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punishment are laid down in part VI of the Ordinance, some of the provisions of which I will now proceed to touch upon.
Section 13 provides for the exercise of jurisdiction in civil matters where the amount in dispute or property at stake does not exceed one hundred dollars, and for criminal jurisdiction in the case of breaches made under the Ordinance and of petty assaults, and petty thefts, not requiring more punishment than a fine of ten dollars or one month's hard labour and also in the case of malicious injury to property where damage does not exceed twenty dollars.
It will be noted (see section 13) that, except by consent of the parties, a Village Court can only exercise jurisdiction in cases where both parties are natives, and section 2 of the Ordinance defines what is meant by the term "Native".
Section 14 deals with the punishment which may be awarded by the Court.
Sections 19 & 21 refer to matters of procedure.
Section 20 confers powers upon a Magistrate to deal with any cases which may be dealt with by a Village Court, and to withdraw any case from the cognizance of a Village Court if he thinks fit, and section 32 confers powers upon the President of a Village Court to order the transfer of any case from his Court to a Magistrate or other Court.
Such are the main provisions of Part VI of the Ordinance, which is the most important portion of this Ordinance.
Part VII provides for appeals being taken up to the Sub-District Courts and from thence to one Magistrate, and from the latter, by way of petition, to the Colonial Office, and ultimately to the Supreme Court.
Part VIII of the Ordinance contains certain miscellaneous provisions, the most important of which are sections 28 & 29, the former of which brings certain officers of the New Territory under the penalties of the bribery law, while the latter provides for the levying contributions on the inhabitants of a district where crime is prevalent for the whole or part of the extra cost of the police.
The only provisions of any consequence in this Ordinance, which remain over for consideration, are the provisions of Part IV.
Section 7 in that part confers a wide power upon the Governor in Council of making rules for the peace, health, cleanliness, and good government of the New Territories in general and also in particular for the making, improvement, or maintenance of (inter alia) roads, harbours, and landing places.
Section 8 gives to the same authority power to make rules for the appointment of watchmen in any District or Sub-District and for levying contributions for the payment of the same.
In explanation of this section, I ought to mention that it is the custom in China for village communities to pay contributions to the elders of villages for the maintenance of watchmen in such villages.
Part V throws a general responsibility upon District and Sub-District Committees for seeing to the enforcement of such Rules, under the supervision of such officers as the Governor may appoint.
Such a system of holding the village responsible for the preservation of order is quite in accordance with Chinese usage.
It will be noted that the Governor in Council has power, under the provisions of sub-section 2 of section...