THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 4TH FEBRUARY, 1880.
In the year 1879, the 22nd of October.
In the fifth year of the reign of KWONGSUI, the
Ith moon, the 8th day.
Translated by
E.J. EITEL.
25th October, 1879.
P.S.-Mr. FUNG MING-SHÁN, a Member of the Ting-wá Committee, who drew up the above,
came here this morning and complained in the tame of the Committee of the publication of their tition and enclosure in Daily Press of this day.
He said the Committee had not authorized the publication of these papers.
E. J. EITEL.
121
錄條陳十歎附呈 鈞
另錄條澟十
督憲大人察施行
欸附呈
再者此原理宜闔港華人行店簽名因見
事關急迫恐耽延日久故衆議以董等十
鈞覽伏乞詳
四位代衆出名以免延誤
大英一千八百七拾九年十月廿二號
禀
光緒五年
九月
初八日
施行
il
心之善與不善以分別其有罪無罪耳 加審察卓奪 擄勒居心不良等事則例必嚴懲甚有科以死罪者蓋同此買賣一事固當核辨其 之人別無救活之策必坐以待斃此例所以不禁之本意也惟於買僞娼誘拐 因中國生齒日繁貧苦者衆故國家綠例以期無病於民若槪施禁令則貧困 非耢誘擄勒者皆例所不禁此等事不獨庶民有之卽士大夫之家亦皆有之此皆 一中國歷久以來於買賣男女童維或爲繼嗣或爲育女或爲婢如係彼此情
·
甘
Translution.
Subjoined is a statement under ten different frauln, which is herewith respectfully presented
for inspection with the humble prayer that it be carefully examined and action taken thereon, as may be deemed expedient.
1. Since time immemorial there has been in
China the practice of buying and selling male and female children, either for purposes of adop-
tin (in the case of boys), or in the case of girls
ither to bring them up as one's own daughters As there or to use them as domestic servants.
is in all these cases free will and inclination on
bath sides, and no kidnapping, or decoying, or * forbid those
anpulsion, the law does not
practices. These practices are, moreover, not
rly those of the common people, but of the families of scholars and high officials as well.
The reason of all this is the excessive increase of the population, and the wide extent of poverty aul distress. The Government, therefore, yielded to the circumstances, and moulded the law ac- coolingly, with a view to relieve the distress of the people. For if all those practices were for- bilden, poor and distressed people would have to means left to save their lives, but would be ompelled to sit down and wait for death. This is the principal reason for the non-interference of the law, But as to selling free persons for pur-
Jes of prostitution, as to decoying, kidnapping and compulsion, and other wicked practices, the Law of course restrains then with severity, the
worst cases being visited with capital punishment. Whilst all those practices, therefore, may be classed '
bgether as buying and selling (of free persons),
it is yet requisite to distinguish carefully the good or wicked purposes which cach class of
·fractices serves, and accordingly apply discrimi- nately either punishment or non-punishment.
* Tals not literally correct. The Law, being on this point in advance of the social Wifthing, as the firchion Laws were in advance of Irish civilization, does not permit ***is to sell their children indiscriminately. But thia law is n dead letter and as a Artifact such sales are of every day occurrence in all classes of society and imdba'y ant Treated as illegal by hg Chinese Courts. Henco the belief of the pett-
E.J.E.