CO129-513-5 Coastal and river trade- prevention of smuggling and illicit trading 15-10-1928 - 14-12-1929 — Page 32

[No. 16-7.8.29.-2.]

C.S.O. 2707/25, Part II.

A BILL

INTITULED

An Ordinance to amend the Merchant Shipping

Ordinance, 1899.

BE it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Merchant Short title. Shipping Amendment Ordinance, 1928.

2. The Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 1899, is Insertion of amended by the insertion of the following section new sections immediately after section 3 :---

Licences to ships to trade in Chinese

Inland

Waters.

3A in Ordinance No. 10 of

3A.-(1) It shall be lawful for the Gover- 1899. nor in Council to grant licences, hereinafter called "licences to trade in Chinese Inland Waters", to British ships to trade within the Inland Waters of China.

(2) Such licences shall be issued for such periods, upon such terms, upon the payment of such fees, and subject to such conditions, as the Governor in Council may direct.

(3) It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council at any time to revoke any such licence.

(4) Every British river steamer and every British vessel registered in Hong Kong and trading within the Inland Waters of China must obtain such a licence.

(5) It shall be lawful for the Harbour Master to refuse a clearance to any British ship for any place within the Inland Waters of China unless such ship is provided with a licence to trade in Chinese Inland Waters, or has been certified by a British Consul as a vessel entitled to British protection.

(6) If

any ship leaves or attempts to leave any port in the Colony for any place within the Inland Waters of China without a clearance, the master thereof shall be liable to a fine of five hundred dollars.

(7) If any British river steamer, or any British vessel registered in Hong Kong, is found trading within the Inland Waters of China without a valid and subsisting licence under this section, the owners, agents, charterers (if any) and master of the river steamer or vessel in question shall upon summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.

(8) For purposes of this section the term "Inland Waters of China" in addition to the ordinary meaning ascribed to such words shall include all places within the provinces of Kwong Tung and Kwong Sai wheresoever situated.

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