Sessional_Paper_1899 — Page 496

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493

No. 29

99

HONGKONG.

PETITION WITH REFERENCE TO THE BILL ENTITLED "AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ARMS CONSOLIDATION ORDINANCE, 1895."

Presented to the Legislative Council.

In the matter of the Arms Consolidation Ordinance, 1895,

and

In the matter of a proposed Ordinance to amend the Arms

Consolidation Ordinance, 1895.

His Excellency Sir HENRY BLAKE, G.C.M.G.,

Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong and Vice-Admiral of the same,

And to the Legislative Council of the said Colony.

Respectfully Sheweth :-

The Humble Petition of The Tung Tak firm of No. 191 Queen's Road Central, The Yow Foo firm of No. 356 Queen's Road Central, The Chee Yan firm of No. 230 Queen's Road Central, The Fook Lung firm of No. 14 Fat Hing Street, The Tak Lung firin of No. 322 Queen's Road Central, The Wing Tack firm of No. 16 Queen's Road West, The Luen Wo firm of No. 12 Queen's Road West, The Cheung Tai firm of No. 140 Praya West. The Tung Sing firm of No. 54 Queen's Road West, and the Kwong Tak Cheong firm of No. 215 Queen's Road West, all of Victoria, in the Colony of Hongkong, Arms Dealers.

1. That your Petitioners are dealers in arms as defined by section 3 of Ordinance No. 8 of 1895 carrying on business in the Colony of Hongkong at the respective

addresses above mentioned.

2. That at the present time there are eleven Chinese firms licensed under the said Ordinance No. 8 of 1895 at Victoria aforesaid carrying on the said business of dealers in arms of whom your l'etitioners are ten, the remaining firm being the Yow Cheong firm of No. 206 Queen's Road Central, Victoria aforesaid.

3. That at the present time your Petitioners, in accordance with the provisions of section 10 of the said Ordinance No. 8 of 1895, pay to the Government of this Colony an annual fee of $10 in respect of the licence to deal in aris granted to them under section 10 of the said Ordinance No. 8 of 1895.

4. That your petitioners are informed that a Bill entitled "An Ordinance to amend the Arms Consolidation Ordinance, 1895," has been recently introduced into the Legislative Council of this Colony and was read a first time by the said Council on the 20th June, 1899, whereby it is proposed to enact (inter alia) that [section 3] section 10 of Ordinance No. 8 of 1895 shall be thereby repealed and in lieu thereof the following section substituted :-

"Every importer of or dealer in arms shall take out a licence annually and shall register his name and place of business for the time being, and any godown, warehouse or other place in which he stores or intends to store arms, at the Office of the Captain Superintendent of Police. Any importer of or dealer in arms not taking out such licence as aforesaid or not register- ing as aforesaid shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceed- ing two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six monthis. From and after the commencement of this Ordinance the fee payable for such licence as aforesaid shall be $1,200 per annum payable in advance, but no person, who at the date of the commencement of this