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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 25TH JULY, 1891.,
Title.
Preamble.
Short title.
Interpreta- tion.
(22 of 87, 2.)
(1 of 84, 1.)
(1 of 84, 1.)
(1 of 84, 1.)
Interpretation
of "quantities less than one chest."
(See 1 of 84; and 22 of 87, 3)
A BILL
ENTITLED
An Ordinance to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the movement of raw opium within the Colony, and to the boiling and preparation of such opium within the Colony.
BE
E 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 for all purposes as The Opium Ordinance, 1891.
2. In the construction of this Ordinance the following terms and expressions shall have the meanings respectively set against them, wherever the same are consistent with the context.
Chest. The package with the raw opium therein, such as is usually imported by merchants in the Colony.
Colony. The Colony, its dependencies, and the waters
thereof.
Excise Officer.-Any person appointed under the Ordinances hereby repealed and continued under this Ordinance or any persou appointed by the Governor under section 2 of this Ordinance as Excise Officer.
Farm-Any exclusive privilege granted under this
Ordinance.
Farmer. Any holder for the time being of any such
exclusive privilege.
Opium Farmer.The holder for the time being of the exclusive privilege of preparing and selling pre- pared opium, either inclusive or exclusive of dross opium.
Dross Farmer.-The holder (if any) for the time being of the exclusive privilege of collecting and purchasing opium dross, and preparing and dealing in dross opium.
Divan Farmer.-The holder, if any, for the time being of the exclusive privilege of opening, carrying ou, or licensing any class of opium smoking divans. And when there is no opium farmer, or no dross farmer, or no divan farmer, this Ordinance shall be read as if the Governor in Council or any person licensed for the purpose by the Governor in Council were expressly named instead of the opium farmer, or as if the Colonial Secretary, or any person licensed for the purpose by the Colonial Secretary were expressly named instead of the dross farmer or the divan farmer, or either of them.
And pay- ment or delivery to the Treasurer, for the use of the public revenue, or to an Excise Officer for the same purpose shall in all such cases be taken to be payment or delivery to such farmer under this Ordinance.
Loose Opium-Shall, in the case of Patna or Benares opium, mean any raw opium in less quantities than forty balls, wheresoever it may be found or discovered, or any Bengal opium, of whatever quantity, found or discovered loose, or in any chest, package, or parcel not being the chest in which it was imported into the Colony ; and shall in the case of all other kinds of raw opium mean and include any raw opium found or discovered loose, or in any chest, package or parcel not being the chest in which it was imported into the Colony, and also any opium short of the quantity which the chest in which it is found purports to contain or is capable of containing. Implement. Any vessel, utensil, instrument or other
thing which has been used or which is mani- festly intended to be used for containing pre- pared opium or for preparing, or aiding in pre- paring any raw or prepared opium, or (in cases relating to opium smoking divans) for smoking opium.
Opium (1.) So far as concerns the export of raw opium from the Colony, whether by the opium farmer or by other persons, or the import possession or moving of raw opium within the Colony, all opium shall be considered to be