thr
592
Report
on an Ordinance intituled an Ordinance to emend the law relating to importationand
exportation.
This Ordinance gives the Governor-in-Council practi-
cally unlimited powers of regulating and restricting both
importation into the Colony and exportation from the Colony
The occasion of its enactment was the introduction of the
White and Black List System.
The powers conferred may seem wide but they appear
to be justified by the considerations that the working of
the system must be more or less experimental at first, and
that at a time like the present a quick and elastic form
of legislation is desirable both to meet attempts at eva-
sion and in the interests of legitimate trade. The Order.
in-Council of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria-in-Council
made on the 26th October, 1856, confere even more drastic
powers on the Governor in other matters. It is recog-
nised, of course, that it would not be proper to impose
any import or export duties in reliance on the powers con-
ferred by this Ordinance.
The power conferred on His Excellency the Governor
by sub-clause 9 of Clause III of the Order of Her late
ajesty Queen Victoria-in-Council made on the 16th October
1896, as amended by the Order of His Hajesty-in-Council
made on the 28th August, 1914, apart from the fact that
it applies only to exportation, was considered to be of
doubtful sufficiency, for the following reasons:-
(a)
While the power of absolute probation was clear]
it was doubtful how far conditions could be A-
posed and enforced where it was desired to allow
the exportation of a prohibited article under