631717-1899-Bill-read-first-time--Piers — Page 3

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 23RD DECEMBER, 1899.

16. The following enactments are hereby repealed, Repeals. namely, section 68 and Schedule (D) of Ordinance 15 of 1889 and section 12 and the Schedule of Ordinance 25 of 1891.

17. From and including the date of the coming into force Certain piers of this Ordinance, any Pier coming within the operation of to be exempt this Ordinance shall, notwithstanding the provisions of from rates. Ordinance 15 of 1888 or of any Ordinance amending or substituted for the same be exempt from the payment of

rates.

18. This Ordinance shall come into force on the 1st day Commence- of January, 1900, and the new rents chargeable under sec- ment of tion 3 of this Ordinance and the schedule hereto shall commen-

Ordinance. ce to run from and including the 1st day of January, 1900.

SCHEDULE.

Scale of annual rents chargeable under this Ordinance for encroachments of Piers over Crown Foreshore.

(a.) In the City of Victoria:

For encroachments of 500 square feet or less,

120

For encroachments exceeding 500 square feet, but not

exceeding 1,000 square feet,

180

For encroachments cxceeding 1,000 square feet, but not

exceeding 2,000 square feet,

300

For encroachments exceeding 2,000 square feet, but not

exceeding 3,000 square feet,

480

For encroachments exceeding 3,000 square feet, but not

exceeding 5,000 square feet,

660

For encroachments exceeding 5,000 square feet, but not

exceeding 10,000 square feet,....

900

For encroachments exceeding 10,000 square feet..........

1,200

(b.) In any other place:

Half the above scale.

Objects and Reasons.

The object of this Bill is to provide for the collection of rent from the owners of piers, according to the increased scale in the schedule.

Owners of piers coming under this Bill, except piers erected for a temporary purpose only, will, as soon as they obtain the concurrence of all necessary parties, receive leases from the Government, in exchange for their present licences, for a term of 50 years, and such leases will be in accordance with the provisions of and the scale of rents in the schedule to this Bill except that they will contain a clause providing for the revision of the rent at the end of 25 years.

Clauses 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the Bill are in the main merely re-enactments, with verbal altera- tious and modifications, of the terms recently inserted in concessions for the erection of a pier, except that clause 13 provides for the Governor-in-Council considering upon its merits any moral claim to compensation for the removal of a pier.

Clause 14 confers a general power upon the Governor-in- Council to make Regulations in furtherance of the objects of this Bill.

Clanse 15 lays down the penalty for breach of the provisions of the Bill or any Regulations, while clause 16 effects the necessary repeals.

Clause 17 provides for the exempting of piers coming within this Bill from the payment of Rates, the rents having been considerably increased by this Bill.

Clause 18 provides that the new scale of rent laid down by this Bill shall commence to run from and including the 1st of January, 1900.

HENRY E. POLLOCK, Acting Attorney General,

1935