CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 254

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the possession, storage, purchase and sale, removal within

the Colony and export from it of arms and ammunition. This

Government has also for several years past kept alive in the

interests of China the Proclamation which formed the subject

of Sir Henry Blake's Despatch No. 375 of the 31st. of July,

1903, against the export from the Colony of any munitions of

war except under special permit.

4.

To enforce the provisions of the Arms

Ordinance and of the Proclamation, the Captain Superintendent

of Police employs a special section of his Detective Police

under the immediate supervision of a European Officer of

experience.

When breaches of the law are detected

rewards to the amount of 10% of the value of the consequent

seizures are granted for the information that led to the de-

tection. Offenders and even those suspected of offending are

severely dealt with. Thus last year the Captain Superintendent

of Police summarily cancelled the licence of a German Firm on

reliable information being received that they were endeavour-

ing to arrange for the illicit export of arms to the West River.

5.

One effect of these measures has been that

whereas in 1900 even under the high fee of $1,200 per annum

required by the Ordinance of that year 17 licences to dealers

in Arms were issued and a revenue of over $18,000 was collect-

ed thereby; the revenue last year had dropped to $6,000 and

only seven dealers are licensed at the present time.

6.

A further step taken to prevent the in-

direct importation of arms and ammunition into China from this

Colony is the careful regulation of the quantities exported

for