The Short Title of this Act is “The Sheep Act Amendment Act, 1888.” It shall be read together with “The Sheep Act, 1878” (herein called “the said Act”).

Section twenty-three of the said Act is hereby repealed and the following substituted in lien thereof:—

If any Inspector shall be satisfied that any sheep are infected sheep, it shall be lawful for him to give the owner of such sheep an order in writing, directing him effectually to clean such sheep within six months from the date of such order; and if, at any time during such period of six months, such owner shall not, in the opinion of the Inspector, have made or be making reasonable exertions to clean such sheep, or if, at the expiration of three months next following such period of six months, such sheep shall, in the opinion of the Inspector, still be infected sheep, the owner thereof shall, upon conviction, be liable to a penalty of not less than threepence nor exceeding one shilling for every such infected sheep.

If, after the expiration of six months from the date of such conviction, such sheep shall, in the opinion of the Inspector, still be infected sheep, such owner shall upon conviction be liable to a further penalty of not less than four-pence nor exceeding two shillings for every such infected sheep; and so on for every succeeding period of six months each.

In any proceedings for a penalty under this section, the owner of any sheep which, in the opinion of the Inspector, are infected sheep shall be liable to a penalty in respect of every such sheep, in any case where proof is given that any one or more of the said sheep are, in the opinion of the Inspector, infected sheep; and it shall not be necessary to prove that any of such sheep arc actually infected.

All convictions made before the passing of this Act shall be deemed to have been valid, and shall not be called in question in any Court; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to affect any legal proceedings heretofore had or pending at the time of the commencement of this Act before any superior Court upon an appeal from any such conviction, or any decision in any such proceedings heretofore given by any such Court.