728121-1855-GOVERNMENT-NOTIFICATION — Page 2

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GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Act of the Imperial Parliament, applied to this Colony by the recent Ordinance No. 3 of 1854, is published for general information.

By Order,

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria,

Hongkong, 3d January, 1855.

ANNO NONO & DECIMO VICTORIE REGINE.

CAP. XXV.

AN ACT FOR PREVENTING MALICIOUS INJURIES TO PERSONS AND PROPERTY BY FIRE, OR BY EXPLOSIVE OR DESTRUCTIVE SUBSTANCES.

[26th June, 1846.]

Persons mali- WHEREAS the unlawful and malicious Destruction of Buildings, and Attempts ciously blowing up to injure Persons and Property, by Fire, or by Gunpowder and other explosive or Dwelling Houses, any one being destructive Substances, is not adequately punishable by Law: Be it enacted by the therein, guilty of Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Telony;

Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That whoever shall unlawfully and maliciously, by the Explosion of Gunpowder or other explosive Substance, destroy, throw down, or damage the whole or any Part of any Dwelling House, any Person being therein, shall be guilty of Felony.

Or blowing up Buildings with In- tent to murder. guilty of Felony;

or injuring Per. sons by explosive

of Felony;

II. And be it enacted, That whoever shall unlawfully and maliciously, by the Explosion of Gunpowder or other explosive Substance, destroy or damage any Building with Intent to murder any Person, or whereby the Life of any Person shall be endangered, shall be guilty of Felony.

III. And be it enacted, That whoever shall unlawfully and maliciously, by the Substances, guilty Explosion of Gunpowder or other explosive Substance, burn, maim, disfigure, dis-

able, or do any grievous bodily Harm to any Person, shall be guilty of Felony. or attempting to IV. And be it enacted, That whoever shall unlawfully and maliciously cause any do bodily Injury Gunpowder or other explosive Substance to explode, or send or deliver to, or cause by sending, &c.

to be taken or received by, any Person any explosive Substance, or any other explosive or dan- gerous Substances, dangerous or noxious Thing, or cast or throw at or upon or otherwise apply to any guilty of Felony. Person any corrosive Fluid or other destructive or explosive Substance, with Intent, in any of the Cases aforesaid, to burn, main, disfigure, or disable any Person, or to do some grievous bodily Harm to any Person, shall, although no bodily Injury be effected, be guilty of Felony.

Punishment for Felonies

V. And be it enacted, That whoever shall be convicted of any Felony herein- herein- before mentioned shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be transported before specified, beyond the Seas for the Term of his natural Life, or for any Term not less than

Fifteen Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Three Years. Punishment for VI. And be it enacted, That whoever shall unlawfully and maliciously place or Persons attempt-throw in, into, upon, against, or near any Building or Vessel any Gunpowder or ing to blow

up other explosive Substance with Intent to do any bodily Damage to any Person, or Buildings, &e.

to destroy or damage any Building or Vessel, or any Machinery, working Tools, Fixtures, Goods, or Chattels, shall, whether or not any Explosion take place, and whether or not any Injury is effected to any Person, or any Damage to any Build- ing, Vessel, Machinery, working Tools, Fixtures, Goods, or Chattels, be guilty of Felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be transported beyond the Seas for any Term not exceeding Fifteen Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years.

Punishment for

VII. And be it enacted, That whoever shall unlawfully and maliciously by any Persons attempt overt Act attempt to set fire to any Building, Vessel, or Mine, or to any Stack or ins to set fire to Steer, or to any Vegetable Produce of such Kind, and with such Intent that if the Buildings.

Offence were complete the Offender would be guilty of Felony, and liable to be transported beyond the Seas for the Term of his natural Life, shall, although such Building, Vessel, Mine, Stack, Steer, or Vegetable Produce be not actually set on fire, be guilty of Felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Dis- cretion of the Court, to be transported beyond the Seas for any Term not exceed- ing Fifteen Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years.

VIII. And be it enacted, That whoever shall knowingly have in his Possession, Persons manufac- or make or manufacture, any Gunpowder, explosive Substance, or any dangerous turing, &c. CX-

or noxious Thing, or any Machine, Engine, Instrument, or Thing, with Intent by plosive Substances for the Purpose of means thereof to commit, or for the Purpose of enabling any other Person to com- committing Of mit, any Offence against this Act, shall be guilty of a Misdemeanor, and on Con- fences against this viction thereof shall be liable to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two

Years.

Punishment for

Act.