PREVENTION OF PIRACY ORDINANCE

PREVENTION OF PIRACY ORDINANCE

ORDINANCE No. 3 of 1847.

Piracy.

No. 3 of 184?.
An Ordinances for the Prevention of Piracy.

Title.

[25th March, 1847.E

WHEREAS it has become necessary to adopt. further stops for the
prevention of Preamble.
piracies; and whereas His Excellency the Chinese Imperial Commissioner has
disavowed the right of private vessels belonging to the people of his
nation to carry
fire-arms, and at the same time assented to any necessary measures on the
part of the
Government of Hongkong for putting down piracy

1. Be it therefore enacted and ordained, that from and after the passing
of this nnthortto

search 0~sae
Ordinance, the captain or officers of every British ship of war ox other
vessel duly vessoln or junk&
authorized by the Government of this Colony, or every Magistrate or
officer of Police,
Harbour Master, or officer of the Harbour Master's Department, are hereby
authorize
to board and enter every Chinese vessel or junk reasonably suspected of
being a pirat-
ical vessel, and search the same.

And be it further enaeted,and ordained, that the possession by any Chinese
vessel whatever (not being a be,rnment vessel) of the offensive weapons
called fire.
pits or stink-pots, shalhbe held end deemed to be proof of a piratical
vessel.

-r~. $, And be it further enacted and ordained, that the possession by
any Chinese
vessel whatever (not being a Government vessel) of any offensive arms or
weapons,
shall be held and deemed to be proof of a piratical vessel, and such
vessel with its
contents shall be forfeited; unless it shall appear that such. Chinese
vessel was duly
licensed to carry such arms or weapons as hereinafter mentioned.

4. And be it further enacted and ordained, that all trading junks,
lorohas; large
fast-boats and other vessels belonging to Hongkong, being duly registered
and licensed
by the Registrar General, under and by virtue of the provisions of
Ordinance No. 7 of
1846, intituled ' An Ordinance to repeal Ordinance No.18 of 1844, and to
establish a more
effectual Registry of the Chinese Inhabitants, and a Census of the
Population of the
Island of Hongkong,' shall andmay carry the same flag as other British
merchant vessels,
with the numbers of their register inscribed in large white figures in
the centre of
the said flag, so as to be distinguishable at a distance; and the
Registrar General is
hereby authorized to grant such flag as aforesaid; and every trading
junk, lorcha,
large fast-boat, or other vessel belonging as aforesaid, which shall use
the said flag
without being duly registered and licensed as aforesaid, shall be
forfeited, and the owner
or master of such trading junk, lorcha, or large fast-boat, or other
vessel, shall in
addition pay a fine not exceeding fifty dollars.

5. And be it further enacted and ordained, that all trading junks,
lorchas, large
feet-boats, and other vessels belonging to Hongkong not duly registered
and licensed
to carry arms, and all trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, and
other vessels duly
registered and licensed as before mentioned, having on board other arms
or a larger
quantity of arms than are specified in their register, shall be held and
deemed to.be

Chinese vessels
having on board
fire-pots or stink.
pole, to be deem-

ed piratical
vessels.

Chinese vessels
oarryittg d8en-
eive arena Gr,
weapons liable,
to forfeltAx&.

Proviso.

Tradingjanke,
lorchsa,large
faste.,
duly registered,
'to carry a Bag.

Registrar Gene.
ral authorized
to grant such
flag,

Trading junks,
lorchas, large
fast-boats, &c.,
not duly re4is
tered, carrying
the flag to be
forfeitedi.

Penalty oft the
master Porgy~e
the gag wit
licence.

Trading: J~luas, .

lorchaeylafaat,-
havIng other'
arena on hoard
than those cps.
Piracy

Ordinance No. 3 of 1847.

the property of pirates, and as such liable to forfeiture by process in
the Court of Yice-
Admiralty; and the master or owner of every trading junk, lorcha, large
fast-boat,
or other vessel already registered and licensed as aforesaid (or
hereafter to be registered
and licensed), is hereby required to cause the number, quality, and
description of the
arms on board of such trading junk, lorcha, large fast-boat, or other
vessel, to be
inserted in or endorsed on the register of the said vessel; and every
such master or
owner is hereby required to produce such register to the Registrar
General (who shall
make such insertion or endorsement as aforesaid) under a penalty not
exceeding fifty
dollars.

6. And be it further enacted and ordained, that the master or commander
of all
trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, and other vessels duly
registered and licensed
as before mentioned, and trading or plying between Hongkong and any part
of the do-
minions of the Emperor of China, shall, whenever they shall come in sight
of any
European ship or other vessel, hoist their flag in some conspicuous part
of their said
vessel, under a penalty not exceeding fifty dollars; and the master and
officers of every
British or other vessel who shall meet or fall in with any trading junk,
lorcha, large
feat-boat, or other vessel bearing or carrying the flag aforesaid, is or
are hereby re-
quired to note the number of the said flag in their log-book, and also
the time and
place when and where such meeting shall occur, and to. report the same to
the Harbour
Master or Consul at the port of their destination. .

7. And be it further enacted and ordained, that the penalties mentioned
in the
three preceding sections of this Ordinance shall be recoverable in the
same manner~as
penalties are made recoverable by Ordinance No. 10 of 1844, entitled °°
An Ordinance.to
regulate summary Proceedings before Justices of the Peace, and to protect
Justices, in
the Execution of their. Duty.'

[Disallowance Proclaimed 1st January, 1848.]
Title.
Preamble.
Authority to search Chinese vessels or junks.
Chinese vessels having on board fire-pots or stink-pots, to be deemed piratical vessels.
Chinese vessels carrying offensive arms or weapons liable to forfeiture.
Proviso.
Trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, &c., duly registered, to carry a flag.
Registrar General authorized to grant such flag.
Trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, &c., not duly registered, carrying the flag, to be forfeited.
Penalty on the master for using the flag without licence.
Trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, &c. having other arms on board than those specified 222

in their registers, to be deemed the property of pirates, and liable to forfeiture.
Masters of owners of vessels to have the number, quality &c., of arms on board, inserted in their registers. Penalty.
Masters or commanders of junks, lorchas, &c., to show their flag.
Penalty.
Penalty how to be recovered.

Title.
Preamble.
Authority to search Chinese vessels or junks.
Chinese vessels having on board fire-pots or stink-pots, to be deemed piratical vessels.
Chinese vessels carrying offensive arms or weapons liable to forfeiture.
Proviso.
Trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, &c., duly registered, to carry a flag.
Registrar General authorized to grant such flag.
Trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, &c., not duly registered, carrying the flag, to be forfeited.
Penalty on the master for using the flag without licence.
Trading junks, lorchas, large fast-boats, &c. having other arms on board than those specified 222

in their registers, to be deemed the property of pirates, and liable to forfeiture.
Masters of owners of vessels to have the number, quality &c., of arms on board, inserted in their registers. Penalty.
Masters or commanders of junks, lorchas, &c., to show their flag.
Penalty.
Penalty how to be recovered.

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No. 3 of 1847

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