who are employed by the Authorities for the purpose of maintaining order. Tak for instance, the native watchmen who are supposed to be looked after by the Registrar- General. Is there any security that these men really maintain order in the hative quarter, and that they can be relied upon for the detection of crime and the arrest of criminals? We hear a great deal of the services they render, in every now and then bringing forward criminals, and the Attorney-General, who is an optimist as far as all matters of Government in Hongkong are concerned, may lay stress upon one of them having been rewarded for the apprehension of a "terrible" criminal. security that, when it suits them, they do not allow this commendable vigilance to But have we any sleep, and is it quite certain that they are not to be reached by means either of bribery or intimidation, by the powerful combinations known to exist in Hongkong as in every place where Chinamen are congregated, whose constant struggle it is to afford assistance to the criminal classes? Suppose the criminal spoken of by the Attorney-General had been less terrible to the Chinese, but more so to Europeans, is it quite without the bounds of possibility that he would have been allowed to go scot free in the native quarter? There is strong reason to have apprehension about any set of men organized to perform Police duties, whether they are called watchmen, constables, or anything else, except they are under the strictest supervision; and this is especially the case with regard to Chinese Policemen among a Chinese population. Do these men, or do they not, perform Police duties? If they do not, they had better be abolished; if they do, they ought most certainly to be placed under the control and supervision of the Police Department, and of none other. The same arguments apply in a modified degree to the Harbour-Master's Police; which, as Chief-Justice SMALE pointedly observed, should consist of a detachment of the whole Force detailed to the special duty by the Superintendent.
As to irresponsible runners attached to that particular branch of the Hongkong 314 Government which may by aptly designated the D. R. CALDWELL. Department, the idea of being dependent upon such a source for information as to all criminal matters shows a lack of organization altogether unparalleled. These runners are, as was proved by a case that came forward at the Police Court and formed the subject of some comments in these columns at the time, furnished with warrants to apprehend men who, they say, are implicated in crimes. They are at times occompanied by the Police, but at others they are not; and in the particular case which called attention to this point, it appeared that they were allowed to go to work entirely on their own responsibility. The notion of anybody, but a regular Policeman being furnished with a warrant of arrest is something very astounding, and it is still more so to find that these warrants are such that they may be used by anybody. If they could only be used by Mr. CALDWELL himself, the case would stand differently, but if they can be given to any natives who act as private detectives--that is probably to some of the lowest criininals in the Colony-who is to know what use they will be turned to?
But, it is said, if this is not done, it will be necessary to establish a Detective Service. And pray, what enormous harm would result from this? Is it not, in fact, astounding that in a Colony like Hongkong, we have absolutely no means of detecting crime? What is the great objection that is felt here to setting on foot a branch of the Service which, in every other place, is recognized as its most important, feature? The Detective Service is the eye of the Police Force; and without a properly organized, and above all properly supervised Detective Force, under the direct control of a responsible and competent Head, the Hongkong Police must remain for ever in an inefficient state. The establishment of a Detective Service is a measure so obviously necessary that it is perfectly surprising it has not been attempted. The additional expense which it would entail would not be worth considering in comparison with its usefulness; and it really appears that there have been undercurrents of one sort or another at work to account for our Authorities having so long held back from setting on foot this simple and most efficacious remedy. This step, combined with Chief Justice SMALE'S sugges tion of placing the whole of the Police in Hongkong under one competent Head, would, there can be no doubt, be soon found to do away with the greater part of the defect so long complained of in the Police Service, and the sooner it be taken, the better for
he peace and security of the Colony.