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Powers of the Governor with respect to the granting of such licences.
Provisions respecting the granting of such licences.
Penalties Imposed on unlicensed dealers.
Power reserved to the Governor in Council to make further regulations from time to time.
ORDINANCE No. 5 OF 1845.
Salt and Opium.
barter, sell, or retail any opium in a smaller quantity than one chest, or barter, sell, or retail bhaang, ganja, paun, betel, and betel-leaf in any less quantity than may hereafter be determined in manner hereinafter mentioned, without having previously obtained a licence for that purpose from the Governor for the time being in the Executive Council.
2. And be it further enacted and ordained, that it shall be lawful for the said Governor for the time being in said Executive Council to grant by licence to one or more persons the exclusive right and privilege of exercising the trade or occupation of a broker or weigher of salt, or of selling or retailing opium in any quantity less than one chest, and of selling and retailing bhaang, ganja, paun, betel, and betel-leaf in any quantity less than that which may be determined on from time to time hereafter by the said Governor, with the advice of the said Council within the Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies, and the waters thereof.
3. And be it further enacted and ordained, that the said licence or licences shall be granted to the highest bidders for the same respectively, to be ascertained by public auction, or by tenders to be sent in, in pursuance of public notice to that effect, and on such conditions relative to the giving of security for the payment of the sum tendered, and for the maintenance of good order, and the prevention of riots or disturbances among the persons engaged in the salt trade, or on the premises of persons retailing or selling opium, bhaang, ganja, paun, betel, and betel-leaf, under such licence or licences, within the said Colony of Hongkong or its dependencies, or the waters thereof, and subject to such other regulations in all respects as from time to time to His Excellency the Governor, with the advice of the said Executive Council, may seem fit.
4. And be it further enacted and ordained, that if any person, without having obtained such licence as aforesaid, shall exercise or carry on the trade or occupation of weighing salt within the said Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies, or the waters thereof, or shall sell, barter, or retail opium in any quantity less than one chest, or sell, barter, or retail bhaang, ganja, paun, betel, and betel-leaf, in any quantity less than may be so determined on in Council as aforesaid, or shall infringe any of the regulations after public notice thereof, from time to time to be established by the Governor in Council under the authority of this Ordinance,--he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars, to be recovered in a summary manner before any Magistrate of Police; and in default of the said penalty being duly paid after conviction, the same shall be levied by distress and sale of the offender's goods and chattels; and if there be no sufficient distress, every such offender shall be liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six calendar months.
5. And be it further enacted and ordained, that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor in Council from time to time to make such further regulations or orders as to him shall seem fit, respecting the weighing or brokerage of salt, or the sale of opium, bhaang, ganja, paun, betel, and betel-leaf, with the power