CO129-505-11 Deleterious Drugs Ordinance 1927- proposed amendments 27-10-1927 - 9-11-1927 — Page 5

"As a matter of fact, the

offending principle only occurs else-

where in the Arms and Explosives

Ordinance of the Straits and F.M.S.

and in the Opium Ordinance of Hong Kong,

and partially in the Hong Kong Arms Ordinance but this is not important."

The revised draft clause has now

been enacted in the Straits Settlements

Deleterious Drugs Ordinance and in an

Ordinance amending the Arms and Explosives

about

Ordinance, and is due to be enacted in a

Bill amending the Straits Settlements

Chandu Revenue Ordinance.

The question now is whether the

special circumstances of Hong Kong (as ela- erated in this present despatch and the first enclosure) constitute a sufficient

justification for departing from the general

principle (summarised in Sir G. Grindle's

minute quoted above), which was established

after such prolonged labour.

As regards the Arms and Ammunition

Ordinance, the Governor defends the revision

of the existing section on the ground

that the master is generally really in

charge of the small vessels which are

involved in this traffic; and that arms (unlike opium) are not easy to conceal.

presume the implication is that if there

are arms on board it can only be with the

connivance of the master.

I

But