CO129-402 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [7-8] — Page 233

1.

Report on an Ordinance

entitled An Ordinance to extend the provisions. of the Steam Launch (Protection against Piracy) Ordinance, 1900, to certain classes of steamers.

The recent piraticaliaffair which took place on the

River steamer "TAI ON" and the prevalence of pirates and rob-

bcrs in the neighbourhood of the local waters have given rise

to the present Legislation which is designed to enforce the

certam taking of certain precautionary measures on board locally

Trading steamers.

2.

e

e

A

Under the provisions of the Steam Launch (Protection

against Piracy) Ordinance, 1900, the obligation is placed on

and the Owners of those in charge of Steam Launches (which are de-

fined as Steamships of less than 60 Tons and which from their

lasily small size used to be and still are capacle of being attacked)

to observe such prącautions against Piracy and robbery as may from time to time be prescribed by the Police authorities with

the approval of the Governor. In order to ensure that the

precautions actually prescribed should be properly observed, the

Ordinance required the entry into a Bond in the sum of one thou-

sand Dollars undertaking the due observance of these precautionary

it measures. Further than this it was also provided that in the

event of an outrage taking place it was found on enquiry that the

commission of such outrage was facilitated by neglect to take reasonable precautions against the co.mission of any such outrage, the licence granted to the Owner of the Steam Launch in question should be capable of being cancelled.

3.

A

The present Ordinance extends the operation of the above quoted Ordinance.f1900 to certain classes of steamers which are

defined in the new-Ordinance as River Trade Steamers.

Section 1 of the Ordinance is formal.

4.

5.

226

Sections 2, 4, (a), (b) 5, 6, 7, 8, (b) introduce the

ing necessary formal wording into the old Ordinance added to the Steam

Launch the new class of vessels to be included by the present

Ordinance.

6.

Section 3 of the new Ordinance designates the new class

of steamers, to which the provisions of the Ordinance 1900 are to

f1900 by apply, the name of River Trade Steamers and defines this desig-|

nation as a St amship of 60 Tons and upwards regularly plying with

cargo or passengers between the Colony and any place in the neigh-

amy bourg Estuarine or river aters and also British Steamship

of like size running in between the places mentioned.

7.

e

By Section 4 (a) the Bond in the case of these larger

vessels now affected is fixed at Five thousand Dollars, the in-

terests being of course greater than in the case of the smaller

Steam Launches.

8.

(a)

By Section 8 it is proposed that in the event of failure

2

on the part of those responsible to take reasonable precautions

against the commission of any outrage of the character indicated

the passenger certificate of the steamship in question may be

withdrawn.

9.

ам

It may be added that amongst the precautions which it is

proposed should be prescribed the maintenance of an efficient

armed guard, the compulsory carrying of weapons by the officers,

and the construction of strong grilles preventingaccess to the

cngine room and wheel house.

10.

In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His Excel-

lency the Governor may properly assent in the name of His Majesty

ahẻ on His behalf.

Attorney General.

19. 4. 13