"Rents and Forfeitures" being No. 13 of 1875.
As stated by the Attorney General in this Report (copy enclosed).
This Ordinance is a corollary to the Rating Ordinance, which has formed the subject of my Despatch of this date.
I would request that this Ordinance may be submitted to Her Majesty's Government for confirmation and all necessary action.
I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant,
J.W. Murray (likely, though the original text is "Janda Martin", which seems to be an OCR error given the context and the signature at the end of the "Statement of Objects and Reasons" section)
Administrator.
CO 129/186
1245066
Statement of Objects and Reasons.
This Ordinance is a corollary to the Rating Ordinance now before the Council: its object is to consolidate the enactments relating to the recovery by the Crown of overdue rent, assessments, and spirit licence fees, and to give these provisions a general application by omitting the reference to the Ordinances under which the assessments and fees are imposed.
Section II. of Ordinance 9 of 1869 refers by name to the police, lighting, water, and fire brigade rates, and by number to the Ordinances imposing those rates, so that an amendment of that section is inevitable if the Rating Ordinance becomes law.
The simplest method appeared to be to consolidate Ordinance 9 of 1869, and a few sections of Ordinance 14 of 1873, and by omitting the names of the rates, and any reference to the Rating Ordinance, to make the method of recovery applicable to future rates, should any be imposed hereafter, or should the Rating Ordinance itself be repealed.
The same remarks apply to the spirit licence fees, and to the Ordinances by which they are imposed.
It is also proposed to extend these remedies to all cases of default in payments of any fees or forfeitures due to the Crown.
No other alteration is made in the sense of the enactments consolidated by this Ordinance.
Hongkong, 20th August, 1876.
JOHN BRAMSTON, Attorney General.
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