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Submerged load-line. M.S. Act. 1894. s. 439.
Delivery of
written statement to
Harbour Master.
Government
Marine Surveyor to approve and
certify on behalf of Governor,
Ship to be kept marked.
Definitions of amidships."
Hongkong-Port Regulations, &c.
(5.) If a ship is so loaded as to submerge in salt water the centre of the dise indicating the load-line, the ship shall be deemed to be an unsafe ship within the meaning of the provisions contained in section 17, and such submersion shall be a reasonable and probable cause for the detention of the ship.
(6.) The owner, agent, or master of a ship required to be marked with deck and load-lines shall also, on clear- ing her, deliver to the Harbour Master a statement in writing of the distance in feet and inches between the centre of the disc and the upper edge of each of the lines indicating the position of the ship's deck which is above that centre. If default is made in delivering this state- ment in the case of any such ship, the Harbour Master may refuse to clear the ship.
(7.) The Governor may appoint the Government Marine Surveyor or any other person specially selected by him for that purpose, to approve and certify on his behalf the position of any disc indicating the load-line and any alteration thereof, and may appoint fees to be taken iù respect of any such approval of certificate.
(8.) When a ship to which this section applies has been marked with a disc indicating the load-line, she shall he kept so marked until her next return to the Colony.
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(9.) In this section the expression "amidships ' means the middle of the load water-line, as measured from the fore side of the stem to the aft side of the stern-post.
Provided that this section shall not apply to any ship of a foreign country before a day to be notified in the Gazette, without prejudice, however, to the power of His Majesty previously to apply the provisions of the Imperial Merchant Shipping Acts relating to deck and load-lines to ships of any foreign country if the Government of that country so desire under the Merchant Shipping Acts, in which event this section shall apply forthwith to ships of such country.
Provided also that this section shall not apply to any ship of a foreign country with regard to which His Majesty in Council has under section 445 of The Merchant
Hongkong-Port Regulations, &c.
Shipping Act, 1894, directed that ships of that country shall not be liable to detention, fine, or penalty on proof that such ship has complied with the laws and regulations of that country.
Dangerous Goods.
15.--(3.) The owner or master of any ship may refuse to take on board any package or ressel which lie suspects to contain such dangerous goods* and may require it to be opened to ascertain the fact.
(4.) It shall be lawful for the Harbour Master to refuse a port clearance to any ship, carrying more than 20 passengers, if there are on board any such dangerous goods unless they are enclosed in a substantial compart- ment exclusively appropriated to the stowage of dangerous goods, or otherwise secured from contact with or damage from any other article or substance carried on board the ship, and
so placed and surrounded that they are inaccessible to either the passengers or the crew except with the consent of the master. And the master of any such ship who leaves or attempts to leave the waters of the Colony without having the said dangerous goods enclosed, secured, placed and surrounded as in this sub- section provided or without having obtained a clearance shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.
(5.) Where any such dangerous goods have been sent or brought on board any ship, without being marked as aforesaid, † or without such notice having been given as aforesaid, the owner or master of the ship may cause such goods to be thrown overboard, together with any vessels or package in which they are contained; and neither the owner nor the master of the ship shall, in respect of such throwing overboard, be subject to any liability, civil or criminal.
* For list of dangerous goods ride Dangerous Goods Ordi- hance, 1873, supra,
The nature of dangerous goods is to be distinetly marked on the outside of the vessel or package containing the same, Sec. 15 (1).
Written notice of the nature of dangerous goods, and of the name and address of the scuder or carrier thereof is to be given to the owner or master of the ship. Sec. 15 (1).
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Power to refuse to carry goods suspected of being dangerous.
Ship with dangerous goods not to carry more than 20 passengers.
Power to throw over-board
dangerous goods,
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