CO129-041 - Public Offices - 1852 — Page 83

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GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

His Excellency the Acting Governor in Council is pleased to direct that the fol- lowing Draft of a proposed Ordinance, read at a Meeting of the Legislative Council. for the first time on this Day, be published for general information.

By Order,

Council Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 11th August, 1852.

CHAS. ST. GEO. CLEVERLY,

for the Clerk of Councils.

HONGKONG.

ANNO DECIMO SEXTO VICTORIÆ REGINÆ.

No.

BY His Excellency WILLIAM JERVOIS, Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, Major General Commanding Her Ma- jesty's Forces in China, Acting Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same, with the Advice of the Legislative Council of Hongkong. AN ORDINANCE FOR THE PREVENTION OF DESERTION, AND BETTER REGULATION OF MERCHANT SEAMEN IN THIS COLONY.

1852.]

[Dated,

Whereas serious Complaints have been lately made of the frequeut De- sertion of Merchant Seamen, and it is expedient that stringent Measures be taken for the Prevention thereof:

I. Be it therefore enacted and ordained, that the Ordinance No. 13 of 1845, entitled "An Ordinance to establish a licensed Ghaut Serang in "the Colony of Hongkong, and for the better Regulation of Lascars "resorting thereto," and the Ordinance No. 4 of 1846, entitled "An "Ordinance to explain and extend the Provisions of the Ordinance to " establish a licensed Ghaut Serang in the Colony of Hongkong, and for the better Regulation of Lascars resorting thereto"; and the Ordinance No. 2 of 1848 entitled "An Ordinance to amend the Ordi- "nance No. 13 of 1845, entitled An Ordinance to establish a licensed "Ghaut Serang in the Colony of Hongkong, and for the better Re- "gulation of Lascars resorting thereto"";-be and the same hereby are repealed.

II. And that whenever any Seaman shall be discharged from any Vessel within the Precincts of this Colony, the Commanding Officer of such Vessel, shall give at the Time of such Discharge to such Seaman, a written Certificate of Discharge, specifying the Time and Nature of Service, and the Time of Discharge of such Seaman, signed by himself; and if such Seaman require it, shall further give him, within Twenty- four Hours after demand, a true Account in writing of the Wages of such Seaman, and of all Deductions therefrom.

III. That no Seaman be permitted to reside within the Precincts of the Colony unless he be provided with a Permit to reside on Shore, issued and signed by the Harbour-Master, who shall be entitled to charge for every such Permit the Sum of One Dollar, and who shall grant such Permit in the Case of a Seaman discharged from a British Ship only, when such Seaman shall present to him a Certificate of Discharge signed by the Commanding Officer of his Ship, and in the Case of a Seaman discharged from a Foreign Ship, when such Senman shall present to him a Certificate of Discharge bearing the Signature of the Consul or Vice-Consul of his Nation; and the Harbour-Master shall date such Permit, and shall endorse on it the Name of the Boarding- house at which the Seaman requiring it proposes to reside, and such Permit shall require Ronowal after the Expiration of One Mouth from the Day of its Date; and any Seaman residing on Shore without such l'ermit may be taken into Custody without Warrant by any Constable, and carried before a Magistrate, who, unless such Seaman satisfactorily account for his Want of such Permit, may imprison him for not more than One Month with hard Labour, as an idle and disorderly Person; and any Person harbouring any Seaman not possessing, or unable satis- factorily to account to the Magistrate for the Want of such Permit. shall be liable to a Penalty not exceeding Twenty Pounds Sterling, and if such Person be a Publican, or the Keeper of a Boarding-house for Seamon, he may in Addition to such Penalty, be deprived by the Committing Magistrate of his License as such Publican or Boarding- house Keeper.

IV. That any Seaman who shall desert, or absent himself without Leave from any Ship, may be taken into Custody without Warrant by | any Constable, or by the Master, or Person in Charge of the Ship, or any one specially deputed in writing by such Master, or Person in Charge, and forthwith conveyed before a Magistrate, who may cause such Seaman to be taken in Custody on Board his Vessel.