162
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST APRIL, 1876.
Repealing part
CC
"section IV of "The Chinese Passengers' Act, 1855,' unless the "master of such ship shall be provided with a licence under the "hand of the Governor and the public seal of the Colony to be "obtained in manner hereinafter mentioned"; and paragraph 2 "that it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council, from time to "time, to exempt from the operation of this section, any mail steamers or other vessels which are subject to the provisions "of "The Chinese Passengers Act, 1855,' provided that the "Chinese passengers proceeding in such vessels be free emigrants "and under no contract of service whatever"; and whereas it is expedient that every Chinese passenger ship should be provided with a licence, and that the fee chargeable upon sucli licence should be reduced, and that the law should be ainended as here- inafter provided: Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
I. The following portions of section V of "The Chinese Emigra- of section V of tion Consolidation Ordinance, 1874" are hereby repealed, viz. :-- Paragraph 1. The words "except ships about to proceed on
Ordinance 5 of
1874.
Reducing the
fees for
licences.
General
licences to mail steamers, &c.
The Governor may authorise labourers and
66
a voyage of not more than thirty days' duration within "the meaning of section VIII of this Ordinance."
Paragraph 2. The whole.
Parapraph 3. The words "and shall also furnish the like 'particulars where any exemption is applied for under "paragraph 2 of this section."
II. The fee payable upon the granting of a licence shall hence- forth be five dollars only; and in any reprint of the said Ordinance the said sum may be inserted in paragraph 5, section V in place of the "one hundred dollars" therein mentioned.
III. The Governor in Council may, at his discretion, grant to any mail steamer or other vessel a general licence for any period, or for any number of voyages, or for voyages to and from any specified port or ports, upon the condition that the vessel provided with such licence shall carry only free passengers under no con- tract of service whatever, except as hereinafter mentioned:
General licences shall be exempt from the provisions of paragraph 6 of section V aforesaid.
IV. The Governor in Council may, at his discretion, authorise any person to engage any specified number of Chinese artisans, servants to be mechanics, labourers, or servants for any person resident in any British possession, and to make contracts in writing on behalf of such resident with the persons so engaged. Every such contract shall be made in triplicate, and one part thereof shall be lodged in the office of the Colonial Secretary; and such part shall be admissible in evidence without a stamp.
engaged for persons in British possessions.
Ordinance 5 of 1874 not to prevent Chinese pas→
sengers from travelling in
first or second cabin as other nationals.
This Ordinance incorporated with No. 5 of 1874.
Commence- ment of Ordinance.
Any vessel provided with a general licence may carry any per- sons so engaged without thereby affecting her licence.
V. Nothing in "The Chinese Emigration Consolidation Ordi- nance, 1874," shall prevent passengers natives of Asia from travel- ling in the first class cabin of any vessel which is provided with a general licence, on the same terms as passengers of other nationa- lities; or in the first or second class cabin, if the vessel carries more than two classes of passengers.
Such passengers are hereby exempted from the necessity of ob- taining contract passage tickets, or of submitting themselves to be mustered or inspected by any emigration officer or medical officer or other person.
Such passengers shall, however, be reckoned in calculating the number of passengers, natives of Asia, who are carried by the said vessel,
VI. This Ordinance shall be read with "The Chinese Emigration Consolidation Ordinance, 1874," and shall be taken to be incor- porated therewith; and upon the issue of any new edition of the Ordinances, the provisions hereof may be inserted in the said Ordinance; sections III and IV hereof may be printed next after the paragraph now numbered 5 of section V of the said Ordinance, and the other paragraphs of the said section may be re-numbered. Paragraph 6 of the said section may be amended by inserting the words "except a general licence" after the word "licence."
Section V hereof may be printed section VI of the said Ordinance, and the other sections may be re-numbered.
VII. Sections IV and V shall not take effect until a day to be hereafter proclaimed by the Governor. The rest of this Ordi- nance shall take effect from the passing thereof.
Passed the Legislative Council of Hongkong, this 27th day of March, 1876,
II. ERNEST WODEHOUSE,
Clerk of Councils.