230
to be punished, succeed in escaping justice, as the truth is often elicited too late to be able to effect their arrest. It is not easy to see how this can be remedied without the powers under the Ordinance, which are already very extensive, being still further extended to meet cases where there is a moral certainty, but no legal proof of persons being guilty of the offences dealt with under Part I. of the Ordinance.
The provisions of Part II. of the Ordinance, which, in the event of those persons who have the control or custody of women and girls not being able to find security when called upon to do so, confer on the Registrar General the power of detention in all cases where he has reason to believe such women and girls have been brought into the Colony for immoral purposes or for purposes of emigration, or who are from fear or ignorance unwilling or unable to disclose the true circumstances of their case, have been found to work well in practice. Under this portion of the Ordinance no fewer than 330 women and girls were detained. Of this number 5 died, and 36 were still under the care of the Pó Léung Kuk, or Society for the Protection of Women and Children, at the end of the year. The remaining 289 were dealt with as follows :-
Left,
Restored direct to parents or relatives,
Restored to husbands,
Restored to Guardians,
Sent back to native place,..
65
72
32
8
14
Sent home through Charitable Institutions in China,... 29
Sent back to Penang,
Sent to Victoria Home..
Sent to Haiphong through the French Consul,
Adopted,
Married,
Employment found for,..
1
3
3
9
52
1
289
Those who are represented as having left were in many cases either women or girls who, after having been detained when applying for registration, were found to be unwilling to abandon their mode of life. Sixty-five may seem a somewhat large number, but it must be remembered that the difficulties in the way of rescuing women and girls are very great, and, even when they have an opportunity of escaping from the clutches of those who regard them as cbattels, they are not always ready to avail themselves of it. All the girls rescued under the Ordinance were taken care of by the Committee of the Pó Léung Kuk, pending enquiries regarding them or their relatives. Indeed, it is to a great extent owing to the exertions of the gentlemen who constitute that Committee that so many women have been rescued and comfortably settled in life. They have worked most zealously in co-operation with this Department and have been unceasing in their endeavours to suppress the evil practices with which the Ordinance under review deals. Every precaution is taken by them and by myself to secure the welfare of all women and girls who come under our care. In the case of marriages, of which there were 52, and of adoptions, of which there were 9, during the year, no marriage or adoption is allowed to take place until the person who wishes to inarry or adopt a girl has found a proper security, approved by the Committee and by myself, who has to enter into a bond safe-guarding the interests of the girl. No girl is allowed to be married except as a first wife, and then only after I have ascertained by personal interrogation that she is willing to marry and that the man is in a position to maintain a wife.
As to women and girls who are restored to their relations or sent home to China, due precautions are taken to prevent any abuses arising in such cases, and no woman or girl is handed over before every enquiry has been made as to the bona fides and respectability of the parties concerned and before the girl's own wishes have been consulted. In cases where there is the least doubt, a bond is required, under which the production of the girl can be demanded when necessary. Without the assistance of the Pó Leung Kuk, this work of restoring women and girls to their parents or relatives could not be carried on so effectively. The Committee of that Society, being as a rule composed of natives of China, with relations and connections in that country, is in a position to make enquiries which could not be conducted by officers of the Government unless through the Consul-General at Canton. This would involve unnecessary delay, and would most probably be very unsatisfactory in its results, to judge from the cases which have been referred through the usual official channel to the Chinese Government at Canton.
In addition to the women and girls already referred to, there are a number of girls whose proper up bringing has been secured by bonds, entered into before the present Ordinance came into force, the validity of which is protected by Section 12 of Ordinance 11 of 1800. These bonds require the girls to attend tliis Office every quarter until married or otherwise satisfactorily settled in life. This system was introduced by my predecessor, the late Dr. STEWART, in 1883, before the first Women and Girls' Protection Ordinance was introduced in 1887, and will be continued until all the girls of this class have been settled in life. Of this class there have been, since the commencement of the system, altogether 381. Of these 153 have been married, 4 have been adopted, 9 have been sent to Charitable Institu- tions, 17 have been handed over to their parents, 50 have disappeared and the bonds of the sureties have, when possible, been estreated, and 25 have died, so that the number is now reduced to 123.