(6)
198
相是
不准其留存故也但理有至當者一則彼此同服英 人看待實亦視在英國律例之外或不容其入內或 買賣人身雖乃不在英國律例之内而本港華民被 螟蛉用人爲服役實是善事但在此原本善事歷年 都與買賣人身情事相連畢竟有何原故大都因爲 買賣人身一事之外本部堂確見無疑可云養子作
也
在
但
英
不
在
情
國治下均應遵守英國律例二則彼此有權均可領
人倫常之道則養作螟蛉用爲服役皆可只須除都 使是事符合大英國法無害爾輩家規且無阻碍華 該律例之益故本港凡有體面之華人今宜裁酌務
國製造貨物之區
院定必加 與爾華人及大英 建如此之會館及貿易貨物之 助建該會館之資照爾輩所言 准本部堂請撥國帑四萬金爲 與爾且極樂客請 藩政大臣
本部堂甚喜請國家送一地 及此事本部堂卽准爾輩所求 華商會館內備博物院一節論 爾輩頌詞內有一言請准建造
人可入某時惟西人可入却因他恐中外之人同時在院或 知其事者郎該値理中有四五人欲立定時期某時惟華 中國此事本部堂深爲可惜又應言明爾輩蓋爾中固有已 值理其中多有不准本部堂所請者卽任人隨意入院不分 部堂所請者即擬衆人入院時期之規條無分彼此又該院 時麥督憲亦是如此訂明而該院值理中有人膽敢不准本 衆所用者且經訂明不分畛域迄建該院工竣或將工竣之 不過一言按該院地基原屬國家地卽經羅督憲送與港 至於爾輩所指本港博物院值理人所立規條一本部堂
有爭執擾亂之事但據實而曾該值理所恐中外之人或有
years
hesitation in saying the practice of adoption and the practice of domestic service are good practices. And if in connection with these, in themselves good practices, the doubtful practice of buying and selling human beings has
gone on for ere, why is that? For this reason, that, though such buying and selling was alien to the British Constitution, the Chinese community of this Colony were, themselves, as it were, kept or allowed to remain, outside the British Constitu- tion. And whilst on the one hand it is only that should all be obedient to British proper.
you law and act in accordance with the British Cons- titution, on the other hand you are all entitled to receive the full benefits of that Constitution. Therefore it is that the leading Chinese gentle- men of this Colony are consulting together with the view of making arrangements in strict ac- cordance with British law, but so that there shall be no disturbance of their domestic customs, nothing, to interfere with their social relations. In short, that they can carry on their system of adoption and domestic service, but doing it without any sort of traffic in human beings.
In your address you have asked me to sanction the establishment of a Chamber of Commerce for the Chinese, in connection with which would be a Museum. I unhesitatingly approve of the proposal you have made to me on that subject.
I shall be very happy to recommend a grant of Crown land for the purpose, and I shall also be happy to apply to Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, for per- mission to propose a vote of $40,000 for the building, Such a Chamber of Commerce and such an Industrial Museum as you describe will do good to you and will also be of advantage to the manufacturers of England.
With reference to the notice at the City Hall, to which you have alluded, I will only say this, that the land upon which the City Hall stands was Crown land, that it was given by Sir HER- CULES ROBINSON to all the inhabitants of this Colony; there was to be no distinction of race or nationality, and when the building was com- pleted, or nearly completed, a somewhat similar stipulation was made by Governor MACDONNELL. I deeply regret that some gentlemen upon the committee of the City Hall took the grave res- ponsibility of not complying with my request that the notice of the hours of admission to the Museum should contain no distinction as between Chinese and Europeans. It has unfortumately happened that a majority of the members of that Committee voted against the proposition that I made to them, namely, to have a free admission to the Museum without any distinction of na- tionality or class. It is only fair that you should all know, as no doubt some of you do, that the reason four or five gentlemen upon that com- mittee
gave for desiring to have the Chinese only admitted at one time and the Europeans at an- other was that they were afraid that the presence
of Chinese and Europeans in the same Museum might lead to some conflict or disturbance. Now,
7)
買賣人身之事斯已年
乃十乃
(1) 八百七十八年時本港華商禀稱拐風惡 論及此事州涉者爾輩諒聞人言按本部堂
追
禀
宪
報此七本七七
買者庸
奴業蓋
乃
此
皇后治理本港者爲本港所有買身 按養螟蛉子未嘗 代
年
據美屬
照士無女
例國過
蓋英國
因服役情事立合
役之人亦無禁人
律例亦未禁用服
英國律例 英國
十七年有拐案七十三宗不爲不多矣此 者業經誌明在案按他意見凡有買賣婦女倘有賣身契到案者是爲犯法可作實機照 部堂準衆華商之意而行查一千八百七 庸蓋此等情事實因該婦女境遇所致不能辦理等語本部堂十年前有輔政司美士 十七年犯罪案件刊錄倘觀該錄便見本 乃買來者且有按卑職愚見以國家例及所規條辦理華人婦女賣身帱爭殊屬無 十九年一千八百七十八年一千八百七 百七十七年十二月初一日有華民政務司經本部堂立爲紳士教據言他意如此婦女 除該弊月前香港轅報特將一千八百七 衙門有頒行此例之職者亦明知婦女被人買賣來港爲裝者不少未幾之前卽一千八 事誠足令本港華民詫異迨大年具禀報 買奴例追究照該輔政司美士所會與本部堂之心深相契合但於一千八百七十七年 十三宗又一千八百七十九年此種案件 循分應用律例權力剿除凡有阻碍婦女自專情事故論此事爾輩與本部堂意見相合 何事所作何工除 乃一千八百七十八年該等案件減至五 爲然而本部堂亦知君與我有同情且知本部堂所爲實是體貼闔港輿情按本部堂 身之事不論所爲 明在案本部堂迅即札行飭嚴辦追究 時該州在局紳前所言若此婦女自孌情事國家則例規條不能辦理等語本部堂不以 所禁者乃買賣人 至所稱買子作螟蛉買女作侍婢此事大相懸絕論此本部堂更有數
乃 弊叢生請本部堂准立公會輔助國家剿 爲奴一欸實見面熱內爭奈歷年頒行所稱娼寮則例在内實有買身爲奴之法而該 有過亦未嘗有違
乃有五十一宗焉
例經
追誌等
明
在事
該案實
所輔按因
言政他該
女除君若司意婦
凡與此美見女
凡境以
有女所有遇國
音買所家
作例
深身
規相契
此實條契到
堂事是不合
更爾體能但
有輩貼辦於
the
year
1878 the Chinese gentlemen of the Co- lony called my attention to the growth of the
crime of kidnapping and they asked for my per-
mission to be allowed to form an association and co-operate with the Government in putting down
this crime. Within the last few weeks I have
printed in the Government Gazette the criminal
returns for the years 1879, 1878, and 1877, from which you will be able to see what has been done
by the Government of the Colony to carry out
the views of the Chinese community. Now, in
the year 1877 there were seventy-three cases of kidnapping. That was a large number, aud it attracted the attention of the Chinese in the Co-
lony, Next year they called my attention to it and I
gave strict instructions to the police. In
the year 1878 the number of cases had fallen to fifty-three, and in the year 1879 to fifty-one.
In connection with this subject you have also
heard of slavery in Hongkong. I am heartily
ashamed, as the representative of the Government
of this Colony, that for many years in connection
with what are called the brothel laws there un- doubtedly has prevailed a system of positive
slavery. One of the Government departments
entrusted with the administration of that Ordi-
nance was aware of the fact that women were
bought and sold to be put into the brothels of the Colony. As recently as the 1st December,
1877, the Registrar-General, in his evidence be- fore a commission I appointed on this subject,
expressed the opinion that such women were
bonglut; he also went on to say “I think it is
useless to try and deal with the question of the
freedom of Chinese prostitutes by law or by any Government regulation. From all the surround-
ings the thing is impracticable." I find that about ten years before, the then Colonial Secretary,
Mr. MueER, recorded the fact that a Bill of Sale which had come into a Government Department
in connection with such a transaction was in his
opinion illegal and was sufficient evidence of
slave-dealing indictable by law. I agree with
Mr. MERCER. I differ from the gentleman who
gave his evidence in 1877 that the freedom of such women cannot be dealt with by law or by Government regulation. And I know that
you all agree with me, and that I speak the sentiments
of the Chinese community of the Colony when I say that it is our duty to put down by the force
of law all practices that deprive such women of
their freedom in this Colony. Therefore, on
these questions, so far, we are perfectly agreed,
you and I. But now as to the question, which
is a totally different one, of what is called buying
children for adoption or domestic service. Upon
that question I will say a few words to you.
There is nothing in the practice of adoption
which is either wrong or opposed to British law.
Nor is there anything in British law opposed to
domestic service or the making of contracts for
domestic service. What the British law objects
to is the buying and selling of human beings for
any purpose. Putting aside that part of it, the
buying and selling of human beings, I have no
Mar.