1136
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 4TH DECEMBER, 1886.
Kaking up malla on board.
Stealing letter bags, forging stamps, and other felonies.
shall, in like manner, intimate to the Postmaster General any alteration in the day or hour of departure of the said vessel, and the Postmaster General shall, on receiving such intimation, give notice to the public of the day and hour for closing the mails, if any are to be made up for trans- mission by such vessel.
Every alteration of the hour of departure of any vessel plying daily or on fixed days to Macao or to places on the Canton River, shall, in like manner, be intimated to the Postmaster General by the person despatching such vessel.
24. The Postmaster General, or any officer of the Post Office authorised by him, may attend on board any vessel, and may receive all fully prepaid correspondence which is brought on board up to the time of departure to be trans- mitted by such vessel.
The master of every such vessel shall give all proper facilities to such officer of the Post Office to enable him to discharge his duties and to make up such mails, and to leave the vessel on her departure.
If there be no officer of the Post Office in attendance or board any vessel, the master of such vessel may receive all correspondence which is brought on board to him fully pre- paid by the postage stamps of the Colony; and shall deliver the same at the Post Office on arrival at his destination.
25. The master of every vessel shall receive on board all mail bags and correspondence tendered to him by the Post- master General for transmission and shall sign & receipt for the same.
The owner or agent of any vessel who refuses to allow any mail to be put on board of or transmitted by such vessel shall be deemed guilty of an offence against this Ordinance.
Offences.
28. Offences against this Ordinance shall be considered to be.
(1.) Any infringement of the exclusive privilege of
the Postmaster General.
(2.) Refusal, neglect, or omission to do any act com-
manded by this Ordinance.
(3.) Refusal to permit, or obstruction of any such act.
(4.) The doing of any act forbidden by this Ordinance. For every offence against this Ordinance for which no specific penalty is provided the offender shall be liable, on summary conviction before a Magistrate to a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars, or to imprisonment with or withont hard labour for any period not exceeding six
months.
27. The following acts shall be deemed felonies →→
Stealing, embezzling, secreting, or destroying any cor- respondence by a person employed by or under the Post Office.
Stculing from or out of any correspondence any chattel,
money, or valuable security.
Stealing or unlawfully taking away a letter bag, or stealing or unlawfully taking any correspondence from or out of a letter bag, or unlawfully opening a letter bag.
Stealing any correspondence from a letter bag, or from a Post Office, or from an officer of the Post Office. Forging, altering, or imitating, or assisting in forging, altering, or imitating any postage stamp issued under this Ordinance.
Using, offering, uttoring, disposing of, or putting off any forged, altered, or imitated postage stamp as aforesaid, knowing the same to be forged, altered, or imitated.
Every person who is convicted of any felony mentioned in this section shall be liable, at the discretion of the Court, to be kept in penal servitude for any term not exceeding seven yours and not less than three years, or to be impri- soned for any term not exceeding two years with or with- out hard labour.