CO129-314 - Public Offices - 1902 — Page 363

359

"Justice of the Peace, without warrant,

and

*such Justice may summarily hear the case, and

"on proof of the offence convict such offender

་ as aforesaid",

and was apparently drawn up to meet the smaller of-

fences which are the most common in frauds of this

nature. It is, however, quite inadequate to cover

an offence such as the aiders and abettors in the

*Kaifong's case have committed: here, no less

than one hundred and thirty four stowaways were

concealed in the vessel by the connivance of the

Native Crew,

-

Philippines,

and on arrival of the vessel in the

we were not only put to an enormous

amount of trouble and annoyance, forced to suffer

considerable expenses and delay to our Steamer, but

in addition to granting a bond of $70,000 gold to

secure the re-conveyance of the Stowaways back to

this Port, were threatened with a fine of a simi lar

amount, which would have been imposed, had it not

been for the fact that it was our own European Of-

Officers on board who first discovered the Stowaways

and reported the matter to the Authorities. It is

practically certain that had the United States Auth-

crities made the discovery for themselves, nothing

could have saved us from payment of a very serious

fine.

In our opinion it is therefore quite unreason-

able that even if we succeed in the difficult task of

bringing the culprits to justice, the maximum penalty

the Magistrate can possibly inflict will be a fine of

$500, and in default, imprisonment for a term not

exceeding six months.

We shall be much obliged if the Chamber will

take the matter up with the Goverment without delay,

with a view to having the Ordinance amended to meet

such contingencies.

We consider it should be suffi-

ciently far-reaching to include not only the guilty

parties amongst the vessels' crews, but also the

Stevedores, by whose connivance compartments are made

amongst cargo in the vessels' Holds for the accommo-

ficers

dation