637603-1897-Ordinances-Nos-22-23-and-24-of-1897-assented-to — Page 5

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 20ти NOVEMBER, 1897.

No. 24 or 1897.

An Ordinance to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to the Construction of Ordinances, to further shorten the Language used in Ordi- nances, and for other like purposes.

LS

WILLIAM ROBINSON,

Governor.

...

[18th November, 1897.]

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

www.dr

1. This Ordinance may be cited for all purposes as The Short title: Interpretation Ordinance, 1897.

Existing Interpretations.

2.-(1.) In this Ordinance and in every Ordinance passed Rules as to after the 22nd day of May, 1867, whether before or after gcuder and the commencement of this Ordinance, unless the contrary number. intention appears,—,

(a.) Words importing the masculine gender shall in-

clude females; and

(b.) Words in the singular shall include the plural, and words in the plural shall include the singular, (2.) The same rules shall be observed in the construction of every enactment relating to an offence punishable on summary conviction or on information when the enactment is contained in an Ordinance passed before the 22nd day of May, 1867.

to bodies

3.-(1.) In the construction of every enactment relating Application to an offence punishable on summary conviction or on in- of penal formation, whether contained in an Ordinance passed before enactments or after the commencement of this Ordinance, the word corporate.

'person shall, unless the contrary intention appears, in- clude a body corporate.

(2.) Where under any Ordinance, whether passed before or after the commencement of this Ordinance, any forfeiture or penalty is payable to a party aggrieved, it shall be pay- able to a body corporate in every case where that body is the party aggrieved.

4. In this Ordinance and in every Ordinance passed after Interpreta- the 22nd day of May, 1867, whether before or after the tion of certain commencement of this Ordinance, the following words and expressions shall, unless the contrary intention appears, have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, namely,-

(1.) The word "Governor" shall include the officer for the time being alministering the government of the Colony :

(2.) The expression "Governor-in-Council” shall mean the Governor with the advice of the Exccutive Council of the Colony;

(3.) The word "Colony" shall mean the Colony of Hong-

kong and its dependencies;

(4.) The expression "Colonial Waters" shall mean the

waters of the Colony;

(5.) The word "Harbour" shall mean the harbour of

Victoria;

(6.) The expression "Chinese Authorities" shall mean any officer of the Chinese Government acting on behalf of such Government and recognized as such officer by the Government of the Colony;

(7.) The word "Gazette" shall mean The Hongkong

Government Gazette;

words and expressions in Ordinances passed after 22nd May, 1867.

993