ORDINANCE No. 11 of 1857.
Emigration Passage Brokers.
No. 11 of 1857.
387
An Ordinance for Licensing and Regulating Emigration Passage Brokers.
[3rd November, 1857.]
WHEREAS it is expedient to amend existing legislation with reference to emigrants: Be it enacted and ordained by His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong, by and with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:
1. From and after the passing of this Ordinance, no person shall act as a passage broker or in procuring passengers, for or in the sale or letting of passages in any emigrant ship, unless he shall, with two sufficient sureties to be approved by the Emigration Officer, have entered into a joint and several bond in the sum of five thousand current dollars to Her Majesty Her Heirs and Successors, according to the form contained in schedule A hereunto annexed, which bond shall be renewed on each occasion of obtaining such licence as hereinafter mentioned, and shall be deposited with the Emigration Officer; nor unless such person shall have obtained a licence to let or sell passages, nor unless such licence shall be then in force; and where different members of the same firm act as passage brokers, each person so acting shall comply with the terms of this section.
2. Any person wishing to obtain a licence to act as a passage broker, shall make application for the same to the Emigration Officer, and the Emigration Officer is hereby authorized (if he shall think fit) to grant such licence according to the form in schedule B hereunto annexed: Provided always, that no such licence shall be granted unless such bond as hereinbefore mentioned shall have been first entered into: Provided also, that any Justice or Justices of the Peace who shall adjudicate on any offence against this Ordinance, are hereby authorized to order the offender's licence to be forfeited, and the same shall thereupon be forfeited accordingly; and the said Justice or Justices making such order shall forthwith cause notice of such forfeiture, in the form contained in the schedule C, hereunto annexed, to be transmitted to the Emigration Officer, and such forfeiture shall be exclusive and independent of any other punishment which may be inflicted upon such offender under the provisions of this Ordinance.
3. Every person obtaining such licence as aforesaid, shall pay to the Emigration Officer a fee of two hundred current dollars, which fee the Emigration Officer is hereby empowered and required to demand and receive upon the issuing of any such licence; and the said Emigration Officer shall pay over all such fees to the Colonial Treasurer, to be applied to the Colonial revenue.
4. All such licences shall continue in force until the 31st day of December in the year in which such licence shall be granted, and for fourteen days afterwards, unless sooner forfeited as hereinbefore mentioned: Provided, that any licence granted before the 31st day of December in the present year, shall continue in force till the 31st day of December 1858, and for fourteen days afterwards.
Title.
Preamble.
No person to act as a passage broker without having entered into a bond and obtained a licence.
How passage broker's licences may be obtained.
Power to Justices to order licences to be forfeited.
Fee to be paid for licences.
How long licences are to continue in force.