From
5
507
by doing
30, a cheek was
Loon
very
put to smuggling and to the... vexations complaints and ___ correspondence connected with__ the illicit trade between this
Colony and China. The law in question provides that where the
a clearance
master of a junk leaves without
paper (clause XIII) or leaves the Harbour after night fail,
· clause XIV), "the junk and her cargo shall be forfeited to the "Crown".
in
my
The Bill now
placed
hands by the Attorney General substitutes the word "may" for the word "shall", in this
important provision of clause XIX.
5.
To this alteration
I am not disposed to agree.
I have observed that the Marine
Magistrates, - and indeed other Officials also, do not seem fully to understand the Colonial and
Imperial advantages of putting
an
effectual stop to this
flagrant smuggling case. Messrs
Thomsett and Mellay, whilst, by the admitted facts, compelled to -convict a junk Master for
violating cause XIII and XIV, refrained from enforcing penalty; and I was driven to take the responsibility myself of practically forfeiting
the junk.