38232-1914-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time--Asiatic-Emigration — Page 28

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The Concral" licence and the “ Special" licence are Licences capable of being granted by the Governor to ships which are about to proceed with emigrants from a port in the Colony. The "General" licence is as its name implies under no restriction of period; a Special" licence is referable only to Mail Ships and is limited in period. In this part are also laid down other formalities which have to be complied with by these ships and the conditions under which each class of licence may be granted.

Voyages are divided into two categories, namely, "long" and "short"

voyages:

is long" voyage A

a voyage declared to be of more than 30 days duration; a

"short voyage is a voyage of more than 7 and not more than 30 days duration or any other voyage declared to be a short voyage.

There are three Schedules of Regulations respecting the internal accommodation, comfort and treatment of pas- sengers on voyages, Of these schedules the Sixth pres- cribes what is necessary on long voyages; the Fourth what is necessary on short voyages on ships under General " or "Outport" licence; the Fifth what is necessary on short voyages on ships under "Special" licence. The require- ments on long voyages are naturally more elaborate than those for short voyages. The requirements on short voyages on ships under "Special licence are slightly less rigorous than those on short voyages on ships under General or "Outport " licences, the reason being that "Special" licences are restricted to ships of that superior eless which carries Mails.

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Part III.

Provisions relating to Emigrants :-

(4.) Medical Inspection. The provisions relative to medical inspection are all brought together in sections 24 to 30.

(4.) Provisions relating to “Passage Brokers ".— There is little difference between these pro- visions and those which existed under the Asiatic Emigration Ordinance, 1889, and its amending Ordinances.

(c.) Provisions as to Emigration Boarding Houses. -The same remarks apply here as are made with regard to paragraph (b) above.

Part IV. Penal Provisions.-The Penal provisions of the Bill have all been brought together in sections 17 to 56.

Miscellaneous,--These are more or less Formal

Part P. sections,

The principal differences which exist between the pro- visions of the Bill and of the Chinese Emigration Ordi- ince, 1889, and its Amending Ordinances are as follows:-

(4.) All references to contraet emigrants are omitted in the Bill because Contract Emigration is now a thing of the past.

un-

(6.) A number of sections of the Chinese Emigra- tion Ordinance, 1889, relative to illegal or pro- bibited fittings are omitted in the Bill beenuse' it is thought that these provisions are now necessary and out of date, (c.) The classification of voyages is clearly marked,

by their division into two simple categories, namely, "long" and "short". The obligations which a ship is compelled to undertake towards emigrants depend primarily upon whether sho is proceeding on the "long" or "short" voyage. (d) The provisions of the Bill relative to Medical requirements and the Penal provisions are grouped respectively in a more convenient form than in the Chinese Emigration Ordinance, 1889.

JOHN A. BUCKNILL,

Attorney General,