THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 2ND FEBRUARY, 1889.
A BILL
ENTITLED
An Ordinance for amending the Laws relating to the construction of Buildings in the
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Colony of Hongkong.
"HEREAS it is expedient to amend the Laws relating to Buildings in this Colony: Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. Ordinance No. 8 of 1856 is hereby repealed except as to legal Proceedings commenced before the passing of this Ordinance, and except also as to buildings in course of construction of which the enclosing walls shall have been carried higher than the footings at the time of the commencement of this Ordinance. Every such building may be completed as if this Ordinance had not been passed. A building shall be deemed to be completed after the roof shall have been covered in.
2. The provisions relating to the construction of build- ings except as hereinafter specially provided shall apply only to buildings which are begun after the commencement of this Ordinance, or of which the enclosing walls have not been carried higher than the footings, or to such old buildings as shall for the purposes of reconstruction be taken down to an extent which in the opinion of the Sur- veyor General exceeds one half (such half to be measured in cubic feet) and all buildings described in this section shail be deemed to be new buildings.
3. Any Contract, made before the passing of this Ordinance, for the erection of any building which shall not have been carried higher than the footings at the time of the passing of this Ordinance, shall be carried into effect in the same manner as if this Ordinance had been passed at the time of the making thereof, and the necessary devia- tions from the terms of such contract may be made ac- cordingly: Provided that the extra cost (if any) of such necessary deviations shall be borne by the Party to such contract for whom the building is erected who may never- theless in lieu thereof within Ten Days after the passing of this Ordinance cancel such contracts upon paying to the other Party, the value of the Work and Labor done and Materials supplied thereunder. Whenever any build- ing-contract shall be so cancelled, every sub-contract shall also be thereby cancelled upon the same terms.
4. The provisions of this Ordinance with reference to the rules for the construction of buildings shall not apply to buildings belonging to the Colonial Government, or to buildings upon any Land vested in any Person on behalf of the Naval or Military Departments of Her Majesty's Service, but all the provisions in relation to inflammable structures, to hoardings, and scaffoldings, and verandahs shall apply without exception to all buildings throughout the Colony.
5. Nothing herein contained shall vary or affect the Rights or Liabilities as between Landlord and Tenant under any contract between them.
6. In the construction of this Ordinance (if not in- consistent with the context) the following words and expressions shall have the respective meanings hereinafter set against them, that is to say :-
1. Building-Any domestic building, house, veran- dah, cook-house, privy, gallery, chimney, bridge, out-house, stable, shed, mat-shed, warehouse, manufactory, shop, work-room, distillery, or place of secure stowage, or any alteration to the same involving new foundations.
2. City of Victoria.-The City of Victoria as defined
by Ordinance 13 of 1888.
3. Cross Wall.—Any wall of brick or stone used or built in order to be used as a separation of one part of any building from another part of the same building, such building being or being designed to be wholly in one occupation.
4. Domestic Building.-Any human habitation or
building where persons pass the night.
5. External Wall.—Any wall or vertical enclosure of any building not being a party wall, nor the ex- ternal wall of a verandah.
6. Floor.-Any horizontal platform forming the base of any story, and every joist, board, timber, stone, brick, or other substance connected with and forming part of such platform.
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