WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE, 1885
Title
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE, 1885
Description
ORDINANCE No. 2 OF 1885.
Weights and Measures
AN ORDINANCE to make provision with respect to Weights and
Measures. [1st April, 1885.]
BE it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the
Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance may be eited as the Weights and Measures Ordi-
nance, 1885.
2.-(1.) The Governor shall cause to be deposited and safely kept in
the Colonial Treasury such weights and measures of the standards in use
in the United Kingdom and of such Chinese weights and measures as
are specified in the Schedule to this Ordiance, and the weights and
measures so deposited shall be the standard weights and measures of
this Colony.
(2.) The Governor shall cause to be made copies and models of the
several weights and measures so deposited, and such copies and models
shall be submitted to the Colonial Treasurer, who shall cause the same
to be verified, and, if approved, stamped, or marked in such manner as
the Colonial Treasurer may from time to time determine to show that
the same have been verified and approved.
(3.) Copies and models after being so verified and approved shall be
deposited with the Police Magistrates, who shall keep the same for the
purposes of reference as hereinafter directed.
(4.) If any copies or models deposited with a Police Magistrate are
lost, destroyed, defaced, or injured, they shall be replaced by others of
the same weight or measure duly verified and approved.
3.-(1.) Any person wishing to compare any weight or measure with
the copy or model deposited with a Police Magistrate shall be allowed
access to such copy or model for the purpose of making such comparison,
at reasonable times to be appointed by the Magistrate in his discretion.
(2.) The comparison shall be made in the Magistrate's presence, and
the Magistrate, on being satified that the weight or measure brought
for comparison corresponds truly to the copy or medel, shall stamp or
mark the same in such manner as the Colonial Treasurer may from tim
to time determine to show that the same has been compared and ap-
proved.
(3.) Such person shall defray all expenses of conveying his weight or
measure to or from the Police Court, or shall deposit with the examiner
one dollar if such weight or measure is on shore, or two dollars if it is on
board a ship in the harbour, to defray such expenses.
4. The Governor shall from time to time appoint proper persons to
be examiners of weights and measures, and may at pleasure remove
any person so appointed.
5. It shall be the duty of an examiner of weights and measurers to enter
the business premises of any person who sells goods by weight or mea-
sure and examine the weight, measure, scale, balance, steelyard, wiegh-
ing-yard, or weighing-machine, found on such premises, and to seize
any weight, measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weigh-
ing-machine which appears to him to be false or unjust.
6.-(1.) Every person who-
(1.)falsifies or wilfully injures any compy or model of a standard weight
or measure deposited with a Police Magistrate; or
(2.) uses, or has in his possession for use, any weight, measure, scale,
balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing-machine which is
false or unjust; or
(3.) obstructs any examiner of weights and measures in the discharge
of his duty as such examiner,
shall, on summary conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to a penalty
not exceeding two hundred dollars for each offence, apart from and in
addition to any other penalty or liability to which such person may be
subject in respect of such offence.
7. Where any fraud is wilfully committed in the using of any weight,
measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing machine,
the person commiting such fraud, and every person party to the fraud,
shall, on summary conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to a penalty
not exceeding two hundred dollars for each offence, and the wight,
meausre, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or wighing-machine
shall be liable to be forfeited.
8.-(1) No person shall wilfully or knowingly make or sell, or cause
to be made or sold, any false or unjust weight, measure, scale, balance,
steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing-machine.
(2.) Every person who acts in contravention of this section shall, on
summary conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to a penalty not ex-
ceeding two hundred dollars or, in the case of a second or any subse-
quent offence, five hundred dollars.
9. All weights and measures duly seized by an examiner of weights
and measures under the provisions of this Ordinance shall be forfeited
to the Crown.
10. Nothing in this Ordinance shall apply to the buying or selling or
dealing in meadicines, or precious metals, or precous stones or to weights
or measures employed in relation thereto.
Length.
1 Chek(foot)equal to 145/8 English inches, divided into 10 Tsun or inches,
and each inch into 10 Fan or tenths.
The contents of each measure to be not heaped, but flat and level with the
rim of the vessel.
Measures of length, if made of wood or bamboo, shall (except yard meas-
sures imported from the United Kingdom) be tipped at the ends with metal,
to the satisfaction of the examiner of weights and measures, or, in case of
doubt, of a Police Magistrate, whose decision shall be final.
A.D. 1885. Ordinance No. 8 of 1885, with Ordinance No. 26 of 1901 incorporated.
Short title.
Deposit of standard weights and measures in Treasury and of copies and models with Magistrate Schedule.
Verification of weight or measure with copy or model. Appointment of examiners of weights and measures. Duty and powers and examiner. Flasifying weight, measure, etc. Penalty for fraud in use of weight measure, etc. Penalty on sale of false weight, measure, etc. Forfeiture of weights and measures duly seized. Saving as to weights or measures for dealing in medicines, etc. Section 2.
Weights and Measures
AN ORDINANCE to make provision with respect to Weights and
Measures. [1st April, 1885.]
BE it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the
Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance may be eited as the Weights and Measures Ordi-
nance, 1885.
2.-(1.) The Governor shall cause to be deposited and safely kept in
the Colonial Treasury such weights and measures of the standards in use
in the United Kingdom and of such Chinese weights and measures as
are specified in the Schedule to this Ordiance, and the weights and
measures so deposited shall be the standard weights and measures of
this Colony.
(2.) The Governor shall cause to be made copies and models of the
several weights and measures so deposited, and such copies and models
shall be submitted to the Colonial Treasurer, who shall cause the same
to be verified, and, if approved, stamped, or marked in such manner as
the Colonial Treasurer may from time to time determine to show that
the same have been verified and approved.
(3.) Copies and models after being so verified and approved shall be
deposited with the Police Magistrates, who shall keep the same for the
purposes of reference as hereinafter directed.
(4.) If any copies or models deposited with a Police Magistrate are
lost, destroyed, defaced, or injured, they shall be replaced by others of
the same weight or measure duly verified and approved.
3.-(1.) Any person wishing to compare any weight or measure with
the copy or model deposited with a Police Magistrate shall be allowed
access to such copy or model for the purpose of making such comparison,
at reasonable times to be appointed by the Magistrate in his discretion.
(2.) The comparison shall be made in the Magistrate's presence, and
the Magistrate, on being satified that the weight or measure brought
for comparison corresponds truly to the copy or medel, shall stamp or
mark the same in such manner as the Colonial Treasurer may from tim
to time determine to show that the same has been compared and ap-
proved.
(3.) Such person shall defray all expenses of conveying his weight or
measure to or from the Police Court, or shall deposit with the examiner
one dollar if such weight or measure is on shore, or two dollars if it is on
board a ship in the harbour, to defray such expenses.
4. The Governor shall from time to time appoint proper persons to
be examiners of weights and measures, and may at pleasure remove
any person so appointed.
5. It shall be the duty of an examiner of weights and measurers to enter
the business premises of any person who sells goods by weight or mea-
sure and examine the weight, measure, scale, balance, steelyard, wiegh-
ing-yard, or weighing-machine, found on such premises, and to seize
any weight, measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weigh-
ing-machine which appears to him to be false or unjust.
6.-(1.) Every person who-
(1.)falsifies or wilfully injures any compy or model of a standard weight
or measure deposited with a Police Magistrate; or
(2.) uses, or has in his possession for use, any weight, measure, scale,
balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing-machine which is
false or unjust; or
(3.) obstructs any examiner of weights and measures in the discharge
of his duty as such examiner,
shall, on summary conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to a penalty
not exceeding two hundred dollars for each offence, apart from and in
addition to any other penalty or liability to which such person may be
subject in respect of such offence.
7. Where any fraud is wilfully committed in the using of any weight,
measure, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing machine,
the person commiting such fraud, and every person party to the fraud,
shall, on summary conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to a penalty
not exceeding two hundred dollars for each offence, and the wight,
meausre, scale, balance, steelyard, weighing-yard, or wighing-machine
shall be liable to be forfeited.
8.-(1) No person shall wilfully or knowingly make or sell, or cause
to be made or sold, any false or unjust weight, measure, scale, balance,
steelyard, weighing-yard, or weighing-machine.
(2.) Every person who acts in contravention of this section shall, on
summary conviction before a Magistrate, be liable to a penalty not ex-
ceeding two hundred dollars or, in the case of a second or any subse-
quent offence, five hundred dollars.
9. All weights and measures duly seized by an examiner of weights
and measures under the provisions of this Ordinance shall be forfeited
to the Crown.
10. Nothing in this Ordinance shall apply to the buying or selling or
dealing in meadicines, or precious metals, or precous stones or to weights
or measures employed in relation thereto.
Length.
1 Chek(foot)equal to 145/8 English inches, divided into 10 Tsun or inches,
and each inch into 10 Fan or tenths.
The contents of each measure to be not heaped, but flat and level with the
rim of the vessel.
Measures of length, if made of wood or bamboo, shall (except yard meas-
sures imported from the United Kingdom) be tipped at the ends with metal,
to the satisfaction of the examiner of weights and measures, or, in case of
doubt, of a Police Magistrate, whose decision shall be final.
A.D. 1885. Ordinance No. 8 of 1885, with Ordinance No. 26 of 1901 incorporated.
Short title.
Deposit of standard weights and measures in Treasury and of copies and models with Magistrate Schedule.
Verification of weight or measure with copy or model. Appointment of examiners of weights and measures. Duty and powers and examiner. Flasifying weight, measure, etc. Penalty for fraud in use of weight measure, etc. Penalty on sale of false weight, measure, etc. Forfeiture of weights and measures duly seized. Saving as to weights or measures for dealing in medicines, etc. Section 2.
Abstract
A.D. 1885. Ordinance No. 8 of 1885, with Ordinance No. 26 of 1901 incorporated.
Short title.
Deposit of standard weights and measures in Treasury and of copies and models with Magistrate Schedule.
Verification of weight or measure with copy or model. Appointment of examiners of weights and measures. Duty and powers and examiner. Flasifying weight, measure, etc. Penalty for fraud in use of weight measure, etc. Penalty on sale of false weight, measure, etc. Forfeiture of weights and measures duly seized. Saving as to weights or measures for dealing in medicines, etc. Section 2.
Short title.
Deposit of standard weights and measures in Treasury and of copies and models with Magistrate Schedule.
Verification of weight or measure with copy or model. Appointment of examiners of weights and measures. Duty and powers and examiner. Flasifying weight, measure, etc. Penalty for fraud in use of weight measure, etc. Penalty on sale of false weight, measure, etc. Forfeiture of weights and measures duly seized. Saving as to weights or measures for dealing in medicines, etc. Section 2.
Identifier
https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/609
Edition
1901
Volume
v1
Subsequent Cap No.
68
Cap / Ordinance No.
No. 2 of 1885
Number of Pages
4
Files
Collection
Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online
Citation
“WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE, 1885,” Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online, accessed May 15, 2025, https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/609.
