the-ordinances-of-the-legislative-counci-1890v2 — Page 319

POST OFFICE . ( 1 OF 1887. ] 909
DEFAMATION AND LIBEL . 5 OF 1887. ]
4. No order must exceed £ 10 or $ 50 (unless drawn on India, when 150
Rupees is the limit) nor will more than two such orders be issued to the same
person , in favour of the same payee, by the same mail.
5. Money orders on the United Kingdom for even sums not exceeding £ 5
are granted by means of postal notes, as to which see separate notice or the
Hongkong Postal Guide.
6. Sums not exceeding $50 may be remitted between the ports of China
by means of postage stamps, subject to a charge of one per cent. for cashing
them ; or money orders can be granted at Hongkong or Shanghai on ports
where there are agencies of the Hongkong Post Office.
GENERAL Post OFFICE,
HONGKONG , 26T . APRIL, 1888.




No. 5 OF 1887.
An Ordinance entitled An Ordinance to amend the Law Title.
respecting Defamatory Words and Libel.
[ 22nd February, 1887. ]
* *
[3 of 1854. ]
1. This ordinance may be cited for all purposes as “ The De- Short title.
famation and Libel Ordinance, 1887."

3. In any action or suit for defamation it shall be lawful for Offer of an
the defendant ( after notice in writing of his intention so to do, missible
apolozy ad
duly given to the plaintiff within a reasonable time before the evidence in
hearing of the cause ) to give in evidence in mitigation of dam- damage
mitigation
s in of
ages that he made or offered an apology to the plaintiff for such for
action or suit
defama
defamation before the commencement of the action or suit or as tion ,
soon afterwards as he had an opportunity of doing so in case 96(4, and 7 V. c.
s. 1. ]
the action or suit shall have been commenced before there was
an opportunity of making or offering such apology.
4. In an action or suit for a libel contained in any public Plea of of
newspaper or other periodical publication it shall be competent malice, C.,
and of
to the defendant to set up as a defence that such libel was apology.
inserted in such newspaper or other periodical publication with- [ 6 and i7 v.c.
out actual malice, and without gross negligence, and that before 56,s.2.]
the commencement of the action or suit or at the earliest op
portunity afterwards, he inserted in such newspaper or other
periodical publication a full apology for the said libel , or if the
newspaper or periodical publication in which the said libel ap
peared should be ordinarily published at intervals exceeding