the-ordinances-of-the-legislative-counci-1890 — Page 88

52 ORDINANCE No. 14 OF 1844.


Public Gaming.


No. 14 of 1844.

Title. An Ordinance for the suppression of Public Gaming in the Colony of
Hongkong .

[ 10th June, 1844. ]
Preamble. HEREAS it is expedient to suppress the pernicious practice of public gaming
W in the Colony of Hongkong : Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the

Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, that any
person who shall for gain or lucre keep any house, room, or place , boat, vessel, or any
Penalty on person place on land or water, for public playing or gambling, or shall permit any person to
keeping a
gambling house.
play within such house, room, boat, vessel, or any place on land or water as aforesaid,
shall forfeit a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars on conviction thereof in a
summary manner.

Penalty on 2. And be it enacted, that any person who shall use, haunt, or be found within
persons haunting
gambling houses. such house, room, boat, vessel, or any place on land or water as aforesaid , shall forfeit
a sum not exceeding fifty dollars on conviction thereof in a summary manner.

Person acting as 3. And be it enacted that the person appearing, or acting as master, or as having
master to be
liable to penalty. the care and management of any such house, room, or place as aforesaid, shall be taken
to be the keeper thereof, and shall be liable as such to the penalty aforesaid.

Justice ofthe 4. And be it further enacted that it shall be lawful for any Justice of the Peace
Peace or consta
ble authorized or constable of the Police duly authorized by warrant of any Justice of the Peace, to
by warrant to
enter into house enter and if necessary to break into any house, room, boat, vessel, or any place either
and seize imple
ments of gaming
money &c., which on land or water, within which such Justice of the Peace shall be credibly informed
shall be forfeited.
on oath, or shall have reasonable grounds of his own knowledge to suspect and believe
that public gambling or playing is, or has been commonly carried on , and to arrest all
persons within such house, room , or place as aforesaid , and to seize all tables, dice, or
other implements of gambling, or which shall be used as such and also all monies or
securities for money, which shall be in actual use for the purpose of gambling, and which
said implements of gambling, and money, or securities for money , on conviction of the
offender shall be and they are hereby declared to be forfeited to Her Majesty the
Queen Her Heirs and Successors.

Penalties to be 5. And be it enacted, that all penalties herein mentioned, shall be recovered
recovered
according to the levied and distributed on conviction of the offender before any Magistrate of Police,
rovisions of
Ordinance No. 10
of 1814. or any two Justices of the Peace, in the manner provided by Ordinance No. 10 of 1844.




[ Repealed by Ordinance No. 9 of 1876. ]