VAGRANCY.
No. 9 of 1897.
887
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The master of the ship from which such seaman has been so discharged or by whom he has been so left behind, shall respectively be liable to repay to the Government all costs and charges incurred on his behalf since he became a vagrant, including hospital costs and charges and the cost of his removal under this Ordinance. Such person shall be deemed to have become a vagrant at and from the date mentioned in the Magistrate's declaration as that from which, in his opinion, such person has been a vagrant.
22. The master of any ship, British or foreign, which brings into the Colony any person, other than a Chinese and not having been shipwrecked, who within 2 months from the time of his arrival becomes chargeable to the Colony as a vagrant shall be liable to repay to the Government all costs and charges incurred on behalf of the said person, unless it be proved, to the satisfaction of the Court, that the said person, at the time of his arrival, either was under an engagement as provided in the last section, or was possessed of not less than 50 dollars: Provided that where the person so brought into the Colony came as a stowaway, the master shall incur no such liability if such stowaway is promptly handed over to the police on the arrival of the ship and is duly prosecuted under any Ordinance relating to stowaways or any other enactment applying to the case, and no money or compensation in respect of such person's passage is paid or received.
23. In the absence of the master of ship, or if such master departs from the Colony before repaying such costs and charges as are mentioned in the last two sections, the owner, agent, and consignee of such ship at the time the person landed, or, in the case of a seaman discharged or left behind, at the time of such discharge or of his being so left behind, shall be liable to repay such costs and charges to the Government.
24. Such costs and charges shall be recoverable by action as if an express agreement to repay them had been entered into with the Colonial Secretary by the person, firm, company, association, body, master, owner, agent, or consignee chargeable.
25.-(1) In any proceeding under this Ordinance, a certified copy of the declaration of the Magistrate shall be prima facie evidence under the Ordinance.
* As amended by No. 2 of 1905, No. 50 of 1911, No. 1 of 1912 and No. 2 of 1912.
+ As amended by No. 50 of 1911.
$ As amended by No. 1 of 1912.
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