292
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7. During the course of their enquiries, the Commission inspected the transactions, Police barracks, stores, books, offices, and arms, and made preliminary reports on matters which, although of minor importance, struck them as being of a pressing nature.
8. The Commission regret to say that, owing to business engagements, Mr. G. B. FALCONER was compelled to leave for England before the conclusion of the evidence, and that they have lost the benefit of his valuable co-operation and assistance.
9. The subjects on which the Commission have been required to report have presented in many instances an aspect of unusual difficulty, the evidence both documentary and oral having been of a perplexingly conflicting nature on points of the most vital importance. This statement holds good even in regard to witnesses who, from their position and experience, have had the best opportunities of arriving at a correct conclusion.
admitted.
10. There is one point, however, on which there has been a very general unanimity, viz., that the difficulties in the way of successfully policing the Colony arising from its geographical position, climate, language, and the peculiarities of the Chinese national character are all but insuperable. After listening to this concurrent testimony, the Commission can scarcely hesitate to agree with SIR EDMUND HORNEY, who in giving his evidence expressed himself thus; "Providing a Police for Hongkong, is, I take it, a choice of evils and of inefficiency."
11. In pursuing their investigations, the Commission found it impracticable to adhere rigidly to the order of the points of enquiry laid down by SIR RICHARD MACDONNELL, and the same difficulty presents itself in framing their Report. They consider that it will be the most convenient plan, in the first place, to deal collectively with points C. to I. (both inclusive), which obviously refer but to one subject, under the two main heads, "Present Organisation of the Police," "Future Organisation of the Police;" and finally with the question of Crime generally.
PRESENT ORGANISATION.
12. Whilst, as will presently appear, there are many and serious faults in the organisation and material of the Police, there is strong concurrent testimony on the part of those capable of forming a trustworthy judgment that the force has been undergoing, on the whole, a process of gradual improvement. For instance, Mr. DOUGLAS says (p. 65*):
"The Police Force in material is very much superior to what I found here in 1863. The Inspectors now are gentlemen compared to what they were then; I think all of them are better as policemen......I think there has been a great improvement in the honesty of the force."
And again the same witness says (p. 73):
"There has been a great improvement in the honesty of the force. I think the whole force is now strictly honest,"
Inspector HORSPOOL, who has been an Inspector for five years, and previously was a first-class constable in the Metropolitan Police force, says (p. 105):
"I think the Police has much improved lately, owing to drafts from England, and getting rid of bad characters,"
* References by page are to the Secretary's minutes.
Mr. Deane,
and (p. 106):
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"The general discipline of the force is certainly better than when I came here."
Inspector GRIMES, who was more than eight years Sergeant in the Irish Constabulary, says (p. 116):
"The present state of the force is very good indeed. I believe it at present to be the best Police force in the East as far as I can get to know."
The Honourable C. C. SMITH says (p. 103):
"The Police hitherto has always been in an experimental state. It is certainly better now than it was, but I cannot even now say that we have got what we ought to have."
The Honourable JOHN GARDINER AUSTIN, whilst admitting in general terms that the force had been allowed to fall into a state approaching disorganisation, says (p. 50);
"There was an immense change for the better after his (Mr. DEANE's) return from leave. I observed that the Police was far better in hand than under either Mr. CREAGH or Mr. RICE."
The Rev. JAMES LEGGE, D.D., who for twenty-nine years has been a resident in the Colony, and to use his own words, "closely connected with the Chinese," says (pp. 113, 114):
"The subject of Police has necessarily often come before me, one continual cry against the Police and their corruption, I think the Sikhs have been the honestest men we have had. Ever since I have been in the Colony there has been 'On the whole, we have gone forward.'"
The Honourable C. MAY, whilst expressing himself as being strongly opposed to the system of licensed gambling in general, says (p. 85):
"I do think that Police corruption was stopped. I was mistaken about licensing not stopping Police bribery. I did not think it would."
The Commission, while agreeing generally with the foregoing conclusions, cannot forget that such improvement as there has been has been purchased by an enormously increased expenditure, and they regret they are unable to report that cost and efficiency have kept pace with each other.
13. In dealing with the present position of the force, it is obvious that attention must be directed in the first place to its Captain Superintendent. The Commission cannot shut their eyes to the fact that complaints, in many instances only too well founded, have frequently been made public with respect to this officer. The Commission are not prepared, and do not consider it to fall within their functions, to deal in detail with many of the disputes and almost personal differences which abound in the evidence, especially the documentary evidence, that has been placed before them. At the same time, they feel they would not be fitly discharging the duty which has been entrusted to them, did they altogether omit to notice some matters connected with Mr. DEANE which have been pressed upon their notice.
14. The evidence, in the first place, points very strongly to the mistake which was originally made in placing at the head of a large and important corps any gentleman with so little previous Police training as Mr. DEANE had had, and whose experience, even limited as it was, was chiefly gained from books. Many of the mistakes into which Mr. DEANE has fallen have been the natural results of inexperience, but the Commission cannot overlook the fact that other serious errors have had their origin in a want of ordinary care and discretion on his part.