PO LEUNG KUK INCORPORATION ORDINANCE, 1893

PO LEUNG KUK INCORPORATION ORDINANCE, 1893

No. 4 of 1893, repealed by No. 2 Of 1920.

No. 5 of 1893, repealed by NO. 21 Of 1927.

No. 6 of 1893.

An Ordinance for the incorporation of the Chinese society for
the prevention of kidnapping and for the protection of
women and children, commonly known as the Po Leung
Kuk.
[26th June, 1893.]

[Preamble, rep. Law Revision Ordinance, 1937.]

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Po Leung Kuk
Incorporation Ordinance, 1893.

2.-(1) Such persons as have heretofore or may hereafter
become donors of any sum not under twenty-five dollars to the
funds of the Society known as the Po Leung Kuk or may
subscribe annually to such funds a sum not under five dollars
(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 Ktik' (hereinafter called
the Society) 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.

(2) The Society shall have power to invest moneys upon
mortgage of any lands, hereditaments, buildings, messuages or
tenements or upon. the mortgages, debentures, stocks, funds,
shares or securities of any corporation or company, and also to
purchase, acquire and possess vessels and other goods and
chattels of what nature and kind soever.

As amended by No. 4 of 1932 [26.2.32] and Law Rev. Ord., 1937.





(3) The Society shall have power, with the consent in
writing of the Governor, to grant, sell, convey, assign,
surrender, exchange, partition, yield up, mortgage, transfer, or
otherwise dispose of, or to let or demise for'any,period exceeding
three years, any lands, buildings, messuages, or tenements,
which are for the time being vested in or belonging to it. In
any such transaction the signature ' of the Governor indorsed
on the document or documents by means of which the transaction
is effected shall be sufficient evidence that such consent was
given.

(4) The Soci.ety shall have power to let or demise for any
period not exceeding three years, upon such terms as it may
deem fit, any lands, buildings, messuages or tenements, which
are for the time being vested in or belonging to it.

(5) The Society shall have power fo sell, convey, assign,
surrender, exchange, partition, yield up, mortgage, demise'
re-assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of, upon such terms as
it may deem fit, any debentures, stocks, funds, shares, securities,
vessels, or other goods or chattels, which are for the time being
vested in or belonging to it.

.(6) All deeds and other documents requiring the seal of
the Society shall be sealed with its, common seal in the presence
of two members of the elected committee-and shall also be signed
by them, and such signing shall be taken as sufficient evidence
of the due seating of such deeds and'documents.

3. The Society is incorporated for the pu-rpose of assisting
the Government in the suppression of kidnapping and the
protection of women and children, of aiding by correspondence
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 th&ir relatives.or friends,
and of providing a, home for rescued women and children until
proper provision is made for their marriage, adoption, or settle~
ment 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 Direction (here-
inafter called the Board), and. by an elected committee (hereinafter
called the committee).





5.-(1) The Board shall consist of such number of members
as the Governor shall direct and. shall include the Secretary for
Chinese Affairs, who shall be ex officio the president, and . also
the members of the Executive Council. and of the Legislative
Council representing the Chinese, who shall be ex officio the
vice-presidents.

(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 sha 11 be held only during
the Governor's, pleasure.

6. The Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Ordin-
ance, have full power and authority to govern, direct, and decide
all matters whatsoever connected with the administration 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 regula-
tions 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 eorporate name and the
common seal of the. Society, and. the amount of the donation to
the funds of the Society hereinbefore prescribed 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.

The Board shall' have power to make regulations for
their procedure in the transaction of business and the mainten-
ance of good order at their. meetings, and for the guidance of
the~ committee, and generally for all matters relating to the
administration and mandgement of the Society and the discharge
of its various duties: Provi ' ded always that a copy of such
regulations shall be furnished to the Colonial Secretary, and
that they shall be subject to disallowance, alteration, or amend-
ment at any time by the Governor.

As amended by No. 4 of 1932 [26.2.32].
As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1937.





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 j
addition to his original.vote: Provided thati 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.-(i) 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 expiratio.d thereof.

IL-(A) 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 oMy.

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 1 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 or firm
name inscribed, and shall 'also cause proper books of account
to be kept, which shall be open' at all reasonable times to the
ifispection of members of the Society and of any person whom
,the Governor may appoint in that behalf.

(2) 1 The Board shall also, within one month after the ex-
piration of every,year, transmit to the Colonial Secretary a full
report of work. done during the previous year, together with
a true statement of the assets and liabilities of the 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. No. 5 of 1924.]

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 provis ions 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 thereout
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.

[s. 16, rep. Law Revision. Ordinance, 1937.]

17.. The buildings of the Society shall be kept and main-
tained for the objects and purposes specified in section 3 Out
of the voluntary subscriptions to the Society and out of such
income or money as the Society may derive from any source
whatever.

18. All buildings and premises of the Society shall be open,
at all reasonable. times, to the inspection of the Governor. of
the Conimissionerof Police, of any. two unofficial justices of
the peace who may be appointed by the Governor to, be visitors,
or of any other persons whom the Governor may appoint or
authorize in writing in that behalf.

19.-(1) It 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 conditions ag the Governor. may
sanction.

(2) Such officers of police and district watchmen shall
regularly report their proceedings to the Commissioner of
Police.

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 made for the protection of
such person's interests and liberty, 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.]
[25.11.27.] [Originally No. 10 of 1893. No. 18 of 1929. No. 4 of 1932. Law Rev. Ord., 1937.] 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 meetings of Board. Constitution of committee. Election of committee. Power of committee. Register of members. Cases in which in corporation may be determined. Disposal of property in case of incorporation ceasing. Buildings. Inspection of buildings. Use of services of police, etc. Course to adopted when person apprehended.

[25.11.27.] [Originally No. 10 of 1893. No. 18 of 1929. No. 4 of 1932. Law Rev. Ord., 1937.] 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 meetings of Board. Constitution of committee. Election of committee. Power of committee. Register of members. Cases in which in corporation may be determined. Disposal of property in case of incorporation ceasing. Buildings. Inspection of buildings. Use of services of police, etc. Course to adopted when person apprehended.

https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/1444

1937

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