586 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 30тя DECEMBER, 1871.
MEMO. No. 633,
Mr. AUSTIN.
(6)
HONGKONG, 22nd December, 1871.
1. On looking over the various despatches and the correspondence which has taken place relative to Police matters and crime during my absence on leave since April of last year, it appears to me that there has been so much misapprehension and so much misrepresentation of many facts connected with the Police and the state of crime in the Colony, as to make it very desirable to appoint a Commission, which might exaraine all necessary witnesses and consider the papers and correspond- ence connected with a subject which seriously affects all classes of the Community.
2. Such a Commission, if painstaking, and constituted of men in whom the Public has confidence, ought to be most useful, directly and indirectly. I believe too that it could report with tolerable exactness on at least the questions of fact which I propose to submit to it, and thereby render a most important service to the Executive Government.
3. The delay, however, would be so great if I were to put off appointing the Commission till the numerous documents referred to it could be copied, that I am obliged in most cases to submit the original papers as filed with all the subsequent official dockets and memoranda, which have accumulated on them.
4. I do so. nevertheless, in full confidence that such memoranda will gain no publicity, and I also suggest that no publicity be given to the proceedings of the Commission itself till their Report and the substance of the evidence on which it is based has been sent in and is ready for publication. It is obviously inexpedient, and might be very unfair to the parties most interested, that a portion only of evidence--liable to be materially qualified afterwards-should be exposed to premature criticism and the erroneous deductions resulting from incomplete knowledge.
5. The following Gentlemen, I am happy to state, have consented to act, with a full sense of the personal labor to be incurred and the sacrifice of time which the undertaking must entail:
The Honorable the Acting Attorney General (T. C. HAYLLAR,)
The Honorable WILLIAM KESWICK,
Messrs. F. W. MITCHELL,
HENRY LOWCOCK,
WILLIAM LEMANN,
FREDERICK STEWART, GEORGE FALCONER.
6. You will inform the Honorable the Acting Attorney General that I shall be obliged by his calling a Meeting of the Commission and laying this memorandum early before them so that, without delay, they may at once proceed to the election of a Chairman and the prosecution of their inquiries. I shall also be prepared to sanction any reasonable expense recommended by the Commission for a competent Secretary.
7. I would suggest that the Justices' room from its vicinity to the Police Barracks, Gaol, &c., &c., would probably be the most convenient and central place for a Commission on the Police to meet, but, if desirable, I shall be glad to place the Council Room at their disposal.
8. I subjoin a list of the documents which it occurs to me may be immediately required by the Commission.
9. I have now to request them to inquire:
A: As to the comparative amount of crime in the Colony during each of the last six years, or for a longer period, if the Commission can usefully carry its inquiries further.
B. The probable causes of increase and decrease in crime at various periods during that period, and how far attributable to individual exertion. Vide Memo. by Colonial Secretary- Remarks (Pages 18 and 19) on Mr. DEANE's Report of 22nd September, 1871, and Colonial Secretary's Memo. on Return of Convictions during 1870. (Vide C. S. O. No. 389, 1871.)
. C. To consider the reports called for by Major General WHITFEILD from Messrs. DEANE and RICE in September last, and to state how far they consider the general representations therein, and especially in Mr. Rice's Report, to have been warranted. Also how far they consider the suggestions made to be useful.
D. More especially to ascertain whether it be true that there is such a divided authority in the Police Force as is implied by Mr. RICE, according to the inary sense of such a term.
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