630121-1899-Bills-read-first-time--Naturalization-of-yeung-Cheuk-Hin-Protection-of-Women-and-Girls-Amendment-Concealment-of-Opium — Page 3

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5TH AUGUST, 1899.

Persons trading in prostitution.

Amendment of s. 30 of 9 of 1897.

notice enter and demand to see and interrogate any c

or all the inmates of any place on land or water which he may have reason to believe is used as a lodging-house for prostitutes or disorderly persons or as a brothel, or in con- nection with which he may have reason to believe that an offence has been committed under this Ordinance.

7.-(1.) Every male person who-

(a.) Knowingly lives wholly or in part on the pro-

ceeds of prostitution; or

(b.) In any public place persistently solicits or im-

portunes for immoral purposes;

shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months with or without hard labour.

(2.) If it be made to appear to a Magistrate by infor- mation on cath that there is reason to suspect that any house or any part of a house is used by a female for the purposes of prostitution and that any male person residing in or frequenting the house is living wholly or in part on the earnings of such prostitute the Magistrate may issue a warrant authorising any Police Officer or Constable to enter and search the house and to arrest that male person.

(3.) When a male person is proved to live with or to be in company of a prostitute and has no visible means of subsistence be shall, unless he can satisfy the Court to the contrary, be deemed to be knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution.

(4.) Any person, not being a natural-born or naturalized British subject, who is convicted of an offence under this section, may be banished from the Colony by an Order of the Governor-in-Council made under any Banishment laws which may from time to time be in force in this Colony,

8. Section 30 of Ordinance 9 of 1897 is hereby amended so as to read as follows:---

30.-(1.) The Registrar General and any officer generally authorized for that purpose in writing by the Registrar General shall have power without warrant to search any ship, boat, house, building, or other place where he has reasonable cause to sus- pect that there is any woman or girl who is or may be liable to be dealt with under the provisions of this Ordinance or in which he has reasonable cause to suspect that an offence under this Ordinance is being committed, and may, remove any such woman or girl to a place of safety to be there detained until her case be enquired into.

(2.) The Registrar General shall have power to search any ship, boat, house, building, or other place for the purpose of ascertaining whether there is therein any woman or girl who is or may be liable to be dealt with under the provisions of this Ordinance, or whether any offence under this Ordinance is being committed and may remove any such woman or girl to a place of safety to be there detained until her case be enquired into.

Objects and Reasons.

This Bill is passed to amend "The Protection of Women and Girls Ordinance, 1897," in several particulars which have been called to the attention of the Colonial Govern- ment by the Secretary of State.

Clause 1 provides for this Bill being read with Ordi- nance 9 of 1897.

Clause 2 deals with interpretation.

Clause 3 imposes a penalty upon the occupier or keeper of any brothel who permits a woman suffering from a contagious disease to remain in a brothel for the purpose of prostitution. This clause will, it is hoped, tend to pro- mote the proper medical treatment of prostitutes when suffering from disease.

Under clause 4 of this Bill, unlike section 4 of Ordi- nauce 6 of 1894, it is not necessary to prove to the Magistrate that the brothel is a nuisance to the neighbour- hood.

Clause 5 imposes a penalty upon the owner of any premises, which are found to be again in use as a brothel, after having been closed under clause 4.