Directory_and_Chronicle_1877 — Page 685

COLONY OF HONGKONG.

VICTORIA HARBOUR REGULATIONS ORDINANCE.*

An Ordinance for the Regulation and control of the Harbour of Victoria, Hongkong.

[22nd January, 1862.]

Whereas it is expedient to revise and amend the regulations hitherto existing for the maintenance or order within the Harbour of Victoria, Hongkong.-Be it enacted and ordained:-

I. Ordinance No. 11, of 1845, is hereby repealed, except so far as the same repeals No. 16, of 1844.

II. The harbour regulations issued on the 30th day of April, 1841, under the hands of Charles Elliot, Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, are hereby revoked.

III.-Every master of a merchant vessel sball hoist the ship's number on entering the Harbour of Victoria, and shall keep such number flying until the ship shall have been reported at the Harbour Master's office.

IV. Every master shall, within twenty-four hours after arrival within the limits of this Harbour, report the arrival of his ship at the Harbour Master's office, and in the case of a British vessel or of a vessel which shall not be represented by a Consul, shall deposit there the ship's articles, list of passengers, ship's register, and true copy of manifest, if required. In the case of a foreign vessel represented by a Consul, the said papers shall be lodged by the master at the proper Consulate, under a penalty not exceeding two hundred dollars on refusal or neglect of the master to do so.

V.-The name of a master or first or only mate shall not be attached by the Harbour Master to a British ship's register or articles, unless such master or mate shall possess a certificate of service or competency.

VI.-No officer, seaman, or other person shall be shipped in this Harbour to do duty on board any merchant vessel, except at the shipping-office of the Harbour master, under a penalty not exceeding twenty dollars for every offence.

VII.-In the event of the death of any of the crew, passengers, or other persons, occurring on board any merchant vessel whilst in the Harbour, or in case of the desertion or removal of any of the crew, the master of such vessel shall forthwith report the same in writing to the Harbour Master, under a penalty not exceeding twenty-five dollars for every death, desertion, or removal which he shall neglect to report.

VIII. No master of any ship shall discharge, or force therefrom, or wilfully or negligently leave behind him, in this Colony, any seaman shipped on board thereof, unless on a certificate from the Harbour Master, or other person appointed to grant the same; and who shall have power to withhold or grant the same as he shall see fit, under a penalty not exceeding twenty-five dollars; and if any seaman shall wilfully or negligently remain in the Colony, after the departure of the vessel in which he shall have shipped, without such certificate, such seamen shall, on conviction before the Marine Magistrate, forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding twenty-five dollars, or be imprisoned for a term not exceeding one month.

* This Ordinance, together with all other Ordinances relating to the Harbour Department, is being revised.