SALT, OPIUM LICENSING & c. ORDINANCE

SALT, OPIUM LICENSING & c. ORDINANCE

Penalty for
weighing salt or
retelling opium
bhasna garja
paun betel and -
betel-leaf
contrary to law
and.regnlattons:

ORD11NIANCE No. 21 of 184.

Salt, Opium Licensing 4c.

No. 21 of 1844.

An Ordinance for licensing the Sale of Salt Opium. Bhaan~ Ganja 1'sun
Betel and Betel-leaf within the Colony' of Hon0g and for the
licensing of Pawnbrokers and Auctioneers with a Table of Fees on
Official Licences and Signatures.

[26th November, i844.]

Preamble. WHEREAS it is expedient to raise such funds as may be necessary
to defray the
civil expenses of the Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies.
No person to act ~1. Be it therefore enacted- and ordained with a view to
the part performance of
as weigher or
broker of salt or such object by His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong
with the advice of the
reran opium
bhaang gan,/a Legislative Council thereof: That no person shall within the
said Island of Hongkong
pdnn betel or
betel-leaf nousa licence or its dependencies or the waters thereof carry
on the trade or occupation of a weigher
for that purpose.
l; or broker of salt or sell or retail any opium bhaang ganja paun betel
or betel-leaf in
a smaller quantity than one chest for consumption without having
previously obtained
a licence for that purpose from the Governor for the time being in
Council.
Power (oven to 2, And be it further enacted and ordained that it shall be
lawful for the Governor
Gtovernor in
Council
such Ikon grant ao for the time being in Council to grant by licence to
one or more persons the exclusive
one or more

persona right and privilege of exercising the trade or occupation of a
broker or weigher of

. salt and of selling or retailing opium bhaang ganja pawn betel and
betel-leaf for
eonautnption in any quantity leas than one chest within the said Colony
and its
dependencies and the waters thereof.
Licences how to 3. And be it further enacted and ordained that the said
licence or licences shall
be granted.
be granted to the highest bidders to be ascertained either by public
auction or by
tenders to be sent in, in pursuance of public notice to that effect, and
on such conditions
relative to the giving of security for thd payment of the sum tendered
and for the
maintenance 'o£ good order and the prevention o£ riots or disturbances
among the
persons engaged in the salt-trade or on -the premises of persons
retailing or selling
opium bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf for consumption within the
said Colony
of Hongkong or its dependencies or the waters thereof and subject to such
other
regulations in all respects as from time to time to Ibis Excellency the
Governor with
the advice of the said Executive Council may seem fit.

4. And be it further enacted and ordained that if any person without
having
obtained such licence as aforesaid or the permission or authority of the
person so
licensed as aforesaid shall exercise or carry on the trade or occupation
of weighing
salt within the said Colony of Hongkong and its dependencies yr the
waters thereof
or shall sell or retail opium bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf for
consumption
in any quantity less than one chest or shall infringe any of the
regulations from time
to time established by the- Governor in Council under the authority of
this Ordinance
he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars to be
recovered in
;~ summary manner before -any Magistrate of Police and in default of the
said penalty
ORDINANCE No. 21 of 1844.

Salt, Opium Licensing 4c.

being duly paid after conviction the same shall be levied by distress in
the usual man-
ner on the offender's goods and chattels and if there be no sufficient
distress every such
offender shall be liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six
calendar
months.

5. And be it further enacted and ordained that it shall and may be lawful
to and
for the said Governor in, Council from time to time to make such further
regulations
or orders as to him shall seem fit, respecting the weighing or vending of
salt or
opium bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf with a power to enforce the
same by
such penalties as shall seem expedient, provided always that such
penalties shall not
exceed those hereinbefore imposed.

6. And be it further enacted and ordained that it shall and may be lawful
to and
for the said Governor with the advice of the said Council to make
hereafter all such
rules and regulations as to him may seem expedient concerning the farming
selling
and retailing of bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf and that in the
making
and enforcing of such rules and regulations he shall be vested with all
and singular the
powers and authority hereby vested in him with respect to the farming
selling and
retailing of opium.

And be it further enacted and ordained that uo person shall exercise or
carry
on the trade or occupation of a pawnbroker or of an auctioneer or shall
keep a public
billiard table without having previously obtained a licence from the
Governor for the
time being in Council which licence shall endure for the space of one
year from the
date thereof provided always that every person taking out a pawnbroker's
or an
auctioneer's licence or licence for a public billiard. table shall pay
into the Colonial
Treasury such sums as to His Excellency the Governor with the advice of
the
Executive Council may seem fit the said sums to be paid previous to the
granting of
such licence or licences.

8. And be it further enacted and ordained that if any person shall
without having penalty $2100.
obtained such licence as aforesaid carry on or exercise the trade or
occupation of a
pawnbroker or auctioneer or keep a public billiard table or either or any
of them
or shall be convicted of exposing for sale or putting up any thing
whatever to public
auction or of taking any thing whatever in pawn he shall be liable to a
penalty not
exceeding two hundred dollars to be recovered in a summary manner before
any Police
Magistrate and in default of payment the same to be levied by distress of
his goods and
chattels.

9. And be it further enacted and ordained that the Governor in Council if
he see
fit shall be empowered to levy an auction duty of two-and-a-half per cent
on all sales
by auction within this Colony.

10. And be it further enacted and ordained that every person who shall
act as an
auctioneer in the said Colony shall make and give at the office of the
Colonial
Secretary once in every three months a faithful and true return on oath
of all the sums
received at sales made by him as auctioneer within the said three months
and that

Power to
Governorin
Council to make
regulations from
time to time.

Power to
Governor in
Council to make
like regulations
for the farming
selling and
retailing of
bhaang ganja i
pann betel and
betel-leaf as for
opium.

No person to act
as pavrnbroker
auctioneer or
keep public
billiard table
without e
licence.

Auction duty
of 2j per cent.

Auctioneer to
make quarterly
returns on oath
and deduct

auction duties:.
Ordinance No. 21 of 1844.

Salt, Opium Licensing & c.

every such auctioneer shall from every sum received by him on the sale of
any article
by him in that capacity deduct the sum saneticined under this Ordinance
and pay the
amount thereof into the Colonial Treasury quarterlyrand it is hereby
declared that any
such auctioneer failing duly to comply with the provisions of this
section shall be
considered to have forfeited his licence and such licence shall be
absolutely void by
such neglect or default.

11. And be it further enacted and ordained that the following official
fees as set
forth in the annexed table shall be levied and made payable from and
after the passing
,of this Ordinance all fees so levied to be paid into the Colonial
Treasury.

TABLE OP' FEES TO BE LEVIED AS FOLLOws:-

For granting a marriage licence
For the signature of the Governor

For the signature of the Colonial Secretary -

g fee amounting to .21 per cent on the annual value or salary of any
commissions
or appointments by His Excellency the Governor..

[Repealed by Ordinance No. o of 1845.]
Title.
Preamble.
No person to act as weigher or broker of salt or retail opium bhaang ganja paun betel or betel-leaf without a licence for that purpose.
Power given to Governor in Council to grant such licences to one or more persons.
Licences how to be granted.
Penalty for weighing salt or retailing opium bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf contrary to law and regulations.
Power to Governor in Council to make regulations from time to time.
Power to Governor in Council to make like regulations for the farming selling and retailing of bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf as for opium.
No person to act as pawnbroker auctioneer or keep public billiard table without a licence.
Penalty $200.
Auction duty of 2 1/2 per cent.
Auctioneer to make quarterly returns on oath and deduct auction duties.
108

Table of official fees to be levied after the passing of this Orinance.

Title.
Preamble.
No person to act as weigher or broker of salt or retail opium bhaang ganja paun betel or betel-leaf without a licence for that purpose.
Power given to Governor in Council to grant such licences to one or more persons.
Licences how to be granted.
Penalty for weighing salt or retailing opium bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf contrary to law and regulations.
Power to Governor in Council to make regulations from time to time.
Power to Governor in Council to make like regulations for the farming selling and retailing of bhaang ganja paun betel and betel-leaf as for opium.
No person to act as pawnbroker auctioneer or keep public billiard table without a licence.
Penalty $200.
Auction duty of 2 1/2 per cent.
Auctioneer to make quarterly returns on oath and deduct auction duties.
108

Table of official fees to be levied after the passing of this Orinance.

https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/25

1890

v1

No. 21 of 1844

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