ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
C. O.
29216
313
17
Bangkang, 12th June, 1902.
Report on Ordinance No. 14 of 1902.
I have examined the accompanying Ordinance, entitled
An Ordinance to facilitate the hearing and determination
of claims to rent in respect of land in the New Territories,
and I am of opinion that the Ordinance is one which is not contrary to
the Governor's Instructions.
The necessity for this Ordinance arose as follows. After the New
Territory was taken over, claims for rent were heard in the Summary
Court. It was soon found the majority of the claims were for sums
under $10 and in many cases the tenants were too poor to come over to
Hongkong, and so judgment went by default.
In addition to this, in many cases the tenants lived at a great distance
and it sometimes took a bailiff two days to effect service,
and by that time his expenses for living and launch hire greatly
exceeded the claim itself, and so an additional hardship was inflicted
on the tenant.
The intention of this Ordinance is to prevent these hardships and