WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE, 1885
Title
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE, 1885
Description
No. 2 of 1885.
An Ordinance to make provision with respect to weights
and measures.
[1st April, 1885.]
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Weights and
Measures Ordinance, 1885.
2.-(1) The Governor shall cause to be deposited and
safely kept in the Treasury such weights and measures of
the standards in use in the United Kingdom, and of such
Chinese weights and measures, as are specified in the
Schedule, and the weights and measures so deposited shall
be the standard weights and measures of this Colony.
* As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1923.
+ As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1923.
(2) The governor shall cause to be made copies and
moddels of the several weights and measures so deposited,
and such copies and models shall be submitted to the
Treasurer, who shall cause the same to be verified, and,
if approved, stamped or marked in such manner as the
Treasurer may determine to show that the same have been
vefified and approved.
(3) Copies and models, after being so verified and ap-
proved, shall be deposited with the Capitan Superintendent
of Police, who shall keep the same for the purpose of
reference as hereinafter directed.
(4) If any copies or models so deposited are lost, destroyed,
defaced, or injured, they shall be replaced by others of the
same weight or measure duly verifeied and approved.
3.-(1) Any person wishing to compare any weight or
measure with the copy or model deposited with the Captain
Superintendent of Police shall be allowed access thereto at
reasonable times to the appointed by the Captain Super-
intendent of Police.
(2) The comparison shall be made in the presence of
the Captain Superintendent of Police or a Deputy Superin-
tendent, who, on being satisfied that the weight or measure
broughtfor comparison corresponds truly with the copy or
model, shall stamp or mark the same in such manner as the
Treasurer may determine to show that the same has been
compared and approved.
(3) Such peson shall defray all expenses of conveying his
weight or measure to or from the Central Police Station,
or shall deposti with the examiner of weights and measures
one dollar if such weight or measure is on shore, or two
dollars if it is on board a ship in the harbour, to defray such
expenses.
4. The Governor shall appoint propert persons to be
examiners of weights and measures, and may at pleasure
remove any person so appointed.
5. It shall be the duty of an examiner of weights and
measures to enter the business premsies of any person who
sells goods by weight or measure, and to examine any
* Any amended by Law Am. Ord., 1923.
weight, measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or
weighing-machine, found on such premises, and to seize any
weight, measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or
weighing-machne which appears to him to be false or
unjust.
6. Every person who-
(1) falsifies or wilfully injures any copy or model of a
standard weight or measure deposited with the Captain
Superintendent of Police; or
(2) uses, or has in his possession for use, any weight,
measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing-
machine which is false or unjust,
shall upon summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding
two hundred dollars in addition to any other penalty or
liability to which such person may be subject in respect of
such offence.
7. Where any fraud is wilfully committed in using any
weight, measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yar, or
weighing-machine, the person committing such fraud, and
every peson party to the fraud, shall upon summary convic-
tion be liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred dolars,
and further, the weight, measure, scal,e balance, steelyard,
weighing-yaed, or weighing-machine shall be liable to be
forfeited.
8. Every erson who wilfully or knowingly makes or sells,
or causes to be made or sold, any false or unjust weight,
measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing-
mahcine, shall upon summary conviction be liabel to a
fine not exceeding two hundred dolars, or, in the case of a
second or any subsequent offence, to sa fine not exceeding five
hundred dollars.
9. All weights and measures duly seized by an examiner
of weights and measures shall be forfeited to the Crown.
10. Nothing in this Ordinance shall apply to the buying
or selling or dealing in medicines, or precious metals, or
precious stones, or to weights or measures employed in
relation thereto.
* As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1923, and Law Am. Ord., 1923.
+ As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1923.
+ As amended by Law Am. Ord., 1923.
11. Measures of length, if made of wood or bamboo, shall
(except yaerd measures imported from the United Kingdom)
be tipped at the ends with metal to the satisfaction of the
examiner of weights and measures, or, in case of doubt, of a
magistrate, whose decision shall be final.
SCHEDULE. [s. 2.]
TABLE OF ENGLISH WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Weights. Measures of length.
Avoirupois. Troy. 1 yard, divided into feet and inches.
4 Ounces. 1/10 Ounce.
8 do. 2/10 do. Measures of capacity.
1 Pound. 3/10 do. 1 Half Gill. 1 Half Gallon.
2 Pounds. 5/10 do. 1 Gill. 1 Gallon.
4 do. 1 do. 1 Half Pint. 1 Peck.
7 do. 2 Ounces. 1 Pint. 1 Half Bushel.
14 do. 1 Quart. 1 Bushel.
28 do. The contents of each measure to be
56 do. not heaped, but falt and level with
the rim of the vesel.
TABLE OF CHINESE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Weights.
1 Fan (candareen)=0.0133 ounce avoirdupois.
1 Tsin (mace) =0.133 do. do.
1 Leung (tael) =1 1/3 do. do.
1 Kan (catty) =1 1/3 do. do.
1 Tam (picul) =133 1/3 do. do.
and the following: 2, 3, 4, 5, tales; 10, 17, 20, 30, 40, 50,
taels; 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 700, taels
Measures of length.
1 Clek(foot) equa to 14 5/8 English inches, divided into 10
tsum or inches, and each inch into 10 fan or tenths.
[Originally No. 8 of 1885. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Deposit of standard weights and measures in Treasury, and of copies and models with Captain Superintendent of Police. Schedule. Verification of weight or measure with copy or model. Examiners of weights and measures. Duty and powers of examiner. Flasifying weight, measure, etc. Penalty for fraud in use of weight, measure, etc. Penalty on sale of false weight, measure, etc. Forfeiture of weights and measures. Saving as to weights or measures for dealing in medicines, etc. Wooden measures of length to be tipped with metal.
Abstract
[Originally No. 8 of 1885. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Deposit of standard weights and measures in Treasury, and of copies and models with Captain Superintendent of Police. Schedule. Verification of weight or measure with copy or model. Examiners of weights and measures. Duty and powers of examiner. Flasifying weight, measure, etc. Penalty for fraud in use of weight, measure, etc. Penalty on sale of false weight, measure, etc. Forfeiture of weights and measures. Saving as to weights or measures for dealing in medicines, etc. Wooden measures of length to be tipped with metal.
Identifier
https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/1106
Edition
1923
Volume
v1
Subsequent Cap No.
68
Cap / Ordinance No.
No. 2 of 1885
Number of Pages
4
Files
Collection
Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online
Citation
“WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE, 1885,” Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online, accessed March 15, 2025, https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/1106.