660964-1888-Tree-Preservation-Ordinance-14-of-1888-Assented-to — Page 1

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 7TH APRIL, 1888.

345

BILL ENTITLED THE TREES PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, 1888.--The Attorney General moved the third reading of this Bill.

The Colonial Secretary seconded.

Question-put and passed.

Bill read a third time.

Question put-that this Bill do pass.

Bill passed and numbered as Ordinance No 14 of 1888.

ADJOURNMENT.-The Council then adjourned to Wednesday, the 4th proximo, at 4 P.M.

Read and confirmed, this 4th day of April, 1888.

ARATHOON SETH,

Clerk of Councils.

G. WILLIAM DES VEUX,

Governor.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION. -No. 141.

His Excellency the Governor has given his assent, in the name and on behalf of the Queen, to the following Ordinance passed by the Legislative Council:---

Ordinance No. 14 of 1888.—An Ordinance enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, entitled The Trees Preservation Ordinance, 1888.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 7th April, 1888.

No. 14 or 1888.

An Ordinance enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, entitled The Trees Preservation Ordinance, 1888.

LS

G. WILLIAM DES VŒUX.

[4th April, 1888.]

FREDERICK STEWART,

Colonial Secretary.

W

HEREAS great damage is done to trees and plan- tations in the neighbourhood of the respective villages of this Colony, and whereas it is frequently diffi- cult or impossible to discover the persons who have com- mitted such damage: Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows :--

1. Whenever it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Governor in Council that trees or plantations belonging to Government in the neighbourhood of any village in this Colony have been felled, cut, mutilated, lopped, barked, or otherwise damaged or destroyed, and that there is sufficient reason to believe that such damage or destruction was committed by the inhabitants of the said village or by any of them, it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council, by order under his hand, to levy a special rate assessed upon such village to an amount sufficient to cover the damages done, and such increased assessment shall take effect from the earliest day after such order on which it can be brought into force, and shall continue until the Governor in Council, by a further order under his hand, shall revoke or alter the original order, which the Governor in Council shall do when he is satisfied that the injuries to trees on account of which the original order was issued have ceased, or that they were not committed by the inhabitants of such village.

2. Every such order shall be read as forming part of the Municipal Rates Ordinance No. 21 of 1885, or of any Ordi- nance which may be substituted for that Ordinance.

3. Nothing in this Ordinance shall operate to prevent any person from being prosecuted for injury or cutting down trees or for stealing or for the unlawful possession of wood under any enactment under which, before the passing of this Ordinance, he might have been so prosecuted.

Passed the Legislative Council of Hongkong this 27th day of March, 1888.

ARATHOON SETH, Clerk of Councils.

Assented to by His Excellency the Governor, the 4th day of April, 1888.

FREDERICK STEWART, Colonial Secretary.

Preamble,

Village rates niay be increased to nake good daniages to trous.

Orders to be road with Rating Ordinance.

Not to prevent other penalties.