SHEEP ACT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 292, 17 December 1879, Page 2

SHEEP ACT.

It having been proclaimed in a supplementary Gazette, published on Saturday last, that • sections 15, 21, 38, 47, and 68 of the Bheep Act are to come . into force on the Ist January next, we publish the sections to-day for the information of those of our reader* who will be affected by their operation :— 15. It shall be lawful for any Inspector, when it shall appear to him to be necessary for the purpose of enabling him to decide satisfactorily upon the condition of any sheep, jto call upon the owner of such sheep to make "a declaration in the form or to the effect specified in Schedule B to this Act;; and if any such owner shaJL. refuse . or neglect to makeisuch declaration when so called upon, ho shall be liable to a penalty of not less than ten pounds nor exceeding fifty pounds; and if any person shall make any such declaration, knowing the same to be false, he shall be liable, to'a penalty ot one hundred pounds, or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding six calendar months. 21. Every owner of sheep shall, between the first and the thirtieth day of June in every year, deliver or cause to be delivered to the Chief Inspector a written return, in the form provided in Schedule A, of the number of sheep and lambs of each sex exceeding three months old owned by him on the thirty-first day of May preceding, specifying in snch returns the ear-marks and brands upon such sheep. Every person neglecting or refusing to deliveror cause to be delivered ' such return as aforesaid shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds. The Chief Inspector shall, in the month of July in every year, transmit to the Colonial Treasurer a statement, compiled from the returns furnished In pursuance of thia section, of the whole number of sheep and lambs within his district. 33. If, upon the complaint of an Inspector , or any sheepowuer in a district, it shall be - established to the satisfaction of a Resident Magistrate having jurisdiction in the district that any sueepowner, whose .sheep or any of them are. infected, has i^ed^tcp clean such sheep within reasonable time|wriaqot taking due means to ensure their being QJleafted, then it shall be lawful for such' Magiltfate to. authorize the Inspector to enter into possession of such sheep, and to take such steps as may be necessary to clean the same. " And ' any expenses thereby incurred by the In , spector may be recovered from the owner of ; such sheep in any Court of competent jurisdiction. For the purpose of the exercise of the powers conferred by this section, such Inspector may enter upon the run and premises on which such sheep are kept, with such assistance as he may require, and any owner or occupier who shall obstruct any Inspector in the discharge of, or neglect to afford all reasonable facilities for tbe discharge of, such duty shall, for every day during which he shall so offend, be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds. Such Inspector shall not be liable for any loss or damage occasioned to stt.cn owner by any act by such Inspector, unless such damage shall be occasioned by his wilful neglect or default. 47. Nothing contained in this Act; shall prevent the occupier of any ran upon which shall be found tresspaasing any; infected sheep, and owned by the occupier of an adjoining run, from driving such sheep to tbe residence' of such owner on such adjoin- , ing run: Provided that no .infected sheep shall, under, the authority of this section, be driven through any run whereof sheep are depasturing for which a clean certificate has been granted as in force. 68. If any inspector shall be satisfied that any sheep in the district are infected with lice he shall take such steps in the matter as to him shall seem; best for the cleansing of , such sheep, for which purpose he shall, and ' may, if the sheepowher neglects to cleanse his sheep, 'exercise all the powers granted to ( him by this Act, as if the said sheep were infected with scab, and shall have power to declare them infected sheep; and all sheepowners and other persona shall, if tbe 1 Inspector shall have declared the sheep to Ibe infected sheep, be liable, in respect of sheep infected with lice, in the same manner as if such sheep were infected with scab.