22844-1911-Supplementary-Bill-read-a-first-time--Opium-Amendment — Page 134

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

No. S. 220.--The following Bill was read a first time at a Meeting of the Council held on the 24th August, 1911 :-

!

BILL

ENTITLED

Shout tip.

Ameris Ordinatee

No.23 of 1909 as amendedi by Ordin ances Nos. 11

and 33 of

1910.

Restrictio

on impart of row opiun..

Pemity clause of Ordinance No. 23 of 1999 to apply

to new set-

titt B.

Commenter

Helt

An Ordinance to further amend the Opium Or-

dinance. 1909.

Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Conneil thereof, as follows:

1. This Ordinance may be eited as the Opium Amend- ment Ordinance, 1911.

2. The Opium Ordinance, 1909, as amended by the Opium Amendment Ordinance, 1910, and by the Opium Amendment (No. 2) Ordinance, 1910, is hereby further amended by the repeal of section 3 thereof and by the substitution therefor of the following section :-

*3.--(1.) No person shall inport, or aid or aber in the importation, into the Colony or into the waters thereof, any raw opium the importation of which into China shall have been notified in the Gazette as being illegal.

(2.) The provisions of sub-section (1) of this section shall not apply to opium imported by or for the use of the Opium Farmer with the written con- sent of the Colonial Secretary previously obe tained, and further shall not apply to opium brought into the Colony or into the waters thereof on any steamship under a through Bill of Lading to some place to which such opium may by the laws of such place be lawfully imported provided that such opium shall not be removed from such steamship whilst in the waters of the Colony,

(8) No person shall import, or aid or abet in the importation, into the Colony or into the waters thereof any loose opium.

3. The reference in section 8 (I) of the Opium Ordin- ance, 1909, to section 3 thereof shall be deemed to be a reference to the new section 3 substituted by this Ordin- atre,

4. This Ordinance shall come into operation on the day of

1911.

•

Objects and Reasons,

Since the new agreement regarding the importation of opium into China limits the importation to chests bearing a certificate that they have been sold in India for the China market, there is no longer any legitimate market for uncer- tified opium exported from Hongkong. The opium dealers fear lest imports of uncertified opium should be made into this Colony with a view to singgling into China thereby interfering with the legitimate and much restricted trade in eertified chests, This Ordinance has, therefore, been introduced to meet the new circumstances, Opina required by the Opium Farmer can be imported under permit and opium in transit under a through Bill of Lading is not inter- fered with.

C. G. ALABASTER,

Attorney General.