
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INDECENT EXHIBITIONS BILL.-The Attorney General addressed the Council and moved the Second reading of the Bill intituled An Ordinance to prohibit exhibitions, publications, and advertisements of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature.
The Colonial Secretary seconded.
Question-put and agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Council in Committee on the Bill.
On the motion of the Attorney General, the word "medical" was inserted in section 4 before the word "book" and before the word "publication", and the following new sections were added to the Bill:-
6.1.) Whenever it appears to a magistrate upon the oath of any person that there Search
is reasonable cause to suspect that any written or printed matter, or any Warrant.
picture, figure, or other thing, which is of an indecent, obscene, revolting,
or offensive nature, is to be found in any building, vessel (not being a ship of war or a ship having the status of a ship of war), or other place, such magistrate may by warrant directed to any police officer empower him, with such assistants as may be necessary, by day or by night to enter and if necessary to break into or forcibly enter such building, vessel, or other place, and to search for and take possession of any written or printed matter, or any picture, figure, or other thing, which appears to such police officer or to his assistants to be of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature.
(2.) Where any written or printed matter or picture which appears to such police officer or to his assistants to be of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature, is contained in any newspaper, book, magazine, or pamphlet, it shall be lawful for such police officer and his assistants to take possession of the whole of such newspaper, book, magazine, or pamphlet. 7.-(1.) Any written or printed matter, or picture, figure, or other thing, taken Forfeiture.
possession of under any warrant issued under the provisions of section 6 of this Ordinance, shall forthwith be taken before a magistrate to be disposed of according to law.
(2.) It shall be lawful for a magistrate to order to be forfeited any written or printed matter, or any picture, figure, or other thing, which appears to him to be of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature.
(3.) If any written or printed matter or picture which appears to a magistrate to be of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature, is contained in any newspaper, book, magazine, or pamphlet, any order of forfeiture made under the provisions of this section may include the forfeiture of the whole of such newspaper, book, magazine, or pamphlet.
(4.) Every thing which is ordered to be forfeited under the provisions of this
section may be disposed of in such manner as a magistrate shall direct. (5.) If any written or printed matter, or picture, figure, or other thing, which appears to a magistrate to be of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offen- sive nature, is affixed to or painted upon any building, it shall be lawful for such magistrate to order the owner or occupier of such building to remove or efface such written or printed matter, or picture, figure, or other thing, and if the person against whom the order is made fails to comply with the said order within such time as may be limited by such magistrate, it shall be lawful for a magistrate by order under this hand, to empower any police officer, with such assistants as may be necessary, to enter and if necessary to break into or forcibly enter such building, and to remove or efface such written or printed matter, or picture, figure, or other thing.
On Council resuming, the Attorney General reported that the Bill had passed through Committee with amendments and moved that it be read a third time.
1918.
The Colonial Secretary seconded.
Question--put and agreed to.
Bill read a third time and passed.
ADJOURNMENT. The Council then adjourned until Thursday, the 30th day of May,
F. H. MAY, Governor.
Confirmed this 30th day of May, 1918.
A. G. M. FLETCHER,
Clerk of Councils.