219
No. 29.
HONGKONG.
RETURNS OF SUPERIOR AND SUBORDINATE COURTS, FOR 1885.
Presented to the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government,
on 4th May, 1886.
No. 39.
REGISTRY SUPREME COURT, HONGKONG, 30th January, 1886.
SIR, I have the honor to forward herewith the following Returns:-
1. Return of Establishment for the Blue Book for 1885.
2. Return of Criminal Cases, &c.
3. Return of Civil Cases, commenced and tried in 1885,--
In Original Jurisdiction.
Summary Jurisdiction.
Appeals.
Bankruptcy.
Admiralty.
4. Return of all Probates and Letters of Administration granted in 1885. 5. Land Office Return,
6. Revenue Returns.
With respect to the Criminal Returns I beg to state that--
The total number of cases in 1885 was.......................
In 1884
1883
37
1882
""
The total number of Prisoners tried in 1885 was..
In 1884
In 1883
In 1882
91
68
91
124
147
101
126
187
Compared with 1884 the number of cases in 1885 shew an increase of 34 per cent., whilst in the number of prisoners there is an increase of 45 per cent. due principally to the fact that in two cases of Piracy 24 prisoners were concerned.
Of the numbers tried in 1885, there were-
Convicted,
In 1884
1883
"}
1882
"5
In 1885 the acquittals amounted to............
In 1884
1883
"}
1882
"}
Charges abandoned.
In 1885
1884
"
1883
2)
1882
""
...103
65
70
..124
22
20
26
38
22
16
26
21
Three cases of Murder were tried in 1885, in two cases a verdict of not guilty was returned and the 3rd case was abandoned.
In 6 cases of manslaughter a verdict for the prosecution was obtained in... 3
For the prisoner in
Abandoned
2
1
There were 15 cases of other offences against the person including one case of Shooting with intent to murder.
12 cases of Robbery with violence and 83 cases of other offences against property. These last figures compare unfavorably with those for 1884 and 1883 when the numbers were as follows:
Robbery with violence....
Other Offences
1884
1883
7
1
24
52