NAVAL AND VICTUALLING STORES

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Naval and Victualling Stores Ordinance.

2. The marks described in the Schedule may be applied by the officers of the Navy, their contractors and workmen, in or on the naval and victualling stores of the Republic, to denote, the property of the Republic in stores so marked. If any person without lawful authority (proof of which authority shall lie on the party accused) applies any of the said marks in or on any such stores, he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years, with or without hard labour.

3. If any person, with intent to conceal the property of the Republic in any naval or victualling stores, takes out, destroys, or obliterates wholly or in part any such mark as aforesaid, he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable in the discretion of the court before which he shall be tried, to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years, with or without hard labour.

4. If any person without lawful authority (proof of which authority shall lie on the party accused) receives, possesses, keeps, sells, or delivers any naval or victualling stores bearing any such mark as aforesaid, knowing them to bear such mark, he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding one year, with or without hard labour:

Provided that if the value of such stores does not exceed fifty rupees such person shall be liable to be tried before a Magistrate’s Court, and shall be subject to such punishment as it shall be lawful for the Magistrate’s Court to inflict.

5. For the purposes of this Ordinance stores shall be deemed to be in the possession or keeping of any person if he knowingly has them in the actual possession or keeping of any other person, or in any house, building, lodging, apartment, field, or place, open or enclosed whether occupied by himself or not, and whether the same are so had for his own use or benefit or for the use or benefit of another.

6. It shall not be lawful for any person, without permission in writing from the officers of the Navy, or from some person authorized by such officers in that behalf, to creep, sweep, dredge, or otherwise search for stores in the sea or any tidal water within hundred yards from any vessel belonging to the Republic or in service of the Republic, or from any mooring place or anchoring place appropriated to such vessels, or from any moorings belonging to the Republic, or from any of the wharves or docks, victualling, or steam factory yards of the Republic. If any person acts in contravention of this provision, he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding fifty rupees, or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding three months, with or without hard labour.