661486-1888-Fire-Enquiry-Bill — Page 1

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 9TH JUNE, 1888.

565

BILL ENTITLED THE CHINESE FUGITIVE CRIMINALS EXTRADITION ORDINANCE, 1888.—The Attorney General moved the first reading of this Bill.

The Colonial Secretary seconded.

Question-put and passed.

Bill read a first time.

ADJOURNMENT.-The Council then adjourned to Thursday, the 17th instant, at 4 P.M.

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

ARATHOON SETH,

Clerk of Councils.

G. WILLIAM DES VEUX,

Governor.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.--No. 245.

The following Bill, which was read a first time at a Meeting of the Legislative Council held yesterday, is published for general information.

ARATHOON SETI. Clerk of Councils.

Council Chamber, Hongkong, 5th June, 1888.

A BILL

ENTITLED

An Ordinance to authorize in certain cases judicial investigations into the causes of fire.

BE it enacted by the Governor of thougkome, with cat

advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof,

as follows:-

1. This Ordinance may be cited as The Fire Enquiry Ordinance 188

2. Whenever a fire shall have taken place or shall have been attempted the Captain Superintendent of Police shall as soon as possible take possession of the premises where the fire has taken place or has been attempted, to the ex- clusion of the owners and all others, he shall make or cause to be made an inspection of the said premises and shall forthwith report to the Magistrate the state of the said premises and of the contents, if any, thereof.

3. In any case of fire by which any house or building shall have been burnt down or damaged and for which no prosecution shall have been entered against any person, it shall be lawful for any Company of lusurance, underwriters or persons suffering any prejudice from such fire, to apply to the Magistrate for a judicial investigation into the cause of such fire, without charging any person with any offence against the law in connection with such fire.

4. Such application shall be made in the form of the information in Schedule A, and the said information shall be sworn to by the person laying it.

•

5. On the exhibition of such information the Magistrate shall require the deposit of a sufficient sum to cover all the costs mentioned in Section 12

and upon deposit made shall issue an order in the form of Schedule B to the Cap- taiu Superintendent of Police to cause an enquiry into the causes of the fire to be made as early as possible. The order shall be complied with and report thereon made to the Magistrate.

6. The Magistrate shall then proceed to make an invest- igation into the said ease of fire, and shall, within the short- est possible delay, take the depositions upon oath of all persons likely to know the faets and circumstances of such case, and of all other persons who in his opinion may fur- nish information in respect thereof.

7. It shall be lawful for any Inspector of Police, or for any interested person present at such investigation, with the leave of the Magistrate, to examine the witnesses, and to cause such persons to be examined as may give due and proper information touching such case of fire.

8. In every case of fire it shall be lawful for the Magis- trate, at the request of any duly interested person as afore- said to appoint a person duly sworn before him to take provisional charge of the premises where the fire has taken place or has been attempted, and of the property upon the said premises, during the time that the said Magistrate

Short title.

bu cases of Fire Captain Superintend

ent of Police to report to the Magis- trate.

Application for judicial investigation into enses of fire by request of Insurance Companies,

Information.

Order of

Enquiry.

Investigation to be made by the Magis-

trate.

Examination

of witnesses by interested parties.

Appointinent of Guardian.