CO129-421 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [3-4] — Page 150

147

Section 7 gives the Superintendent of Imports and Exports power to call for a statutory declaration by the importer.

Section 8 provides for the furnishing of import mani- fests, as there was previously no means of compelling in- formation as to imports, As a matter of fact shipowners have been furnishing import manifests to the Superintendent of Imports and Exports but it was done voluntaryly.

Section 9 makes such manifests prima facie evidence against the defendant in any prosecution under the Ordinance.

Section 10 gives the Governor-in-Council power to amend the Schedules, to exempt classes of goods, to exempt con- signments below specified value, and to make regulations. It was originally intended to have no minimum value here but it was afterwards thought better to assimilate the law to that applicable to imports into the United Kingdom, and it was not until the bill was passing through Council that the information arrived ahat

the minimum value had been abandoned. It was thought better, however, to retain sub-clause (c) of clause 10 in case of a change of policy on this point.

Section 11 provides the same penalty as was provided in the Trading with the Enemy Ordinance, 1914, for the case of summary Conviction, and as was provided generally in the Alien Enemies (Winding up) Ordinance, 1914, and in the Military Stores (Exportation) Ordinance, 1915.

Section 12 provides that the Ordinance shall not apply to any goods shipped on or before the 15th March, 1915, or such later date as may be appointed by the Governor-in-

Council.

This clause was of course drafted before the receipt of the Secretary of State's telegram of 3rd March, 1915. The 15th Karch was decided upon as the earliest practicable date in view of the necessity of arrangements

о

being made by the Foreign Office, and the power to appoint

a later date was inserted in case if those arrangements

could not be made in time. The translation of the Secre-

tary of State's code telegram of 3rd Larch, 1915, became

available only just as the sitting of the Legislative Council

at which the Ordinance was passed began, and it was not

noticed until the Ordinance had been passed that the date

directed in the telegram for the commencement of the system

of certificates of origin was one day earlier than the date

which had been decided upon here before the receipt of the

telegram, It is regretted that this point was not noticed

in time, but the difference of one day is not thought to be

of any practical importance.

As stated above, the list of places in the First Sched-

ule, and the form of certificate of origin in the Second

Schedule, are taken from the Board of Trade Notive of the 7th

November, 1914.

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

lency the Governor may properly assent in the name of His

Majesty and on His behalf.

Attorney General,

12. 3. 15.

!

Page 150Page 151