55
21. As section 6 begins with a general reference to every
printed document, a further exception of documents printed
outside the Colony is necessary. This is provided by sub-
-section (6).
It is true that this exception provides a
possible loophole, but the same remark applies to the old
section, and in the new section the onus will be on the defend-
- ant.
22. Section 7 of this Ordinance replaces section 11 of Ordi-
-nance No.4 of 1886. The chief differences in the new 390-
-tion are as follows :
(a) If the name of the employer is Chinese it must be
given in Chinese characters.
(b) The offence is left to the ordinary penalty under
the Ordinance.
23. Section 8 of this Ordinance provides for powers of search,
seizure and forfeiture.
24. The provisions of sections 13 to 17 of Ordinance No. 4 of
1666 do not appear in this Ordinance, They provided that the
printer or publisher of a newspaper had to give a bond in the
sum of $1,200 conditioned that he would pay any fine or pen-
-alty imposed on him, or any person acting for him in his
absence, by reason of any conviction for libel, and also that
he would pay all damages and costs recovered for libel pub-
-lished in the newspaper. Sc far as civil actions for libel
are concerned the amount of the bond was quite inadequate, and
in many cases it would have been sufficient to pay only a
portion of the costs.
The provision seems unnecessary in
the case of criminal proceedings because of the powers of
arreat which exist in criminal cases. Another objection
was that the provisions referred only to libel, whereas a
much more sericus case is that of sedition.
The bond provi-
-sions
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