693199-1876-Bills-read-first-time-Deportation-and-Conditional-Pardon-Consolidation-Gambling-Amendment-Piracy-Post-Office- — Page 9

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 18TH NOVEMBER, 1876.

to the Post- master Gene- ral.

to give notice soon as he has arranged the time for the departure of such vessel' give the first intimation of such proposed departure to the Post- master General, and shall, in like manner, intimate to the Post- master General any alteration in the day or hour of departure of the said vessel, and the Postmaster General shall, on receiving such intimations, give notice to the public of the day and hour for closing the mails, if any are to be made up by such vessel.

[Ibid, sec. 16.]

Any person or firm failing to give such intimation to the Post- master General shall, for every such offence, on conviction thereof,▾ be liable to a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars.

Every alteration of the hour of departure of any vessel plying daily or on fixed days to Macao or to places on the Canton River, shall, in like manner, be intimated to the Postmaster General by the person despatching such vessel, who shall, for any default, be liable, on conviction thereof, to a penalty not exceeding one hundred dollars.

Making up XXVI. The Postmaster General, or any officer of the Post Office mails on board. authorised by him, may attend on board any vessel, after the time [Ibid, sec.17.] for closing the mail by such vessel, and may receive all fully pre-

paid correspondence which is brought on board up to the time of departure to be transmitted by such vessel.

The master of every such vessel shall give all proper facilities to such officer of the Post Office to enable him to discharge his duties and to make up such late mails, and to leave the vessel on her departure, and any master of a vessel failing to give any such facilities shall be liable, on conviction thereof, to a penalty not ex- ceeding five hundred dollars.

If there be no officer of the Post Office in attendance on board any vessel, the master of such vessel may receive all correspond- ence which is brought on board to him prepaid by stamps; and shall deliver the same at the Post Office on arrival at his destina- tion.

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Penalties on masters of vessels.

[Ibid, sec. 14.]

[Ibid.]

[Ibid.]

Stealing letter bags, forging stamps and other felonies.

and other mis- demeanors.

Offences.

XXVII. Every master of a vessel, which is not a contract packet, who commits any of the following offences, shall, on conviction thereof, be liable to a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars, that is to say :-

Refusal to take a letter bag delivered or tendered to him by

an officer of the Post Office for conveyance. Refusal to sign a receipt for a letter bag delivered to him by

an officer of the Post Office for conveyance. Neglect without reasonable excuse to deliver all correspond- ence to the Post Office on his arrival in the Colony. Refusal or wilful neglect to make, or making any untrue state- ment in, the declaration hereby required of his having de- livered his letters to the Post Office.

Refusal or wilful neglect, if in quarantine, to deliver all correspondence in his possession to the person appointed to receive it.

XXVIII. Every person, employed by or under the Post Office, who steals, embezzles, secretes, or destroys any correspondence shall be guilty of felony.

Every person who steals from or out of any correspondence, any chattel, money, or valuable security, shall be guilty of felony. Every person who steals or unlawfully takes away a letter bag, or steals or unlawfully takes any correspondence from or out of a letter bag, or unlawfully opens a letter bag, shall be guilty of felony.

Every person who steals any correspondence from a letter bag, or from a Post Office, or from an officer of the Post Office shall be guilty of felony.

Every person who forges, alters, or imitates, or assists in forging, altering, or imitating, any postage stamp issued under this Ordi- nance, shall be guilty of felony.

Every person who uses, offers, utters, disposes of, or puts off any forged, altered, or imitated postage stamp as aforesaid, knowing the same to be forged, altered, or imitated, shall be guilty of felony.

Every person, who is convicted of any felony mentioned in this section shall be liable, at the discretion of the Court, to be kept in penal servitude for any term not exceeding seven years and not less than three years, or to be imprisoned for any term not ex- ceeding two years with or without hard labour.

Opening cor- XXIX. Every person employed by or under the Post Office, respondence who, without lawful authority or excuse, opens, or suffers or pro- cures to be opened, any correspondence; or who, without lawful authority or excuse, detains or delays, or procures or suffers to be detained or delayed, any correspondence; or who wilfully delivers any correspondence to any person other than the person to whom the same ought to be delivered, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

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