HongKong. M. 350.
10
the August 1869.
Governor Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell
To
His Grace
The Duke of Buckingham & Chandos
I beg to bring to your notice the recent correspondence regarding the health of the troops, the question having arisen as to the necessity for new Lock and Civil Hospitals.
M: 10 of 1867. Transmits. Explains necessity for new Lock and Civil Hospitals required.
The prostitutes and the girls in the brothels are in a deplorable condition. "There, huddled together, vile, and worn out, cast off, and left to die in the streets or in the hospitals." The original intention was to mitigate this state of things - utterly deplorable. And I hope something has been done. The evil that has been dragged into light, the wretched women, this right - and the public machinery.
What has been effected is much a tale of woe. But His Grace does know - But it appears to me that the right to control, as to the Chinese brothels, is as indefensible as possible.
This Alliance, which is based upon Ordinance No 12 of 1857 & the Contagious Diseases Act 1866 (Imperial) 29 & 30 Vic c. 35, is carefully framed. We are concerned with the working of this ordinance. But I find it like a libel. W. J. Office has been advised to those offices.
Two important questions are raised in his despatch.
1. Whether Chinese brothels - in brothels prostitutes foreigners are excluded by a special provision upon which the licenses are held should be subjected to Medical inspection, as well as the other class of brothels.
2. How to meet the cost and expense which will be incurred in the working of this ordinance; and connected with this point, the question whether a new Hospital should be built.
Regarding the first question. The Ordinance is framed so as to include Chinese brothels & to make their inmates liable to inspection (vid: sects. 15 & 43). The Registrar General, however, in opposition to the views of the Colonial Surgeon & Dep: Surg: General deprecates inspection of those purely Chinese brothels.
Looking to the character of the disease & to the fact that foreigners do, though it may be rarely, visit these brothels, & that women are occasionally taken from these to the other brothels.
I concur with Sir R. in his minute.
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