C.S.O. 1782.
Enclosure 1.
[19.10.89.]
A BILL
ENTITLED
The Post Office Ordinance, 1889.
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:——
1. This Ordinance shall be read with The Post Office Ordinance 1887, hereinafter called the principal Ordinance, under the title of The Post Office Ordinances 1887 to 1889.
2. Any infringement of the exclusive privilege of the Postmaster General, as established by section 6 of the principal Ordinance, and every offence against these Ordinances for which no specific penalty is provided, shall be punishable with a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars, or with imprisonment with or without hard labour for any period not exceeding six months.
3. The acceptance of any article of correspondence for transmission shall, whether any sum of money be paid for such transmission or not, be primâ facie evidence of an infringement of the Postmaster General's exclusive privilege, in the absence of any satisfactory explanation of the acceptance of such correspondence. But this section shall not apply to the acceptance by the agent or master of any vessel, after the mails for such vessel are closed at the Post Office, of correspondence duly pre-paid by means of stamps for transmission by such vessel, if the agent of such vessel shall have notified the Postmaster General of the hour of departure of such vessel as nearly as it could be fixed.
4. Except as provided by this Ordinance, no person shall within the Colony exhibit or keep exposed, within or without his premises, any notice, sign, or writing signifying, or which may reasonably be taken to signify that he accepts or collects correspondence for transmission or delivery.
5. When information on oath shall be made to the satisfaction of any Magistrate or of the Postmaster General (being a Justice of the Peace) that there is reason to believe that any infringement of the Postmaster General's exclusive privilege is being carried on in any house, vessel, or other place, or by any messenger, letter-carrier, or other person, the Magistrate or Postmaster General may, by warrant under his hand, direct any police officer to search such house, vessel, or place, or to search such messenger, letter-carrier, or person. Such police officer may, on producing his warrant, enter such house, vessel, or place, using force for that purpose if necessary, may search for correspondence kept there for transmission or distribution, may search any male person whom he may reasonably suspect to be concealing correspondence, and may arrest and convey to the Police station, there to be searched by a female, any woman or girl whom he may similarly suspect to be concealing correspondence. All correspondence so found shall be delivered to the Postmaster General, and the person in whose custody or possession such correspondence is found may be detained until he can be brought before a Magistrate.
6. Any person who obstructs or hinders any police officer in carrying out any search under the preceding section shall be guilty of an offence against this Ordinance.
7. The Governor may, from time to time, grant to any person, for such considerations, and upon such conditions, and for such period as he may think fit, the sole privilege within the Colony or the waters thereof of receiving and collecting Chinese correspondence for transmission out of the Colony, and of receiving and delivering within the Colony such Chinese correspondence as is brought to the Colony otherwise than by post, and is not delivered to the Postmaster General. Any infringement of such sole privilege shall be deemed an infringement of the privilege of the Postmaster General within the meaning of this Ordinance.
8. The person to whom the privilege of collecting Chinese correspondence shall be granted shall be called the Chinese Postmaster.
9. The Chinese Postmaster may license any number of receiving or distributing houses for Chinese correspondence that he may think fit, and the keepers of such houses shall exhibit such sign or notice as he shall approve.
10. Except in cases in which the Postmaster General shall permit him to do otherwise, the Chinese Postmaster shall make up all correspondence collected by him for transmission out of the Colony into closed packets, which he shall forward through the Post Office, paying the ordinary postage.
Title
Penalty.
Evidence.
Signboards.
Warrants. Arrests and Searches.
Obstruction.
Chinese Letter Contractor.
Title.
Sub-offices.
Transmission of Chinese letters