[LXII]
kidnapped is on the increase, and that although petitioners' efforts to detect kidnapping are unremitting, the kidnappers grow more audacious than ever. That the reason for this is that whenever kidnappers either male or female are arrested and sent to the Protector of Chinese for investigation and by him to the Police Magistrate they engage forthwith solicitors to appear for them in the Court and exert themselves in argument with a view, by some good chance, of obtaining their acquittal. That it is a source of deep regret that in consequence of this the evil can never be removed. That petitioners have already in the 11th and 12th moons repeatedly prayed the Protector of Chinese to move His Excellency the Governor to amend the law with a view to the suppression of kidnapping.
That the directors, ever anxious to carry on the work and regardless of the hatred which they incur and the toil which they undergo, use their utmost endeavour to devise some method of accomplishing their task, nor have they ever withdrawn from fear of difficulties, knowing that this Society was established by the Government out of its kindness to afford protection to women and children and to bring kidnappers to justice.
That in these cases, in order that good may be promoted and evil discouraged, reliance must be placed on the Officers of the Government rendering their best assistance, That the directors must also carry on their work with the sole intention of exalting the upright and lowering the wicked. That otherwise if the directors neglect to do their work properly and the Officers of the Government to strictly administer justice, neither side can repay the Government for its favours or be worthy to appear before Her Majesty the Queen.
That the directors have neither received official rank nor emolument but owe their appointment as managers of the Society to the recommendations of the gentry and merchants of Hongkong, and subscribe towards the work which they carry on, in which they must be animated by no other desire than that of the public good.
That during the spring and summer of last year, as the Society was short of funds, the directors started a subscription to provide for the expenditure, in which they were actuated solely by a regard for the general weal. That when the subscription had been almost satisfactorily completed, unexpectedly idle and slanderous stories were started to the effect that the directors had recourse to extortion in order to raise the money, and doubts were thrown on the Society of being a Secret Society. That as the establishment of the Society was sanctioned after deliberation by the Government, it would seem useless to discuss the question whether it is a public or secret Society, and that as regards the charge of raising subscriptions by extortion, the mirror of Ts'ux has been held up and the Government has graciously appointed a commission to hold an inquiry, which after sitting for some months has not found the slightest particle of evidence to substantiate the accusation.
That as an enquiry into the Society has been thought necessary, the person who brings the charge of using pressure to raise subscriptions against the Society is as it were the prosecutor, and the Society the defendant. That in law, the prosecutor must open out the whole of his case before the defendant replies. That the enquiry has lasted a long time, and petitioners would like to ask what evidence the prosecutor has produced in support of his charge and to what the defendant has to reply, and yet to every one's surprise the prosecutor insists most unjustifiably on the defendant replying, though he himself is at a loss to find any instance to substantiate his accusation.
That it came to this, that some days ago the Chairman of the Pó Léung Kuk was summoned by letter to attend at the Council Chamber and explain in detail before the commission the method in which the Society has hitherto conducted its work: that fortunately he made no slip in giving his evidence and no opportunity was given to worry him. That though the directors may be fools and improbable though it may appear, they think they can throw some light on this proceeding. That the directors