1.
Report on an Ordinance
entitled An Ordinance to extend the provisions. of the Steam Launch (Protection against Piracy) Ordinance, 1900, to certain classes of steamers.
The recent piraticaliaffair which took place on the
River steamer "TAI ON" and the prevalence of pirates and rob-
bcrs in the neighbourhood of the local waters have given rise
to the present Legislation which is designed to enforce the
certam taking of certain precautionary measures on board locally
Trading steamers.
2.
e
e
A
Under the provisions of the Steam Launch (Protection
against Piracy) Ordinance, 1900, the obligation is placed on
and the Owners of those in charge of Steam Launches (which are de-
fined as Steamships of less than 60 Tons and which from their
lasily small size used to be and still are capacle of being attacked)
to observe such prącautions against Piracy and robbery as may from time to time be prescribed by the Police authorities with
the approval of the Governor. In order to ensure that the
precautions actually prescribed should be properly observed, the
Ordinance required the entry into a Bond in the sum of one thou-
sand Dollars undertaking the due observance of these precautionary
it measures. Further than this it was also provided that in the
event of an outrage taking place it was found on enquiry that the
commission of such outrage was facilitated by neglect to take reasonable precautions against the co.mission of any such outrage, the licence granted to the Owner of the Steam Launch in question should be capable of being cancelled.
3.
A
The present Ordinance extends the operation of the above quoted Ordinance.f1900 to certain classes of steamers which are
defined in the new-Ordinance as River Trade Steamers.
Section 1 of the Ordinance is formal.
4.
5.
226
Sections 2, 4, (a), (b) 5, 6, 7, 8, (b) introduce the
ing necessary formal wording into the old Ordinance added to the Steam
Launch the new class of vessels to be included by the present
Ordinance.
6.
Section 3 of the new Ordinance designates the new class
of steamers, to which the provisions of the Ordinance 1900 are to
f1900 by apply, the name of River Trade Steamers and defines this desig-|
nation as a St amship of 60 Tons and upwards regularly plying with
cargo or passengers between the Colony and any place in the neigh-
amy bourg Estuarine or river aters and also British Steamship
of like size running in between the places mentioned.
7.
e
By Section 4 (a) the Bond in the case of these larger
vessels now affected is fixed at Five thousand Dollars, the in-
terests being of course greater than in the case of the smaller
Steam Launches.
8.
(a)
By Section 8 it is proposed that in the event of failure
2
on the part of those responsible to take reasonable precautions
against the commission of any outrage of the character indicated
the passenger certificate of the steamship in question may be
withdrawn.
9.
ам
It may be added that amongst the precautions which it is
proposed should be prescribed the maintenance of an efficient
armed guard, the compulsory carrying of weapons by the officers,
and the construction of strong grilles preventingaccess to the
cngine room and wheel house.
10.
In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His Excel-
lency the Governor may properly assent in the name of His Majesty
ahẻ on His behalf.
Attorney General.
19. 4. 13