CO129-536-6 Anti-Japanese Riots 28-9-1931 - 25-2-1932 — Page 49

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MAGISTRATES POWERS RELATING TO POSSESSION, ETC. OF SEDITIOUS PUBLICATIONS, OFFENSIVE WEAPONS, ETC.

27. Every person who-

(1) prints, publishes, circulates, distributes, or has in his possession any sedi- tions matter as defined in the Seditious Publications Ordinance, 1914;

or

(2) by violence or threats of violence prevents or endeavours to prevent any

other person from doing any act which he is legally entitled to do; or (3) commits any offence against the provisions of section 22 of the Summary

Offences Ordinance, 1845;

shall be liable upon summary conviction before a magistrate to the penalties provided by section 3 of the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, 1922.

28. Whenever it is proved to the satisfaction of a magistrate, that any printing press, machine, tool, instrument, type, block, paper, material or thing has after the 21st day of June, 1925, in any manner, been used or prepared for use for, or in connexion with, the printing or production of any newspaper, book, placard, pamphlet, document, writing or pictorial representation containing any seditious matter as defined in the Seditious Publications Ordinance, 1914, it shall be lawful for such magistrate, upon the application of the Inspector General of Police or some person authorised by him, to order such printing press, machine, tool, instrument, type, block, paper, material or thing to be forfeited to the Crown, whether any person has been charged or convicted or may hereafter be charged or convicted of any offence in connexion therewith, or not.

SPECIAL CONSTABLES,

29. Every person who has been enrolled or appointed as a special constable or hereafter may be enrolled or appointed as a special constable, whether voluntarily or otherwise, as from the date of his enrolment or appointment and until such enrolment or appointment shall be cancelled or determined by the Governor or some person authorised by the Governor, shall be deemed to have had and he shall have all the powers, privileges, protection and immunities mentioned or referred to in section of the Peace Preservation Ordinance, 1886, but with the like exception as to pay and pension or other reward.

30. Every such special constable shall be and shall from the date of his enrolment or appointment be deemed to have been subject to the orders of the Governor, the magistrates, the Inspector General of Police, and any other person authorised by the Governor or the Inspector General of Police to act in that behalf.

31. Every such special constable shall be and shall from the date of his enrolment or appointment be deemed to have been subject to punishment, as mentioned in section 5 of the Peace Preservation Ordinance, 1886, for refusal or neglect, without reasonable excuse, to serve or to obey such lawful orders and directions as have been or may be given to him for the performance of the duties of his office.

CENSORSHIP, ETC. OF TELEGRAMS AND LETTERS.

32. It shall be lawful for any person authorised for that purpose by the Governor to censor, and to suspend the transmission of, any telegram to or from or in transit through the Colony and to order that no person shall transmit any telegram from or through the Colony without the permission of such person as may be authorised by the Governor to give such permission.

33. It shall be lawful for the l'ostmaster General, or any person authorised by him, to seize, open, censor, and suspend the transmission of, any letter received by the Post Office, or by any person, for delivery in the Colony, or intended to be transmitted by any means from the Colony to any place out of the Colony.

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COMMANDEERING OF PREMISES, VEHICLES AND SUPPLIES.

34. It shall be lawful for the Inspector General of Police, or any person authorised by him, to take possession of, use, and control, any premises, for any purpose which he may consider a public purpose.

35. It shall be lawful for the Inspector General of Police, or any person authorised by him, to take possession of any vehicle and to use such vehicle for any purpose which he, or such person, may consider a public purpose.

36.(1) It shall be lawful for the Director of Public Works, or for the Inspector General of Police, or for any person authorised thereto by either of the said officers, to take possession of any coal, firewood, or foodstuffs, and to dispose of the same in any manner which he may consider desirable in the public interest.

(2) Any coal, firewood, or foodstuffs taken possession of under the provisions of this regulation and not returned to the owner, shall be paid for at such rates as shall be determined by a board of arbitrators hereafter to be appointed by the Governor.

ENTRY.

37. It shall be lawful for any person empowered by any regulation made under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, 1922, to do anything to effect any entry which he may consider necessary to enable him to exercise such power.

COUNCIL CHAMBER,

1st October, 1931.

N. L. SMITH,

Clerk of Councils.

NOTE. The effect of these regulations is to consolidate, with minor amendments, those already in force; but to omit the Water Shortage Regulations, which are no longer required.

(Extract from the Hong Kong Government Gazette No. 47 of the 2nd October, 1931.)

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