CO129-332 - Public Offices & Others - 1905 — Page 77

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}

(Copy) M. 18439.

sir,

C. O.

40012

76

CHAMBER OF SHIPPING OF THEÓNITED ÉINGDOM

5 Whittington Avenue, Leadenhall Street, E.C.

October 6th, 1905.

Ordinance (1905) to amend the Hong Kong Vagrancy Ordinance, 1897,

I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st August upon the above subject,and I have to thank you for enquiring whether this Chamber has any observations to offer on the above Ordinance.

In reply I have to say that this Chamber considers that it is a very unjust proposal in the Ordinance (see Section 5) to make the master of any ship which brings into the Colony of Hong Kong "any person other than a

Chinese and not having been shipwrecked who within

two months from the time of his arrival becomes charge-

able to the Colony as a vagrant" liable to repay to

the Government all costs and charges incurred by the

Colony 'on behalf of the said person unless it shall

be proved to the satisfaction of the Court that the

said person at the time of his arrival either was

under an engagement as provided in the last preceding

Section, or was possessed of not less than fifty

dollars"

This Chamber fails to see the justice of thus

demanding that the Master of a ship shall(so to

speak )" guarantee" the solvency of his passengers

for two months after their arrival in Hong Kong and

they would, therefore, respectfully submit that the

The Assistant Secretary,

(Marine Department)

Board of Trade, S.W.

section