hongkong-colonial-ordinances-1847 — Page 133

66 COLONIAL ORDINANCES.


may come by virtue of such Magistrate's Order, provided that such
Action shall be commenced within Six Calendar Months next after
such Order shall be made.

Power to order Re- XXIX. And be it further enacted and ordained, That it shall be
storation of Property lawful for any Magistrate to order that any Goods unlawfully
pawned, pledged, or exchanged , which shall be brought before him,
and the Ownership of which shall be established to the Satisfaction
of such Magistsate, shall be delivered up to the Owner by the Party
with whom they were so unlawfully pawned, pledged, or exchanged,
either without Compensation, or with such Compensation to the
Party in question as the Magistrate may think fit.

Penalty on Pawnbro- XXX . And be it further enacted and ordained , That after the
from receiving
kers Pledges passing of this Ordinance every Pawnbroker within the said Colony,
Persons underthe
Age of Twelve Years. and every Agent or Servant employed by any such Pawnbroker, who
shall purchase, or receive, or take any Goods or Chattels in pawn
or pledge of or from any Person apparently under the age of Twelve
Years, shall be liable to a Penalty of not more than Ten Pounds.

Unclaimed Stolen XXXI. And be it enacted and ordained , That when any Goods
Goods delivered to the
Superintendent of Po- or Money charged to be stolen or unlawfully obtained, and of which
lice
Twelve be sold after the Owner shall be unknown, shall be ordered by any Magistrate to
mayMonths.
be delivered to the Superintendent of Police, it shall be lawful for
such Magistrate after the Expiration of Twelve Calendar Months
during which no Owner shall have appeared to claim the same, to
order such Goods or Money to be sold or disposed of towards
defraying the Expenses of the Police Force.

Amends may be a- XXXII. And whereas Informations are often laid for the mere
warded for frivolous
Information. sake of Gain, or by Parties not truly aggrieved, and the Offences
charged in such Informations are not further prosecuted, or it appears
upon Prosecution that there was no sufficient Ground for making
the Charge ; Be it enacted and ordained , That in every case in which
any Information or Complaint of any offence shall be laid before any
Magistrate and shall not be further prosecuted, or in which, if further
prosecuted, it shall appear to the Magistrate by whom the Case shall
be heard, that there was no sufficient Ground for making the Charge,
the Magistrate shall have Power to award such Amends, not exceed-
ing the Sum of Ten Pounds, to be paid by the Informer to the
Party informed or complained against, for his Loss of Time and
Expenses in the matter, as to the Magistrate shall seem meet.

Penalty on Common XXXIII. And be it further enacted and ordained, That in case
Informers for com-
pounding Information. any Person shall lodge any Information before any Magistrate for
any Offence alleged to have been committed, by which he was not
personally aggrieved, and shall afterwards directly or indirectly
receive without the Permission of a Magistrate any Sum of Money
or other Reward for compounding, delaying, or withdrawing the
Information, it shall be lawful for any Magistrate to issue his Warrant
or Summons, as he may deem best, for bringing before him the
Party charged with the Offence of such Compounding, Delay, or
Withdrawal ; and if such Offence be proved by the Confession of
the Party or by the Oath of any credible Witness, such Informer
shall be liable to a Penalty of not more than Ten Pounds.
XXXIV.