CO129-389 - Governor Sir Lugard Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1912 [3-4] — Page 235

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COPY.

Hon. Registrar-General,

0 1.320

RECE 22 APR

Section 16 of the Straits Principal-Ordinance is

or closely corresponds with section 15 of ours (No. 47 of 1911).

The Straits people in their amending Ordinance have inserted references to seals and lists of members: there is no reason why

Hongkong should follow suit. When a man is arrested in the

Colony and found in possession of the seals and/or a list of

members of a society I should imagine that any common sense

magistrate would presume until the contrary was proved that the

person arrested was a member of the society. The Straits section 16A (1) as amended is no stronger really (though apparently it

is intended to be) than the last 3 lines of our section 15 (1).

The Straits section 16A (2) amounts practically to our sections

12(1) and 15 (1). With regard to the Straits section 17 as amend-

-ed I do not think we would be wise in following their example.

Our section 16 is sufficient and the amendment would result I

think in much opposition. I prefer our sections 18 and 19 to the

Straits 17A and B. I think it desirable that rights of forcible

entry should not be extended beyond Magistrates, Justices of the

Peace and Police. In short the new Straits Ordinance contains no-

thing which renders an amendment of ours desirable.

(Sd.) C. G. Alabaster,

Acting Attorney-General.

30th. December, 1911.