CO129-530-12 Merchant Shipping Amendement Ordinance- Attorney general's report 19-5-1931 - 16-9-1931 — Page 7

Enclosure No.2.

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS,

Hong Kong

15th May,

1931.

REPORT ON ORDINANCE No

11

of 193 1.

7

1.

I have examined the accompanying Ordinance. intituled an

Ordinance to amend further the Merchant Shipping Ordinance,

1899, and I am of opinion that the Ordinance is one which

is not contrary to the Governor's instructions.

2, It has been the practice to grant special exemption

from the requirements of section 4 of the Merchant Shipping

Ordinance, to certain small steamers holding Hong Kong

passenger licences regularly plying between the Colony and

places not open to general trade. The practice would seem

to require an amendment of the section, which is relaxed by

its proviscain the case of river steamers and trawlers and

which was further relaxed in 1917, in the case of river

steamers, for a period of 61 years, by Ordinance No.13 of

1917 and Notification No.432 of 1923. Section 2 of this

Ordinance accordingly adds a third proviso to section 4(2)

of the principal Ordinance. Section 3 amends section 44

of the principal Ordinance by substituting the words "such

fee as the Governor in Council shall prescribe" for the words "a fee of one dollar" which is considered an inadequate