The Short Title of this Act is “The Homing-pigeons Protection Act, 1898.”

Any person who shall intentionally or negligently shoot, kill, disable, ensnare, or otherwise injure any homing-pigeon shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.

Any person who shall intentionally or negligently kill, maim, or in any way injure any homing-pigeon whilst in course of transit by railway, coach, or otherwise from its home to the point from which it is intended to be despatched as a bearer of a message, or whilst being trained, shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds.

No person shall be liable to a penalty under either of the last two preceding sections unless the owner of the pigeon or pigeons shall have been registered as owner thereof with the Chief Postmaster of the postal district in which he resides.

Any person who shall do any of the acts or things mentioned in sections two or three of this Act shall be liable to pay to the owner of the pigeon or pigeons shot, killed, disabled, or injured the value of such pigeon or pigeons or the amount of such injury.

The Magistrate before whom any prosecution shall take place under this Act may, in addition to the penalty imposed, direct payment by the defendant to such owner of such damage or the amount of such injury.

The effect of registration under this Act shall be to place the pigeon or pigeons owned by the person so registering at the disposal of the Government of the colony and of every officer thereof in carrying messages when the exigencies of the public service may require the same.

The fee for registration shall be one shilling, payable annually; and the form of register and of receipt for fees may be fixed by regulations by Order in Council.

All proceedings under this Act may be had and taken before a Magistrate under “The Justices of the Peace Act, 1882,” or any amendment thereof.