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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 28ти OCTOBER, 1899.
Power to Magistrate
to determine tenancy.
Power to visit disord- erly houses.
Persons
trading in prostitution.
Amendment of s. 30 of 9 of 1897.
be liable upon summary conviction before a Magistrate to the payment of a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, and in default of payment of such fine to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year with or without hard labour: Provided nevertheless that if such landlord or attorney or agent or Secretary or Manager shall either make such complaint to a Magistrate as is in the next sec- tion mentioned within such time as such Magistrate shall consider to be reasonable, or else shall prove to the satisfaction of the Magistrate that neither he nor the person employed by him or on his behalf to collect the rent of such premises knew or had reasonable means of knowing that such premises were being so used as aforesaid, then and in such case the Magistrate shall not convict under this scetion.
6. Upon complaint made to a Magistrate by such landlord or attorney or agent or Secretary or Manager as is in the preceding section mentioned to the effect that any premises, the use of which as a lodging house for pro- stitutes or disorderly persons, or as a brothel, has been discontinued under the provisions of section 4 of this Ordi- nance, are again in use as a lodging house for prostitutes or disorderly persons, or as a brothel, the Magistrate may, if he thinks fit, make an order, which shall be recognized and given effect to in any proceeding in any Court in this Colony, absolutely putting an end to any existing tenancy of such premises as of the date of such order, and there- upon any tenancy so put an end to shall absolutely cease and determine on such date for all purposes, and any occupier or tenant of such premises may thereafter be treated by such landlord or attorney or agent or Secretary or Manager as a trespasser ou such premises.
7. Any European Officer of Police not being below the rank of sergeant who is generally authorized in writing for that purpose by the Captain Superintendent of Police and any person who is generally authorised in writing by the Registrar General for that purpose may at all times without notice enter and demand to see and interrogate any or all the inmates of any place on land or water which he may have reason to believe is used as a lodging-house for prostitutes or disorderly persons or as a brothel, or in con- nection with which he may have reason to believe that an offence has been committed under this Ordinance.
8.-(1.) Every male person who--
(a.) Knowingly lives wholly or in part on the pro-
ceeds of prostitution; or
(b.) In any public place persistently solicits or im-
portunes for immoral purposes;
shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months with or without hard labour.
(2.) If it be made to appear to a Magistrate by infor- mation on oath that there is reason to suspect that any house or any part of a house is used by a female for the purposes of prostitution and that any male person residing in or frequenting the house is living wholly or in part on the earnings of such prostitute the Magistrate may issue a warrant authorising any Police Officer or Constable to enter and search the house and to arrest that male person.
(3.) When a male person is proved to live with or to be habitually in the company of a prostitute and has no visible means of subsistence he shall, unless he can satisfy the Court to the contrary, be deemed to be knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution.
(4.) Any person, not being a natural-born or naturalized British subject, who is convicted of an offence under this section, may be banished from the Colony by an Order of the Governor-in-Council made under any Banishment laws which may from time to time be in force in this Colony.
9. Section 30 of Ordinance 9 of 1897 is hereby amended so as to read as follows :---
30.-(1.) The Registrar General and any officer generally authorized for that purpose in writing by the Registrar General shall have power without warrant to search any ship, boat, house, building, or other place where he has reasonable cause to sus- pect that there is any woman or girl who is or may be liable to be dealt with under the provisions of this Ordinance or in which he has reasonable cause to suspect that an offence under this Ordinance is