REGISTRATION OF INHABITANTS ORDINANCE

REGISTRATION OF INHABITANTS ORDINANCE

ORDINANCE No. 16 0F 1844.

Registration of Inhabitants.

No. 16 of 1844.

An Ordinance for establishing a Registry of the Inhabitants of the Island
Title.
of HonIngkong and its Dependencies.

[21st August, 1$44.

WHEREAS to secure tranquillity and good order in the Colony of Hongkong
and
its dependencies, and to prevent the resort thereto of abandoned
characters
and of persons without any ostensible means of subsistence it is expedient
that a
registry be established of persons resident therein. Be it therefore
enacted and
ordained by His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong with the advice of
the'Legislabive
Council thereof that there be established in some convenient locality in
Victoria an
office to be entitled 'The Registration Office' and that this office do
consist of a
Registrar, and of such further officers and assistants and at such
salaries as the
Governor in Council may be pleased to appoint subject to Her Majesty's
pleasure.

.And be it further enacted and ordained that from and after the first day
of
November next, all mate inhabitants of the age of twenty-one years and
upwards or
capable of earning a livelihood resident in the Colony of Hongkong shall
be required
once in every year to appear personally at the said office or at such
branch offices as may
b© from time to time established by the Governor in Council to be there
registered in
manner hereinafter mentioned unless where it shall appear advisable to
the said
Registrar General to dispense with the personal appearance of any one
hereby required
to be registered.

Preamble.

Commencing 1st
November, 1844.

And be it further enacted and ordained that the said Registrar General or
such Entry of
other officer so to be appointed as aforesaid shall and map in all cases
where he shall particulars.
deem it advisable enquire into, and acquaint himself with the age
birthplace and
residence of every person so to be registered and with his occupation,
and date of
arrival in the Colony aforesaid and with the circumstances of his family
and con-
nexions and with their places of residence and occupation, and shall and
may ascertain
whether the said applicant be married and of what .number his family
consists and
whether male or female and that he do enter or cause to be entered all
such particulars
in a book to be kept for that purpose.

And be it further enacted and ordained that if upon enquiry it shall
appear to Ticket to be
the Registrar General or such other officer so to be appointed as
aforesaid that the said gotherw ser
applicant is a fit and proper person to be permitted to reside in the
said Colony it shall
be lawful for the said Registrar General or such other officers to be
appointed as
aforesaid to grant him a registration ticket upon payment of the fees
hereinafter
mentioned. Provided also that if upon enquiry it shall appear to the said
Registrar
General or such other officer so to be appointed as aforesaid that the
said unregistered
person is a vagabond or bad character or without visible means of
subsistence the said
Registrar General or such other oflicir as aforesaid shall have full
power and authority
to prohibit him from residing in the said Colony.
Penalty for
neglecting the
preceding.

Penalty,

Exemptions.

O RDI N ONCE No. 16 0>` 1844.

Registratirna of Inhabitants,

Ticket. And be it further enacted and ordained that the said registration
ticket shall
contain the name of the applicant and the number of the ticket and the
date at which it
is granted and such other particulars as to the aforesaid Registrar
General may seem
fit. Provided always, that as regards persona of Chinese origin or
extraction the
name of the applicant shall be in the Chinese character also.
Ticket to And be it further enacted and ordained that the said
registration ticket shall
oonrhnae in
force for one continue in force for the period of one year from the date
thereof and no longer and
year.
that on the expiration thereof any person who shall not forthwith apply
to be again
registered and obtain a fresh registration ticket shall be liable to the
penalties inflicted
~by the provisions of this Ordinance on persona residing in the said
Colony without
being registered.
Headmen And be it further enacted and ordained that if any person being a
headman
reqntredoto havo contractor or other shall hire any or other persona
coolies or workmen not being
the men in their
employ previously resident 'in the Colony for the purpose of executing any
work or service in
registered.
the said Colony he shall be bound and is hereby required as soon as the
said coolies
or workmen are landed in the said Colony to cause them to proceed to the
said office
or such branch offices as may be appointed in the manner hereinbefore
provided

And be it further enacted and ordained that if any person retain din his
or her
employment or harbour or suffer to reside in his or her house or on his
or here
premises any person hereby required to be registered who is not duly
registered
according to the provisions of this Ordinance lie shall be liable to a
penalty of nod
more than twenty dollars.
And be it further enacted and ordained that if any person liable to be
registered
under the provisions of ,this Ordinance shall be found residing in the
said Colony for
the apace of twenty-four hours without having been registered he shall be
liable to a
penalty of not more than twenty dollars. Provided always that nothing
herein
contained shall be construed to extend to persons employed on board ships
of war
or to officers or seamen belonging to merchant vessels lying in the
harbour or roads
of Victoria who previous to landing shall obtain from the master or said
officer in
charge of the said vessels leave to go ashore in writing under his hand.

'repoe to cans in And be it further enacted and ordained that all headmen
or tepos shall be bound -
returns when
called for. to give a return when called upon by the said registering
officer of the names and
occupation together with the particulars hereinbefore set forth of all
persons residing
in their respective villages or districts and shall specify in the said
return the number
of the house according to the register and the number of persons residing
in each
house and shall be liable to a penalty of not more than twenty dollars
for each
and every person hereby required to be registered found residing within
their respective'-'
villages or districts without being duly registered as aforesaid or whom
they shall
not-have reported to or caused to be brought before the said registering
officer.
Return to be And be it enacted and ordained that the said Registrar
General or such other,
made
houaehodera. officer so to be appointed as aforesaid shall if he or they
think fit cause to be delivered-
ORDINANCE No. 16 OF 1844.

Registration of Inhabitants.

or left at the residence or place of business of any householder or
householders a
blank return to be filled up before a certain day to be therein named
with the names
and numbers of persons in his ortheir employment or residing within his.
or their
house or houses or on his or their premises and that on or after the said
day named
in the said blank return the said householder or householders is or are
hereby
required to transmit the said return so filled up to the said Registrar
General or
such other officer so to be appointed as aforesaid and on failure to do
so the said
householder or householders shall be liable to a penalty of twenty
dollars each.

And be it further enacted and ordained that the following fees shall be
taken for Fees.
registration and shall be received by the Registrar General or such other
Acerm

so to be appointed as aforesaid at the time of the granting of the
registration ticket.

For registering any person being a merchant shopkeeper or comprador or
being in the receipt of a monthly income of twenty dollars or upwards the
sum of
five dollars.

For registering any person being a servant clerk mechanic or in the
receipt of a
monthly income not exceeding twenty dollars and not less than ten dollars
the sum
of three dollars.

For registering any person being a coolie boatman or labourer or being in
receipt of a monthly income of less than ten dollars the sum of one
dollar.

And be it further enacted and ordained that all lighters bumboats ferry
boats
and other vessels plying for hire within the harbours and waters of this
Colony shall
be duly registered with the number and description of the crew and of the
persons
living therein by the said registering officer or such other ofcer so to
be appointed
as aforesaid the said particulars to be entered in a book to be kept for
that purpose
and a. certificate of such registry shall be given to the master or
headman of such
lighter bumboat ferry boat or other vessel the number of such registry to
be legibly
painted in some conspicuous part of such lighter bumboat ferry boat or
other vessel.

Boats &c: to`

registered...

And be it further enacted and ordained that a fee shall be levied on
every goat fee.
certificate of registry so granted according to the rate of 6d per
registered ton or
if the boat be under one ton then 6d for such boat and in the case of
Chinese vessels
after the rate of 6d for every twenty peculs.

And be it further enacted and ordained that if any person not having
previously Penalty on
obtained such certificate of registry and not having painted the number
on such owners &C.,
lighter bumboat ferry boat or other vessel as is hereinbefore provided
shall let or
hire or cause to be let or hired any such lighter bumboat, ferry boat or
other vessel
within the waters of the said Colony or shall show a false certificate of
registry or
one granted for another vessel or shall permit or connive at the said
certificate being
made use of for another vessel or shall paint or exhibit a false number
on the said
lighter buxnboat ferryboat or other vessel he shall for every such
offence forfeit and
pay a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars.
ORDINANCE No. 16 of 1844.

Registration of Inhabitants.

And be it further enacted and ordained that all masters of Chinese vessels

frequenting the waters of this Colony shall report themselves immediately
upon their
arrival in such waters and previous to their departuf a to the
registering officer who

shall grant them a certificate of entry or clearance on payment of a fee
to be levied in
accordance with a scale hereafter at any time to be published by the
Governor in
Council and subject to such alterations as the Governor in Council may at
any time

And be it further enacted end ordained that every master of a Chinese
vessel
who shall not conform to the provisions of the section hereinbefore last
mentioned

ahalb forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding twenty dollars.

And be it further enacted and ordained that if any person shall wilfully,
conceal
or falsify, the particulars of any information required of him for the
purposes of this
Ordinance or shall on applying to be registered give a false name or
description or shall
transfer or lend his registration ticket to any other person or shall
wear or show the
registration ticket of another as his own for the purpose of evading the
provisions of

this Ordinance he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty
dollars.

And be it further enacted and ordained that all penalties enforced by this
Ordinance shall be recovered in a summary manner before any Police
Magistrate and
that one moiety thereof shall go and be paid to the informer and in
default of
payment the party shall be liable to imprisonment for any time not
exceeding two
calendar months.

[Repealed by Ordimmce No. 18 of 1844. ]
Title.
Preamble.
Commencing 1st November, 1844.
Entry of particulars.
Ticket to be granted or otherwise.
Ticket.
Ticket to continue in force for one year.
Hedmen contractors &c. required to have the men in their employ registered.
Penalty.
Exemptions.
Tepos to send in returns when called for.
Return to be made by househlders.
Fees.
boats &c. to be registered.
Boat fee.
Penalty on boat owners &c.
Masters of Chinese vessels to report themselves.
Penalty on evasion of this Ordinance.

Title.
Preamble.
Commencing 1st November, 1844.
Entry of particulars.
Ticket to be granted or otherwise.
Ticket.
Ticket to continue in force for one year.
Hedmen contractors &c. required to have the men in their employ registered.
Penalty.
Exemptions.
Tepos to send in returns when called for.
Return to be made by househlders.
Fees.
boats &c. to be registered.
Boat fee.
Penalty on boat owners &c.
Masters of Chinese vessels to report themselves.
Penalty on evasion of this Ordinance.

https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/20

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