CO885-(21-23) — Page 359

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-[ COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Importa Tom of

Igalised.

Omum to

1 + Cus-

me Duty.

48

6. I should be glad if you would deal with this question as a matter of urgency. as it is most desirable that the habit of consuming opium should not be allowed to spread among those inhabitants of Seychelles who are not yet addicted to it.

23726

(No. 117.) SIR,

No. 79. SEYCHELLES.

I have, &c..

L. HARCOURT.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received July 29, 1912.)

Secretary of State. Circular, 7 March, 1912. Governor. 88, 16 May, 1912.

Government House, Seychelles, 2nd July, 1912. WITH reference to the despatches,* noted in the margin, respecting the Inter- national Opium Convention signed at the Hague on the 23rd of January last, I have the honour to annex (1) copies of all the laws, proclamations, rules, or other statutory provisions now in force in Sey- chelles relative to the matter referred to in the Convention, and (2) the statistical information specified in Article 21 of the Convention in respect of the five years ending December, 1911.

Secretary of State. Cirenlar, 16 May, 1912. (1) (4) M. Ordinance No. 2 of 1867. (5) S. Ordinance No. 37 of 1903, (e) Extract from Schedule A of Ordinance No. 3 of 1910, viz., opium seller or retailer licence for 6 months, Ra. 100; for 12 months, Rs. 200.†

(2) Copy of Mr. Hibba' report,

2. It will be noted that the impor- tation of opium is on an average only 10 kilos. a year, and is much reduced in quantity since 1910, when the Chinese community bound themselves to abandon the use of opium.

3. As to morphine, cocaine, and their respective salts, the importation and consumption is nil, apart from the trifling amounts imported by four doctors for their private practice.

I have, &c.,

W. E. DAVIDSON,

Governor.

Enclosure 1 in No. 79. OPIUM-IMPORTATION AND SALE OF.

M. Ordinance No. 2 of 1867.

To legalise the importation and sale of opium, on payment of certain Customs and Licence Duties.

Whereas it is expedient to abolish the prohibition now existing by law against the importation of opium prepared for smoking, and to impose certain customs and licence duties on the importation and sale, respectively, of opium,

Be it therefore enacted, &c.

1. It shall be lawful to import into Seychelles opium either crude or prepared in any way.

The prohibition under Article 12 of Ordinance No. 8 of 1854 against the impor tation of opium prepared for smoking is hereby repealed.

2. There shall be paid on all opium imported or brought into Seychelles (except as after mentioned) one or other of the customs duties following, according to the quality of such opium :—

Opium, crude, per kilo.

"

refined,

"1

Rs.26 52

The said duty shall not be leviable on opium, or its preparations or compounds. imported by druggists or chemists; provided that the druggists or chemists so importing the same shall declare that it is imported exclusively for sale by him as medicine, and that any chemist using or selling the same for any other purpose shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Rs.500 or less Rs.50, with forfeiture of all the opium, and preparations and compounds of opium, in his premises at the time.

↑ Not reprinted.

Nes. 2, 43, and 18.

49

to be

3. The duties imposed by this Ordinance shall be levied, recovered, and received How duty by the Collector of Customs, under the Regulations and by the means and powers levied. contained in Ordinance No. 8 of 1854.

4. All persons (except as hereinafter provided) who shall retail opium crude, Licence prepared, or refined, or any preparation or compound thereof, respectively, shall he duty to be bound to take out a licence therefor, and to pay a licence of Rs.100 for six months in paid by addition to any other licence duty payable by such persons.

persons selling

This provision shall not apply to chemists or druggists selling opium, or any opium. of its preparations or compounds, for the purpose of being used exclusively as medicine.

extended

5. The provisions of the following Ordinances, viz.: 27 of 1845, 45 of 1851, Certain 29 of 1852, 22 of 1859 are hereby extended to all persons who by this Ordinance are Ordinances required to take out a licence and to pay a licence duty for the sale of opium as to the sale hereinaforesaid.

of opium. 6. This Ordinance shall come into operation on and from the 1st February, 1867.

(No. 37 of 1903.)

AN ORDINANCE.

Enacted by the Governor of the Colony of Seychelles, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof. To revise the Customs Tariff, and to fix the rate of exchange for the levying" ad valorem " duties.

(SEAL.)

I assent.

4th December, 1903.

of purpose

E. B. SWEET ESCOTT,

Governor.

Be it enacted by the Governor of the Colony of Seychelles, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

:-

1

1903."

This Ordinance may be cited as The Customs Tariff Revision Ordinance, Short title.

2. On and after the promulgation of this Ordinance, the Ordinances mentioned Repeal. in Schedule A hereunto appended shall be repealed.

3. Instead of the customs duties payable under the laws mentioned in the Customs preceding section, there shall, on and after the promulgation of this Ordinance, be duties. levied the several customs duties set forth in Schedule B hereunto appended.

4. The goods enumerated in Schedule C of this Ordinance shall de facto be Exemp exempted from customs duties.

tions.

5.-(1) It shall be lawful for the Governor in Executive Council, upon the Remission report of the Collector of Customs, to remit or refund the whole or any portion of the or refund duties set forth in Schedule B of this Ordinance, in case of any goods imported under of duty ou special circumstances, or for any object or enterprise beneficial to the Colony.

(2) Provided that whenever any goods, upon which the whole or any portion of the customs duties have been remitted or refunded under the preceding sub-section, shall be sold, the person selling the same shall be bound, under penalty of a fine not exceeding one thousand rupees (Rs.1,000), to apprise the Collector of Customs of the quantity, weight, description, and value of such goods, and shall at the same time pay into the hands of the Collector the amount of customs duties leviable or remaining due on the said goods.

certain goods

6-(1) For the purposes of levying the ad valorem customs duties on the value Rate of of goods coming from countries in which a gold standard of currency prevails, the exchange rate of exchange with regard to the value of such goods, expressed in the currency of four- such countries,shall be fixed as set forth in Schedule D) of this Ordinance.

DOBN ad valorem

(2) Provided that it shall be lawful for the Governor in Executive Council, on or duties. before the 31st December in every year, by proclamation to amend Schedule D of this Ordinance, and to alter the rate of exchange at which the value of goods coming from any or all of the countries in which a gold standard of currency prevails, shall be declared for the purpose of levying the ad valorem customs duty thereon in virtue of and under this Ordinance or any Ordinance hereafter to be passed.

33541

D

Coming

into force.

50

7. This Ordinance shall come into force on the first of January, 1904. Passed in the Legislative Council this 4th day of December, 1903.

W. L. RIND,

Clerk to Legislative Council.

Published by command of His Excellency the Governor in Gazette No. 59 of the 5th December, 1903.

W. L. RIND,

Clerk to Governor.