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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST MAY, 1886.
Penalty for refusing employment.
Removal from Colony.
Cost of removal,
Agreement to leave the Colony.
Form of agreement.
Persons
landing vagrants in the Colony to pay cost of
removal, &c.
Shipmasters
landiug destitutes Hable to defray ex- penses.
Owner, &c. Hable in the absence of Shipmaster.
Recovery of
Costs.
Evidence.
Arrest
without warrant.
Penalty for
scape,
16. When such employment is obtained, any vagrant refusing or neglecting to avail himself thereof shall, on con- viction before a Magistrate, be liable to imprisonment with hard labour for a term not exceeding one mouth.
17. If, after the lapse of a reasonable time no suitable employment is obtainable for any such vagrant, the Super- intendent of the work-house in which he is detained may · either (when such vagrant has entered into an agreement as hereinafter mentioned) cause him to be removed from the Colony, or he may cause Section 26 of this Ordinance to be read to such vagrant and may then release him.
18. The cost of the removal from the Colony of any vagrant under this Ordinance shall be defrayed by the Government subject to the provisions hereinafter contained for their refund.
19. Any vagrant or other person other than a Chinese may enter into an agreement in writing with the Superin- tendent of any work-house or with the Colonial Secretary, binding himself to embark on board such ship and at such time as may be named in such agreement for the purpose of being removed from Hongkong at the expense, if any, of the Government of this Colony, to remain on board such ship until she has arrived at her port of destination, and not to return to Hongkong within five years.
20. Every such agreement may be on unstamped paper and shall be in the form set forth in the Schedule to this Ordinance or as near thereto as may be.
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21. Whenever any person, not a Chinese, lands in this Colony or being a non-commissioned officer or soldier in Her Majesty's Army leaves that army in this Colony under an engagement to serve any person, company, or association, or body of persons in any capacity, and whenever any sailor other than a Chinese sailor but not being a British subject is discharged from his ship in this Colony and such person, non-commissioned officer, soldier or sailor becomes charge- able to the Colony as a vagrant within one year after his arrival here or after his leaving the Army or discharge from his ship as the case may be, then the person, com- pany, association or body to serve whom he has so landed in Hongkong, left the Army, or, in the case of a sailor, the person who was at the date of his discharge the owner or agent of the ship from which such sailor has been so discharged, shall be liable to pay to the Government the cost of his removal under this Ordinance and all other charges incurred by the Colony in consequence of his becoming a vagrant.
22. Every master of a ship landing or allowing to land in this Colony any person other than a Chinese who at the time of his landing is obviously destitute of means of sub- sistence or is likely speedily to become so shall be liable to repay to the Government of this Colony all costs and char- ges incurred by the Colony in consequence of such persons becoming a vagrant unless such Master satisfy the Court that he made due enquiry as to the person so landed or allowed to land, and that he had reason to believe such person was possessed of means of subsistence.
28. In the absence of such master of a vessel the owner, agent, or consignee of such vessel at the time the person who subsequently became a vagrant was "allowed to land shall be liable to pay the said costs and charges on his behalf.
24. Such costs and charges shall be recoverable by suit as if an express agreement to repay them had been entered into with the Colonial Secretary by the person, company, association, body, owner, agent, or consignee chargeable.
25. In any proceeding under this Ordinance a certified copy of the declaration récorded under Section 4 shall be prima facie evidence that the person named therein has been and that he was a vagrant at the date of such declara- tion.
26. Any person apparently a vagrant refusing or failing to accompany a Police Officer to or to appear before a Police Magistrate when required to do so for the purposes of this Ordinance may be arrested without warrant and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment with hard labour for a period not exceeding one month.
27. Any vagrant who escapes from the Police whilst committed to their charge under this Ordinance or who leaves a work-house without permission from the Superin- tendent, or who, having with such permission left a work-
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