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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, JUNE 25, 1920.
(d) that any evidence of the existence of an unlawful society is to be found in any place,
the magistrate may, by warrant directed to any public officer, empower such officer and his assistants to enter and search such place. by day or by night, using force if necessary.
(2.) Such officer and his assistants may seize and detain any books, accounts, lists of members, writings, banners, insignia, seals, or other things, which appear to belong to, or to be connected with, or to be intended to be used for the purposes of, an unlawful society, or which may appear to indicate the existence of an unlaw- ful society. and may arrest any person found on such place or escaping therefrom and may detain any such person until he can conveniently be brought before a magistrate.
(3) The powers conferred by a warrant issued under sub-section (1) of this section may be exercised without warrant by any Justice of the Peace or by any public officer accompanied by a Justice of the Peace.
(4.) No person shall resist or obstruct any such search,
arrest or seizure.
(5.) It'shall be lawful for a magistrate to forfeit any thing duly seized under any power conferred by or under this section.
7-(1.) When any books, accounts, lists of members, Evidence. writings, banners, insignia, seals, or other things, what- soever, which may reasonably be suspected to belong to, or to be connected with, or to be intended to be used for the purposes of, an unlawful society, are found in the possession or under the control of any person, it shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed that such person is a member of an unlawful society.
(2.) When it appears to a magistrate that there is reasonable cause to suspect that any place entered and searched under any power conferred by or under this Ordinance was immediately before or at the time of such entry being used by or for the purposes of an unlawful society, it shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed that all persous found in such place at any time during such search, or found escaping therefrom immediately before or at the time of such entry, are members of an unlawful society.
(3.) In any prosecution under this Ordinance it shall not be necessary to prove the name of the unlawful society, or to prove that it has any name.
(4.) In any prosecution under this Ordinance it shall be no objection to the admissibility of expert evidence that the expert is not, or has not been, a member of any unlawfni society.
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(5.) In any prosecution under this Ordinance the magistrate may refer. for the purposes of evidence, to The Triad Society or Heaven and Earth Association by William Stanton, and to any other published books or articles on the subject of unlawful societies in general, or of particular unlawful societies, which the magistrate may consider to be of authority on the subject to which they relate.
8. The Societies Ordinance, 1911, and the Societies Repeal of Amendment Ordinance, 1916, are repealed.
Ordinances Nos. 47 of 1911 and 1
Passed the Legislative Council of Hongkong, this of 1916. 24th day of June, 1920.
W. J. CARRIE,
Clerk of Councils.
Assented to by His Excellency the Governor, the 25th day of June. 1920,
A. G. M. FLETCHER,
Colonial Secretary.
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