Among the Bankruptcies
which I found pending when I took charge of my office in
April last, was that of Ng a-kine,
A female,
who was adjudicated
bankrupt in March 1878 but who
has
never surrendered. On looking
into the
papers which I found in the office it appeared that
the bankrupt was connected
with several brothel keepers in the Colony and that a large majority of the Creditors who
had proved
were females. The
assets consisted of a life interest
in some Chinese houses which
appeared to have been let on lease by my predecessor in office without having obtained
(as far as I could ascertain)
any order
of the Court and
contrary to the principles
on which Official Assignees generally
act, and the practice in bankruptcy.
This lease had been
prepared by Messrs. Brereton and Leong Cheong and
was made to one Wottow;
the rents received from him were
paid to me.
On inquiry,
I found that several of
the houses
were of a disreputable character,