PO LEUNG KUK INCORPORATION ORDINANCE, 1893

PO LEUNG KUK INCORPORATION ORDINANCE, 1893

No. 6 of 1893

An ordinance for the incorporation of the chinese society
for the precention of kidnapping and for the protection
of women and childred, commonly known as the po leung kuk.


whereas in the year 1878 a chinese society entitled the po leung
kuk was formed in the colony for the prevention of kidnapping
and for the protection of women and childred and the same has
been supported and carried on partly by voluntary contributions up
to the present; and whereas the said society has from time to time
endered assistance to the government in the detection and
suppression of the crime of kidnapping and kindred offences and
in the rescue and restoration or maintenance of kidnapped persons:
and whereas it is desirable to give to the said society a permanent


As amended by law rev. ord., 1923.





and legal status and to endow the same with funds out of the
tresury: and whereas certain members of the said society have
applied to the governor to grant them an ordinance of incorpora-
tion, which the governor has consented to do, under and subject to
the conditions and provisions hereinafter contained:-

1. this ordinance may be cited as the po leung kuk
incorporation ordinance, 1893,

2. such persons as have heretofore or may hereafter become
donors of any sum not under twenty-five dollars to the funds
of the society or may subscribe annually to such funds a sum
not under five dollras (so long as they continue so to
subscribe), and whose names are entered upon the register of
members hereinafter mentioned, shall be one body politic and
corporate, in name and in deed, by the name of the po
leung kuk, with perpetual succession and a common seal,
and with power to purchase, acquire, receive, take, hold, and
enjoy to themselves and their successors any lands, tenements,
hereditaments, buildings, or other property of any kind
whatever for the purposes of the society, and shall and may
sue or take proceedings and be sued in their corporate name
in all courts.

3. the society is incorporated for the purpose of assisting
the government in the suppression of kidnapping and the
protection of women and childred: of aiding by correspond-
ence and other means in the detection and bringing to
justice of persons guilty of kidnapping and other kindred
offences: of helping to restore rescued persons to their
relatives or friends: and of providing a home for resened
women and childred until proper provision is made for their
marriage, adoption, or settlement in life, or otherwise for
their welfare.

4. the affairs of the society shall be managed and its
various functions discharged by a permanent board of direc-
tion (hereinafter called the board) and by an elected com-
mittee (hereinafter called the committee).

5.(1) the board shall consist of not less than five and
not more than ten persons, including the secretary for
chinese affairs, who shall be ex officio the president, and
also the members of the legislative council representing the
chinese, who shall be ex officio the vice-presidents.

As amended by law rev. ord., 1923.
As amended by law rev. ord., 1923, and law am ord., 1923.




(2) vacancies in the board shall be filled up by the
governor, who may call upon the continuing members of the
board for their recommendation.

(3) All appointments to the board shall be held only
during the governor's pleasure.

6. the board shall, subject to the provisions of this ordi-
nance, have full power and authority to govern, direct, and
decide all matters whatsoever connected with the administra-
tion of the affairs of the society and the accomplishment of
the objects and purposes thereof, subject to an appeal to the
governor, as hereinafter provided, and may at discretion
depute, by regulations or otherwise, a portion or the whole
of its power and authority to the elected committee.

7. the board shall have power, with the consent of the
governor, to change or vary the corporate name and the
common seal of the society, and the amount of the donation
to the funds of the sociery hereinbefore prsecribed as a
qualification for becoming a member thereof, and may, with
such consent as aforesaid, refuse to admit any person as a
member or may expel any existing member and cause his
name to be erased from the register.

8. the board shall have power to make regulations for
their procedure in the transaction of business and the
maintenance of good order at their meetings, and for the
guidance of the committee, and generally for all matters
relating to the administration and management of the society
and the discharge of its various duties; provided always
that a copy thereof shall be furnished to the colonial
secretary, and that they shall be subject to disallowance,
alteration, or amendment at any time by the governor.

9. all questions which may arise at any meeting of the
board shall be decided by a majority of votes, and , in case
of an equality of votes, the president shall have a casting
vote in addition to his original vote: provided that, in any
case in which the board is divided in opinion, the president
or any two members of the board may demand that the point
be referred to the governor for his decision, which shall in
every such case be final.

10. (1) the committee shall consist of not less than six
and not more than twelve members of the society, to be
elected as hereinafter mentioned, who shall from time to time
appoint one of their body to be chairman.




(2) every member of the committee shall hold office for
the term of one year only, but shall be eligible for re-election
at the expiration thereof.

11.(1) the members of the committee shall be elected
as occasion may require by a majority of votes of members
of the society who may be within the colony at the time of
such election.

(2) Every such member of the society, whether a firm or
individual, shall be entitled to one vote only.

12. The committee shall, subject to such regulations as
may be made by the board in that behalf, undertake and
exercise the immediate supervision and management of the
work of the society.

13. (1) the board shall cause a register to be kept in
which every person or firm, desiring to become a member of
the society and being duly qualified shall, subject to the
provisions of section 7, be entitled to have his name of firm
to be kept, which shall also cause proper books of account
inspection of members of the society and of any person
whom the governor may appoint in that behalf.

(2) the board shall also, within one month after the expiration
of every year, transmit to the colonial secretary a full
report of work done during the previous year, together
society and an account of their receipts and disbursements
during the previous year, and such statement shall be
verified upon oath before a justice of the peace by two
members of the board.

[(3), rep. law amendment ordinance, 1923.]

14. In case it is at any time shown, to the satisfaction of
the governor, that the society has ceased, or neglected, or
failed to carry out in a proper manner the objects and
purposes of its establishment as set forth in section 3, or the
objects and purposes of this ordinance, or to fulfil the
conditions thereof, it shall be lawful for the governor, by an
ordinance to be passed for that purpose, to repeal this
ordinance and to declare that the incorporation hereby
granted shall cease and determine and become absolutely
void,.







15. In case the incorporation hereby granted ceases under
the provisions of section 14, all the property and assets of the
society shall, for the purposes hereinafter mentioned, become
vested in the crown, subject to the rateable payment there-
out of the just debts and liabilities, if any, of the society, to
the extent of such property and assets, and the balance of
such property and assets shall be applied by the governor
towards the objects for which the society was established or
such of them as the governor may, in his discretion, deem
best.

16. for the purposes of the society and to make provision
for a building or buildings for temporarily housing and
maintaning women and girls detained under the provisions
of any ordinance relating to the protection of women and
girls and as the asylum for them during such detention, it
shall be lawful for the governor in council to authorise the
payment to the society of a sum not exceeding 20,000 dollars.

17. the buildings of the society shall be kept and main-
tained for the objects and purposes specified insection 3 out
of the voluntary subsciptions to society and out of such
income or money as the society may derive from any source
whatever.

18. all buildings and premises of the sociery shall be
open, at all reasonable times, to the inspection of the
governor, of the captain superintendent of police, of any
two unfofficial judtices of the peace who may be appointed by
the governor to be visitors, or of any other persons whom
the governor may appoint or authorise in writing in that
behalf.

19 .(1) if shall be lawful for the governor, to direct that
the services of certain subordinate officers of police and of
certain district watchmen shall be placed at the disposal of
the society, on such terms and under such conditionsa as the
governor may sanction.

(2) such officers of police nad district watchmen shall
regularly report their proceedings to the captain super-
intendent of police.

as amended by law rev. ord., 1923.


20. Any person apprehended by any police officer shall,
without unreasonable delay, be sent or taken to a police
station, and any woman, or girl, or other person in respect of
whom there is cause to suspect that an offence has been,
or is being, or is about to be committed may be taken at once
to such place as may be provided by the society or to such
other place of safety as the secretary for chinese affairs
may direct, there to remain until proper provision can be
and so that in the meantime the evidence of such person may
be available when required.

[s. 21, rep. No. 31 of 1911; Schedule, rep. No. 1 of 1912.]

[Originally No. 10 of 1893. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Incorporation of Po Leung Kuk Society. Object and purpose of incorporation. Management of Society. Permanent Board of Direction. General powers of Board. Further powers of Board. Regulations. Determination of questions at meeting of Board. Constitution of committee. Election of committee. Powers of committee. Register of members. Cases in which incorporation may be determined. Disposal of property in case of incorporation ceasing. Government grant. [cf. No. 4 of 1897.] Buildings. Inspection of buildings. Use of services of police, etc. Course to be adopted when person apprehended.

[Originally No. 10 of 1893. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Incorporation of Po Leung Kuk Society. Object and purpose of incorporation. Management of Society. Permanent Board of Direction. General powers of Board. Further powers of Board. Regulations. Determination of questions at meeting of Board. Constitution of committee. Election of committee. Powers of committee. Register of members. Cases in which incorporation may be determined. Disposal of property in case of incorporation ceasing. Government grant. [cf. No. 4 of 1897.] Buildings. Inspection of buildings. Use of services of police, etc. Course to be adopted when person apprehended.

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1923

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No. 6 of 1893

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