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16. Section 13 deals with the question of registration.
17. Sub-section (2) of section 13 provides that every person who has a mui-tsai in his employment in the Colony at the date of the coming into operation of Part III must register such mui-tsai within six months after that date.
18. Sub-section (2) of section 13 provides that every person who at any time has in his employment a mui-tsai brought into the Colony after the date of the coming into operation of Part III must register such mui-tsai within two weeks after her arrival in the Colony.
19. Sub-section (3) of section 13 will enable the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to make it impossible for an undesirable emplo yer to continue to employ any particular mui- tsai as a mui-tsai.
20. Section 14 provides that no person is to have in his employment an unregistered mui-tsai. This of course is subject to the period allowed for registration. It is also subject to the provisions of section 9, referred to above in paragraphs 10 and 11.
21. Section 15 provides that no one is to have in his employment any female do- mestic servant under the age of 10 years unless such servant is a registered mui-tsai. This is intended to prevent evasion, as in the case of section 5.
22. Section 16 provides that every mui-tsai of or over the age of 10 years shall be entitled to such wages as shall be prescribed.
23. Section 18 is the usual penalty clause.
24. Section 19 provides that no prosecution under the Ordinance is to be com- menced without the consent of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
25. In my opinion this is an Ordinance to which His Excellency the Governor may properly assent in the name of His Majesty and on His behalf.
Enclosure 2 in No. 13.
J. H. KEMP, Attorney General.
EXTRACT FROM HONG KONG HANSARD. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: SITTING OF
28TH DECEMBER, 1922.
THE FEMALE DOMESTIC SERVICE ORDINANCE.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Sir, I beg to move the first reading of a Bill in- tituled, "An Ordinance to regulate certain forms of female domestic service. This Bill is introduced on the instruction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and is an attempt to deal with the much-discussed mui-tsai question-a question, perhaps, more dis- cussed than understood. I say that because I think it is only fair to admit at the outset that much of the criticism-though not all of the custom of employing mui-tsai is con- fused, ignorant and unsympathetic.
I think that the confusion of mind is largely due to the use of the term "slavery" for what is not slavery at all. Mui-tsai are not slaves: the control of the employers is not recognised in any way by law the girls are members of the family, though humble members of it and Chinese custom recognises certain obligations of the employer to- wards the mui-tsai. It is impossible, of course, to argue this point now, and I have no desire to do so, but perhaps I may be allowed to give one illustration that came under my notice the other day. In a recent murder case at the Criminal Sessions one of the wit- nesses was a little girl of about 13; she was bright, intelligent, well-clothed, obviously