Abstract of Causes under cognizance at the Chief Magistrate's Office, Hongkong during the year 1849,
of disposal.
with the mor
No. of Causes Civil Causes how disposed of Criminal Causes how disposed of. Total. Civil. Criminal. Decree Plaintiff. Decree Defendant. Nonsuited Furumontt sions. Jetty Undecided. Total Number Defendants Convicted *Punished A. M with& Renishment Released MJ security Deported. Committed Bailed. Remarks. 1728 596 1132 205 3 79 297 12 1743 95 620 22 657 53 53 38-383 22 FotoThis Return includes almost the whole of the cases enumerated in the following return for the Court of Petty Sessions, as why few are brought directly before that court The Civil Cases decided were 293 Claims for Police hates (cognizable by the Chief Magistrate alone), and to claims for Wages under Ordinance & of 1847. The Criminal Cases decided up to March, when the Court of Setty Sessions was repealed. established, were 61 larcenies receiving stolen goods, 26 assault, & demanding Money with menaces, 2 passing counterfeit coin, 15 Vagrancy ; the rest were mainly Greaches of police Ordinances.
In March the Summery furisdiction over small felonies which had existed for 18 months previously, was taken away by the Potty Sessions Ordinance, so that the cases subsequently decided were simply Assaults, Breaches of Police Ordinances, and Offences eognizable by a single Magistrate under English Acts of Parliament.
The Committals and Bailments include those to the Supreme and Admiralty Courts, as well as to the Court of Petty Sessions.
Deportation by a single Magistrate out of Sessions, " was awarded only under Section 13 of the Registration Ordinance 17 of 1846), in default of security to appear and answer for a suspected offence. The defaulter is simply ordered to leave the Colony, and not return
Abstract of Causes under cognizance at the Court of Sitty Sessions, Hongkong, (eitablished 12th of March), during the your 1849, with the more
697 297 400 135 54 94 14624 26 257 2 130522 15′′ Tone Copy Ma Colonial Secretary.The Civil lawns were claims for Bebt or Samages not exceeding $50 with one or two cases of extreated recognizances. The Criminal Cases were larceny and receiving stolen goods 267, Fagrancy 62, assaults 40, Ristons actemblage 4, Obtaining property by falce pretences 3, Uttering, terfeit Com 2, malicious injuries 2, Temanding money with menaces 2, combination workmen 2, extortion !; the remainder were offences against Solice Ordinances. All were decided under the provisions of Ordinance 1 of 1869, for the punishment of petty felonies and recovery of small debts. The move of proceeding is generally by summons taken out before a single magistrate; and incriminal cases the depositions are taken down at length; as in committals for the Supreme Court: consequently nearly the whole of the cases are included in the above rettern for the Chief Magistrates office. The Court of Petty Sessions has power under the Ordinance to remit serious or difficult for decision at the Supreme Court; hence the column for Committals. Seportation is awarded under Section 14 of the Ordinance for the removal of Vagrant!
A large number of those deported were mendicants who had crossed from the inginland to beg . The deportation consists in transmitting the persons to be deported to the Chinese Magistrate on the opposite side of the harbour, (which is Chinese territory), with a request that they may be forwarded to their place of settlement.
[ Signed ] C. B. Hillier,
Chief Magistrate
casos