§ Mr. de Rothschildasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is yet in a position to state the respects in which the Sedition Ordinance and Undesirable Publications Ordinance, as passed by the Legislative Council of Sierra Leone, differ from the model Ordinances sent by him to the Governor of the Colony; and whether it is his intention to approve the Ordinances in their present form?
Mr. M. MacDonaldIn Section 3 of the Undesirable Publications Ordinance a closer definition is given of the type of publication the importation of which may be prohibited.
In the Sedition Ordinances the maximum penalties on second or subsequent convictions have been increased, and pro vision has been added enabling imprisonment to be awarded with hard labour.
There are also local adaptations in both Ordinances. Hon. Members will be able to compare the differences in detail when copies of the model Ordinances are placed in the Library of the House, where copies of the Ordinances as passed are already.
With regard to the second part of the question, my examination of the Ordinances is deferred for the receipt of the report of the discussions in the Legislative Council and of a report on the subject from the Governor.