714869-1865-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION — Page 5

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 29TH APRIL, 1865.

Provision for the Discovery and Seizure

curing them as Evi-

be diminished in manner aforesaid, or counterfeit, it shall be heard and finally deter mined in a summary manner by a Police Magistrate who is hereby empowered to examine upon Oath or Declaration as well the Parties as any other P'erson in order to the Decision of such Dispute; and the Colonial Treasurer and the Receivers of

every Branch of the Revenue of this Colony are hereby required to cut, break or deface or cause to be cut, broken, or defaced every Piece of counterfeit or unlawfully diminished Gold or Silver Coin which shall be tendered to them in Payment of any Part of the Revenue.

27. If any Person shall find or discover in any Place whatever or in the Custody of counterfeit Coin and or Possession of any Person having the same without lawful Authority or Excuse, any Coining Touls for se- false or counterfeit Coin, resembling or apparently intended to resemble or pass for any dence & for ultimate- of the Queen's current Gold, Silver or Copper Coin or any Coin of any Foreign Prince, ly disposing of them. State or Country, or any Instrument, Tool or Engine whatsoever adapted and intended for the counterfeiting of any such Coin or any Filings or Clippings or any Gold or Silver Bullion or any Gold or Silver in Dust, Solution or otherwise which shall have been produced or obtained by diminishing or lightening any of the Queen's current Gold or Silver Coin, it shall be lawful for the Person so finding or discovering and he is hereby required to seize the same and to carry the same forthwith before a Police Magistrate; And where it shall be proved on the Oath or Declaration of a credible Witness before a Police Magistrate that there is reasonable cause to suspect that any Person has been concerned in counterfeiting the Queen's current Gold, Silver or Copper. Coin, or any such Foreign or other Coin as in this Ordinance before mentioned, or has in his Custody or Possession any such false or counterfeit Coin or any Instrument, Tool or Engine whatsoever adapted and intended for the making or counterfeiting of any such Coin or any other Machine used or intended to be used for making or counterfeiting any such Coin or any such Filings, Clippings or Bullion, or any such Gold or Silver in Dust, Solution or otherwise as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for a Police Magistrate by Warrant under his hand to cause any Place whatsoever belonging to or in the Occupation or under the Control of such suspected Person to be searched either in the Day or in the Night, and if any such false or counterfeit Coin, or any such Instrument, Tool or Engine, or any such Machine, or any such Filings, Clippings or Bullion or any such Gold or Silver in Dust, Solution or otherwise as aforesaid shall be found in any Place so searched, to cause the same to be seized and carried forthwith before a Police Magistrate, and whensoever any such false or counterfeit Coin, or any such Instrument, Tool, or Engine, or any such Machine, or any such Filings, Clippings or Bullion, or any such Gold or Silver in Dust, Solution or otherwise as aforesaid shall in any case whatsoever be seized and carried before a Police Magistrate, he shall, if necessary, cause the same to be secured for the purpose of being produced in Evidence against any Person who may be prosecuted for any Offence against this Ordinance; and all such false and counterfeit Coin, and all Instruments, Tools, and Engines adapted and intended for the making or counterfeiting of Coin, and all such Machines and all such Filings, Clippings and Bullion and all such Gold and Silver in Dust, Solution or otherwise as aforesaid after they shall have been produced in Evidence, or when they shall have been seized and shall not be required to be produced in Evidence, shall forthwith be delivered up to the Officers of the Mint or to the Crown Solicitor, or to any Person authorized by them to receive the same.

What shall be suffi- cient Proof of Coin being counterfeit.

Where the counter- feiting Coin shall be complete.

Any Person may

28. Where upon the Trial of any Person charged with any Offence against this Ordinance it shall be necessary to prove that any Coin produced in Evidence against such Person is false or counterfeit, it shall not be necessary to prove the same to be false and counterfeit by the Evidence of any Moneyer or other Officer of the Mint, but it shall be sufficient to prove the same to be false or counterfeit by the Evidence of

other credible Witness.

any

29. Every Offence of falsely making or counterfeiting any Coin, or of buying, selling, receiving, paying, tendering, uttering, or putting off, or of offering to buy, sell. receive, pay, utter or put off any false or counterfeit Coin against the Provisions of this Ordinance shall be deemed to be complete, although the Coin so made or counterfeited, or bought, sold, received, paid, tendered, uttered or put off, or offered to be bought, sold, received, paid, uttered or put off shall not be in a fit state to be uttered or the counterfeiting thereof shall not be finished or perfected.

30. It shall be lawful for any Person whatsoever to apprehend any Person who against thisOrdinance, shall be found committing any indictable Offence against this Ordinance and to convey

apprehend Offenders