GOOD ORDER AND CLEANLINESS ORDINANCE
Title
GOOD ORDER AND CLEANLINESS ORDINANCE
Description
14
ORDINANCE NO. 5 of 1844.
Good order and cleanliness.
No. 5 of 1844.
An Ordinance for the preservation of good order and cleanliness within
the Colony of Hongkong.
[20th March, 1844.]
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the preservation of good order and
cleanliness within the Colony of Hongkong, be it therefore enacted by His
Excellency the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof,
that if any person, after the passing and publication of this Ordinance, shall throw, or
lay, or cause, or knowingly permit to be thrown or laid any carrion, dirt, soil, straw, or
dung, or any other filth, rubbish, or noisome or offensive matter whatsoever on any of
the roads, streets, ways or public passages, or into any o£ the drains or sewers made or
to be made within the said Colony, or shall permit or suffer any such noisome or offen-
sive subatance as aforesaid to remain exposed in any drain, sewer, or elsewhere, opposite
to or within the immediate neighbourhood o£ his house, or shall allow any, accumulation
of filth or offensive substances within-the premises occupied by him, or shall commit
any nuisance by easing himself, ox otherwise, in the neighbourhood of any dwelling
house or place of public passage, or shall set out or leave, or cause to be set out or left,
any scaffolding, carriages, bricks, lime, barrels, bales or cases of merchandize, or any
other matter or thing which shall obstruct, incommode, or endanger any
person or
carriage in any public passage or road, or shall erect any shed, or house
of matting, or
other easily inflammable material, so as in case of fire to endanger any
neighbouring
building, or shall encroach on any public way or Crown land, by erecting
any building,
either on or projecting over the same, or shall construct any spout which
shall project
the rain water thereon, or shall neglect to repair or remove ally
building, erection, or
bank of earth in a ruinous or unsafe state, and which shall endanger any
person on
any public passage or road, or shall east or throw any ballast, rubbish,
or other sub.
stance, either from the shore or from any vessel into the harbour of
Victoria, or shall
neglect, within a reasonable time, to remove any sunken vessel in the
said harbour,
belonging to him, or in his charge or keeping, or shall aide or drive on
any foot-path
without obvious necessity, or shall ride or drive in a furious manner in
any public road,
or in passing ox meeting another horse or carriage shall not keep to the
customary side
of the road, or being a foot passenger shall not keep as much as possible
on the foot-
path, or shall keep any dog accustomed to annoy passengers by barking or
otherwise,
or shall not properly confine any dangerous or savage dog or other animal
belonging
to him, or shall blow any horn, beat any gong or drum, or explode any
firework or
firearm, or shall make any other improper noises likely to endanger,
annoy, or terrify
any persona or horses in any public road or passage, or shawl. commit
such or other
acts anywhere whatsoever in the night-time, so as to create unnecessary
alarms, or if
any person shall expose or proffer for sale in any market, or elsewhere,
any liquor,
meat, fish, vegetable, or other article of food in a tainted, noxious,
adulterated or
unwholesome state, or shall sell any spirituous liquor, without being
duly licensed, 'or
to any intoxicated person, .or shall commit any act of mischief, by
destroying, defacing,
ORDINANCE No. 5 or 1844.
Good order and cleanliness.
removing, or otherwise injuring any property whatsoever, or shall neglect
to affix to
his house and keep alight during the night, such lamp or lanthorn as may
be required
and approved of by the Superintendent of Police, or shall keep any house
for the
occupancy of public prostitutes, olnsball keep or be found in any
gambling shop whereof
notice shall not have been given to the Chief Magistrate of Police, or
shall have in his
possession any spear, bludgeon, or other offensive weapon, or any
crowbar, picklock,
skeleton key, or other instrument fit for unlawful purposes, with intent
to use the same
for such unlawful purpose, or if any persons shall assemble together in
the night-time
without a lawful reason for so assembling, or if any person seeing any
such assemblage,
or knowing or having reason to suspect that such assemblage, was about to
be or had
been made, shall not raise an alarm and give immediate notice thereof to'
t'heA ^ Not givingnotice.
of ettelt asse,o-
blage; Behaving
riotously. Being
drunk; Using,
improper lan-
gangs; Insulting
females; Pro-
voking a breaelt
of the peace; '
Committing
wanton mischief;
Neglecting to
nHis', light to
house.; Keeping
hnuso fur prosti
totes; 1'reqneut-
ing gambling
lnntses; Haring
nnhtwthl imple-
ment in his pos-
session with
intent to use the
same; Asseu,-
bling in the
night-time;
nearest guard house or police station, or if any person shall behave in a
riotous, noisy,
or disorderly manner, although no actual breach of the peace shall take
place, or shall
be seen drunk in any public road or passage, or shall use any profane or
indecent
language, or insult any female in public, or shall make any offensive
jokes, gestures,
or threats towards any one present which shall be likely to create a
breach of the peace,
or shall challenge any one to fight, or if any person shall beg, or
expose any sore or
infirmity to view with the object of exciting compassion and obtaining
alms, or shall Begging or ex-
posing person;
lewdly or indecently expose his person by bathing or otherwise near any
public road, Not t~ ~f.°gucy't~
or shall not be able to give a satisfactory account of himself and o£ his
way of living, a't'nt of nintyele;
or who being abroad at night-time shall not give a satisfactory reason
for so being, or
if any persons shall pretend to tell fortunes, or to exercise any magic
arts, or shall
otherwise impose on the credulity or superstition of any one whatsoever,
with a view to
gain, or shall attempt to defraud any person of any money by pretending
that the same
is counterfeit, or if any person shall play at any game in any public
passage-2r road so
as to obstruct the same or create a noisy assembly therein, or shall
resist any Justice
of the Peace, constable, peace officer, or policeman in the execution o£
his duty, or shall
neglect to assist such officer therein when called upon so to do, or if
any, person
employed as a domestic servant or otherwise shall quit his employer's
service without
giving such warning thereof as shall afford. reasonable time to his
employer to procure
another person to act in his stead, or shall neglect or absent himself
from his duty
without leave, so as to destroy injure or endanger the safety of his
employer's property,
or shall wilfully disobey such employer's lawful and reasonable orders,
or if any person
employed as a guard or watchman shall sleep at his post, or be negligent
remiss ox
cowardly in the execution of his duty, or if any person shall want only
and cruelly
mutilate or otherwise illuse any horse, mule, dog or other animal without
necessity
Then and in every such case the person so offending shall forfeit and pay
to Her
Majesty Her Heirs and Successors for the public purposes of the Colony of
Hongkong
such sum not exceeding two hundred dollars as shall be adjudged in the
manner here-
inafter mentioned.
$, And be it enacted that after conviction for any offence against this
Ordinance,
the offender shall be ordered by the convicting Justice or Justices to do
such act as
(;bests or intp,st-
nres; Playing -
in public roads;
Obstructing or
refusing t0 assist
officer fn his
duty;
Servant quitting
employ without
giving warning
or exposing his
employer's pro-
perty to injury or
wilfully disobey-
ing orders:
Watchmen
sleeping being
negligent or .
cowardly; Cruelly
injuring animals;
Cc. Penalty.
After one convic=
tion offender
liable to double
Penalties.
Ordinance No. 5 of 1844.
Good order and cleanliness.
the subject matter of the case may require and shall be allowed a
reasonable time to
perform such order, but that at the expiration of such time, if he shall
still be an
offender against the provisions of this Ordinance, be shall be liable to
be convicted in
double the penalty formerly inflicted, notwithstanding sucydouble penalty
shall amount
to more than the sum of two hundred dollars, and if such offender shall
still persist in
offending against this Ordinance he shall be liable to be repeatedly
convicted in such
double penalty.
$. And be it enacted that it shall be lawful for the Superintendent of
Police of
the Colony of Hongkong, or other officer duly authorized by the Chief
Magistrate of
l?oliGe of the said Colony, to require any person whose duty it shall be
to remove any
filth or obstruction, or do any other matter or thing required to be done
by this Ordi-
nance, so to do within a certain time to be then fixed by the said
Superintendent of
Police ox other officer, and that in default of such requisition being
complied with, the
said Superintendent of Police or other officer shall and map cause to be
removed such
filth or obstruction, or do or cause to be done such other matter or
thing as aforesaid,
himself, and the person so in default shall, in addition to the penalties
hereinbefore
mentioned, be liable to pay double the expense thereof which shall be
recoverable in the
same manner as any penalty provided by this Ordinance.
4. And be it enacted that the 'penalties provided by this Ordinance shall
be
recovered in a summary manner by proceeding to be had before the Chief,
Marine, or
Assistant Magistrates of Police sitting singly, ox before any two
Justices of the Peace
for the said Colony of Hongkong.
[Repealed by Ordinance No. 14 of 1845.]
Title.
Preamble.
Any person throwing filth into any street or drain;
Negiecting to clean street, drain , or house;
Committing nuisance; Obstructing public road;
Constructing inflammatory buildings;
Encroaching on road or Crown land; Neglecting to remove ruinous buildings;
Throwing ballast into or not removing sunken vessels in the harbour;
Riding or driving on a footpath, or in a furious manner and not keeping the right side;
Keeping savage dogs or other animals;
Making improper noises near any road or in the night-time;
Exposing for sale unwholesome provisions;
Selling spirits without licence or to drunken person;
Committing wanton mischief; Neglecting to affix light to house; Keeping house for prostitutes; Frequenting gambling houses;
Having unlawful implement in his possession with intent to use the same; Assembling in the night-time;
Not giving notice of such assemblage; behaving riotously. Being drunk; Using improper language; insulting females; Proviking a breach of the peace;
Begging or exposting person; Not giving a satisfactory account of himself;
Cheats or impostures; Playing in public roads; Obstructing or refusing to assist officer in his duty;
Servant quitting employ without giving warning or exposing his employer's property to injury or wilfully disobeying orders; Watchmen sleeping being negligent or cowardly; Cruelly injuring animals; &c. Penalty.
After one conviction offender liable to double penalties. 16
Person refusing to comply with this Ordinance.
Superintendent of police to act for him and charge him double the expense.
Recovery of penalties.
ORDINANCE NO. 5 of 1844.
Good order and cleanliness.
No. 5 of 1844.
An Ordinance for the preservation of good order and cleanliness within
the Colony of Hongkong.
[20th March, 1844.]
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the preservation of good order and
cleanliness within the Colony of Hongkong, be it therefore enacted by His
Excellency the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof,
that if any person, after the passing and publication of this Ordinance, shall throw, or
lay, or cause, or knowingly permit to be thrown or laid any carrion, dirt, soil, straw, or
dung, or any other filth, rubbish, or noisome or offensive matter whatsoever on any of
the roads, streets, ways or public passages, or into any o£ the drains or sewers made or
to be made within the said Colony, or shall permit or suffer any such noisome or offen-
sive subatance as aforesaid to remain exposed in any drain, sewer, or elsewhere, opposite
to or within the immediate neighbourhood o£ his house, or shall allow any, accumulation
of filth or offensive substances within-the premises occupied by him, or shall commit
any nuisance by easing himself, ox otherwise, in the neighbourhood of any dwelling
house or place of public passage, or shall set out or leave, or cause to be set out or left,
any scaffolding, carriages, bricks, lime, barrels, bales or cases of merchandize, or any
other matter or thing which shall obstruct, incommode, or endanger any
person or
carriage in any public passage or road, or shall erect any shed, or house
of matting, or
other easily inflammable material, so as in case of fire to endanger any
neighbouring
building, or shall encroach on any public way or Crown land, by erecting
any building,
either on or projecting over the same, or shall construct any spout which
shall project
the rain water thereon, or shall neglect to repair or remove ally
building, erection, or
bank of earth in a ruinous or unsafe state, and which shall endanger any
person on
any public passage or road, or shall east or throw any ballast, rubbish,
or other sub.
stance, either from the shore or from any vessel into the harbour of
Victoria, or shall
neglect, within a reasonable time, to remove any sunken vessel in the
said harbour,
belonging to him, or in his charge or keeping, or shall aide or drive on
any foot-path
without obvious necessity, or shall ride or drive in a furious manner in
any public road,
or in passing ox meeting another horse or carriage shall not keep to the
customary side
of the road, or being a foot passenger shall not keep as much as possible
on the foot-
path, or shall keep any dog accustomed to annoy passengers by barking or
otherwise,
or shall not properly confine any dangerous or savage dog or other animal
belonging
to him, or shall blow any horn, beat any gong or drum, or explode any
firework or
firearm, or shall make any other improper noises likely to endanger,
annoy, or terrify
any persona or horses in any public road or passage, or shawl. commit
such or other
acts anywhere whatsoever in the night-time, so as to create unnecessary
alarms, or if
any person shall expose or proffer for sale in any market, or elsewhere,
any liquor,
meat, fish, vegetable, or other article of food in a tainted, noxious,
adulterated or
unwholesome state, or shall sell any spirituous liquor, without being
duly licensed, 'or
to any intoxicated person, .or shall commit any act of mischief, by
destroying, defacing,
ORDINANCE No. 5 or 1844.
Good order and cleanliness.
removing, or otherwise injuring any property whatsoever, or shall neglect
to affix to
his house and keep alight during the night, such lamp or lanthorn as may
be required
and approved of by the Superintendent of Police, or shall keep any house
for the
occupancy of public prostitutes, olnsball keep or be found in any
gambling shop whereof
notice shall not have been given to the Chief Magistrate of Police, or
shall have in his
possession any spear, bludgeon, or other offensive weapon, or any
crowbar, picklock,
skeleton key, or other instrument fit for unlawful purposes, with intent
to use the same
for such unlawful purpose, or if any persons shall assemble together in
the night-time
without a lawful reason for so assembling, or if any person seeing any
such assemblage,
or knowing or having reason to suspect that such assemblage, was about to
be or had
been made, shall not raise an alarm and give immediate notice thereof to'
t'heA ^ Not givingnotice.
of ettelt asse,o-
blage; Behaving
riotously. Being
drunk; Using,
improper lan-
gangs; Insulting
females; Pro-
voking a breaelt
of the peace; '
Committing
wanton mischief;
Neglecting to
nHis', light to
house.; Keeping
hnuso fur prosti
totes; 1'reqneut-
ing gambling
lnntses; Haring
nnhtwthl imple-
ment in his pos-
session with
intent to use the
same; Asseu,-
bling in the
night-time;
nearest guard house or police station, or if any person shall behave in a
riotous, noisy,
or disorderly manner, although no actual breach of the peace shall take
place, or shall
be seen drunk in any public road or passage, or shall use any profane or
indecent
language, or insult any female in public, or shall make any offensive
jokes, gestures,
or threats towards any one present which shall be likely to create a
breach of the peace,
or shall challenge any one to fight, or if any person shall beg, or
expose any sore or
infirmity to view with the object of exciting compassion and obtaining
alms, or shall Begging or ex-
posing person;
lewdly or indecently expose his person by bathing or otherwise near any
public road, Not t~ ~f.°gucy't~
or shall not be able to give a satisfactory account of himself and o£ his
way of living, a't'nt of nintyele;
or who being abroad at night-time shall not give a satisfactory reason
for so being, or
if any persons shall pretend to tell fortunes, or to exercise any magic
arts, or shall
otherwise impose on the credulity or superstition of any one whatsoever,
with a view to
gain, or shall attempt to defraud any person of any money by pretending
that the same
is counterfeit, or if any person shall play at any game in any public
passage-2r road so
as to obstruct the same or create a noisy assembly therein, or shall
resist any Justice
of the Peace, constable, peace officer, or policeman in the execution o£
his duty, or shall
neglect to assist such officer therein when called upon so to do, or if
any, person
employed as a domestic servant or otherwise shall quit his employer's
service without
giving such warning thereof as shall afford. reasonable time to his
employer to procure
another person to act in his stead, or shall neglect or absent himself
from his duty
without leave, so as to destroy injure or endanger the safety of his
employer's property,
or shall wilfully disobey such employer's lawful and reasonable orders,
or if any person
employed as a guard or watchman shall sleep at his post, or be negligent
remiss ox
cowardly in the execution of his duty, or if any person shall want only
and cruelly
mutilate or otherwise illuse any horse, mule, dog or other animal without
necessity
Then and in every such case the person so offending shall forfeit and pay
to Her
Majesty Her Heirs and Successors for the public purposes of the Colony of
Hongkong
such sum not exceeding two hundred dollars as shall be adjudged in the
manner here-
inafter mentioned.
$, And be it enacted that after conviction for any offence against this
Ordinance,
the offender shall be ordered by the convicting Justice or Justices to do
such act as
(;bests or intp,st-
nres; Playing -
in public roads;
Obstructing or
refusing t0 assist
officer fn his
duty;
Servant quitting
employ without
giving warning
or exposing his
employer's pro-
perty to injury or
wilfully disobey-
ing orders:
Watchmen
sleeping being
negligent or .
cowardly; Cruelly
injuring animals;
Cc. Penalty.
After one convic=
tion offender
liable to double
Penalties.
Ordinance No. 5 of 1844.
Good order and cleanliness.
the subject matter of the case may require and shall be allowed a
reasonable time to
perform such order, but that at the expiration of such time, if he shall
still be an
offender against the provisions of this Ordinance, be shall be liable to
be convicted in
double the penalty formerly inflicted, notwithstanding sucydouble penalty
shall amount
to more than the sum of two hundred dollars, and if such offender shall
still persist in
offending against this Ordinance he shall be liable to be repeatedly
convicted in such
double penalty.
$. And be it enacted that it shall be lawful for the Superintendent of
Police of
the Colony of Hongkong, or other officer duly authorized by the Chief
Magistrate of
l?oliGe of the said Colony, to require any person whose duty it shall be
to remove any
filth or obstruction, or do any other matter or thing required to be done
by this Ordi-
nance, so to do within a certain time to be then fixed by the said
Superintendent of
Police ox other officer, and that in default of such requisition being
complied with, the
said Superintendent of Police or other officer shall and map cause to be
removed such
filth or obstruction, or do or cause to be done such other matter or
thing as aforesaid,
himself, and the person so in default shall, in addition to the penalties
hereinbefore
mentioned, be liable to pay double the expense thereof which shall be
recoverable in the
same manner as any penalty provided by this Ordinance.
4. And be it enacted that the 'penalties provided by this Ordinance shall
be
recovered in a summary manner by proceeding to be had before the Chief,
Marine, or
Assistant Magistrates of Police sitting singly, ox before any two
Justices of the Peace
for the said Colony of Hongkong.
[Repealed by Ordinance No. 14 of 1845.]
Title.
Preamble.
Any person throwing filth into any street or drain;
Negiecting to clean street, drain , or house;
Committing nuisance; Obstructing public road;
Constructing inflammatory buildings;
Encroaching on road or Crown land; Neglecting to remove ruinous buildings;
Throwing ballast into or not removing sunken vessels in the harbour;
Riding or driving on a footpath, or in a furious manner and not keeping the right side;
Keeping savage dogs or other animals;
Making improper noises near any road or in the night-time;
Exposing for sale unwholesome provisions;
Selling spirits without licence or to drunken person;
Committing wanton mischief; Neglecting to affix light to house; Keeping house for prostitutes; Frequenting gambling houses;
Having unlawful implement in his possession with intent to use the same; Assembling in the night-time;
Not giving notice of such assemblage; behaving riotously. Being drunk; Using improper language; insulting females; Proviking a breach of the peace;
Begging or exposting person; Not giving a satisfactory account of himself;
Cheats or impostures; Playing in public roads; Obstructing or refusing to assist officer in his duty;
Servant quitting employ without giving warning or exposing his employer's property to injury or wilfully disobeying orders; Watchmen sleeping being negligent or cowardly; Cruelly injuring animals; &c. Penalty.
After one conviction offender liable to double penalties. 16
Person refusing to comply with this Ordinance.
Superintendent of police to act for him and charge him double the expense.
Recovery of penalties.
Abstract
Title.
Preamble.
Any person throwing filth into any street or drain;
Negiecting to clean street, drain , or house;
Committing nuisance; Obstructing public road;
Constructing inflammatory buildings;
Encroaching on road or Crown land; Neglecting to remove ruinous buildings;
Throwing ballast into or not removing sunken vessels in the harbour;
Riding or driving on a footpath, or in a furious manner and not keeping the right side;
Keeping savage dogs or other animals;
Making improper noises near any road or in the night-time;
Exposing for sale unwholesome provisions;
Selling spirits without licence or to drunken person;
Committing wanton mischief; Neglecting to affix light to house; Keeping house for prostitutes; Frequenting gambling houses;
Having unlawful implement in his possession with intent to use the same; Assembling in the night-time;
Not giving notice of such assemblage; behaving riotously. Being drunk; Using improper language; insulting females; Proviking a breach of the peace;
Begging or exposting person; Not giving a satisfactory account of himself;
Cheats or impostures; Playing in public roads; Obstructing or refusing to assist officer in his duty;
Servant quitting employ without giving warning or exposing his employer's property to injury or wilfully disobeying orders; Watchmen sleeping being negligent or cowardly; Cruelly injuring animals; &c. Penalty.
After one conviction offender liable to double penalties. 16
Person refusing to comply with this Ordinance.
Superintendent of police to act for him and charge him double the expense.
Recovery of penalties.
Preamble.
Any person throwing filth into any street or drain;
Negiecting to clean street, drain , or house;
Committing nuisance; Obstructing public road;
Constructing inflammatory buildings;
Encroaching on road or Crown land; Neglecting to remove ruinous buildings;
Throwing ballast into or not removing sunken vessels in the harbour;
Riding or driving on a footpath, or in a furious manner and not keeping the right side;
Keeping savage dogs or other animals;
Making improper noises near any road or in the night-time;
Exposing for sale unwholesome provisions;
Selling spirits without licence or to drunken person;
Committing wanton mischief; Neglecting to affix light to house; Keeping house for prostitutes; Frequenting gambling houses;
Having unlawful implement in his possession with intent to use the same; Assembling in the night-time;
Not giving notice of such assemblage; behaving riotously. Being drunk; Using improper language; insulting females; Proviking a breach of the peace;
Begging or exposting person; Not giving a satisfactory account of himself;
Cheats or impostures; Playing in public roads; Obstructing or refusing to assist officer in his duty;
Servant quitting employ without giving warning or exposing his employer's property to injury or wilfully disobeying orders; Watchmen sleeping being negligent or cowardly; Cruelly injuring animals; &c. Penalty.
After one conviction offender liable to double penalties. 16
Person refusing to comply with this Ordinance.
Superintendent of police to act for him and charge him double the expense.
Recovery of penalties.
Identifier
https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/9
Edition
1890
Volume
v1
Cap / Ordinance No.
No. 5 of 1844
Number of Pages
3
Files
Collection
Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online
Citation
“GOOD ORDER AND CLEANLINESS ORDINANCE,” Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online, accessed January 24, 2025, https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/9.
