Sir George Maxwell's Memorandum,
Appendix No. 1.
Appointment of Committee. Appendix No. 1.
Slave Market News.
Appendix No. 6.
200
Terms of Reference.
Sir George Maxwell prepared for the ultimate use of the Per- manent Slavery Commission of the League of Nations, of which he is a member, a draft Memorandum upon the subject of Muitsai. The draft is divided into three parts dealing respectively with Muitsai in Malaya, Hong Kong and China. The part dealing with China was not submitted to the Committee.
The Committee was appointed by His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir William Peel, K.O.M.G., primarily to consider and report upon suggestions made by Sir George Maxwell, contained in the Hong Kong section of the Memorandum. The relevant parts of the Memorandum are annexed to this report, the remainder, appearing to be confidential, are excluded.
There has also been referred to the Committee a speech by Lieut. Commander H. L. Hazlewood, R.N., Retired, and resolutions passed by the British Commonwealth League. These deal with the adminis- tration of the Muitsai legislation in Hong Kong. The speech and resolutions as reprinted in an issue of the Slave Market News are annexed.
Subject matter of Enquiry.
The League of Nations' descrip- tion of Muitsai.
Preliminary Observations.
For over fifty years Muitsai, though not necessarily in that name, have engaged the attention of the Governments of Great Britain and Hong Kong. More recently, Muitsai have engaged the attention of the League of Nations and of both the Republican and Provincial Governments of China. Hong Kong passed legislation particularly for the protection of Muitsai as early as 1887. Legislation for their pro- tection has also been passed in Malaya.
It is not inappropriate to mention here that the first Ordinance passed in the Colony of Hong Kong purported to abolish slavery but was disallowed as unnecessary.
"The League of Nations' Commission of Enquiry into Traffic in Women and Children in the East" investigated the Muitsai system in eleven countries where the Chinese have made permanent settle- ment. The Commission discussed the question at length and described the system in the following terms :--
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Muitsai.
"These are girls handed over by a poor family against a customary indemnity in money to a well-to-do family who will feed, clothe and house the child until she is of marriageable age, when husband will be found for her. In return, she works in the "household. Her position, however, is better than that of a mere household servant. She eats at the family table and is considered something between a servant and a modest member of the family. Her parents are supposed by custom to be allowed to visit her from "time to time, in order to be at ease in their hearts as to the child's "fate.
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This custom, which prevails in South China, seems to have given rise to a certain amount of abuse, and persons in a position to judge hold somewhat divergent views regarding it. The ad- "vocates of the Muitsai system point to the great advantage to a girl of poor family of growing up more or less in companionship with the children of wealthier parents who, in the normal course of