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on the high Seas, or arriving in Foreign Ports, it would probably be difficult to carry this provision into operation as proceedings could be taken against an offending Master only on parole evidence. To remove this difficulty, the 15th section provides that the declaration of the commanders of any of Her Majesty's ships or of a British vessel, if transmitted to the Official Secretary of State or the Governor of a Colony, should be receivable as evidence in proceedings under the Act.
the most certain mode of controlling the Master of a ship would be to require him to put Bond the grain before the ship clears out, which Bond would be either at Hong Kong or at one of the Chinese Ports. It would, therefore, be essential that a declaration should in every case be transmitted by the naval officer or consul to the Governor of Hongkong. But as it might also be desirable in some cases to proceed against the Master.