43601-1915-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time--Post-Office-Amendment — Page 1

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

No. S. 136. The following Bills were read a first time at a Meeting of the Council held on the 24th June, 1915:--

A BILL

Short title and con- struction.

Definitions.

No letters

to be sent

out of the

Colony except through the post.

No letters to be con- veyed out of the Colony except under the

authority of the Postmaster General.

Consignees' letters excepted.

Nothing in this section to abridge any exclu- sive privilege

of the Post-

master General.

Power of

search and scizure.

INTITULED

An Ordinance to amend the Post Office Ordi-

nance, 1900.

BE it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Post Office Amendment Ordinance, 1915, and shall be read and construed as one with the Post Office Ordinance, 1900, hereinafter called the Principal Ordinance.

2. In this Ordinance :--

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'Letter means every postal article other than a news- paper or parcel.

"Postal article" means every article or thing which is capable of being transmitted by post.

3.-(1.) No person shall send any letter out of the Colony except through the post.

(2.) No person shall convey any letter out of the Colony except under the authority of the Postmaster General.

(3.) This section shall not apply to any bonâ fide con- signees' letter which relates solely to goods or merchandise on board the vessel by which such consignees' letter is forwarded: Provided that, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2) of section 7 of the Principal Ordinance, it shall be lawful for the Governor-in-Council to order that this section shall apply to such letters and thereupon it shall so apply accordingly.

(4.) Nothing in this section shall be construed as abridg- ing in any way any exclusive privilege of the Postmaster General as established by law immediately before the commencement of this Ordinance.

4.-(1.) It shall be lawful for any public officer who may, either generally or in a particular case, be authorised in writing by the Postmaster General in that behalf, to search for, seize, remove, and detain any postal articles in respect of which such public officer may have reason to believe that any offence whatsoever has been or is about to be committed.

(2.) Such officer may, with or without assistance, if necessary :-

(a.) break open any outer or inner door of any

house, building or place, and enter thereinto; (b.) forcibly board and enter any vessel and every

part thereof;

(c.) search any person found in such house, build- ing or place, or on board such ship, provided that no female person shall be searched except by a female, and provided that no person shall be searched in any public place if he objects to be so searched;