KIDNAPPING COMMISSION.
MINUTES OF MEETING held at the Justices' Room, at the Magistracy, on the 28th June, 1879. Present:-John J. FRANCIS in the Chair; Revd. E. J. EITEL, PH.D.; C. V. CREAGH, Esq.;
Mr. FUNG MING-SHÁN; Mr. TSE SUNG-SHAN.
Minutes of last Meeting read and confirmed.
Mr. FUNG MING-SHAN states that the other two Chinese Members, Messrs. SHI SHANG-KAI and LO LAI-PING, are absent from the Colony.
Mr. FRANCIS' memo, with the notes of the Chinese Members of the Committee thereon, was read and approved, and it was resolved-
That the Minutes of the Proceedings of the Committee be forwarded to His Excellency the Governor with a strong recommendation that His Excellency would be pleased to approve of the proposed Association, and that the Chinese may be authorised to take the necessary steps to carry out their ideas.
That Dr. EITEL be requested to write the necessary letter.
JOHN J. FRANCIS, J.P.,
Chairman.
MINUTES OF A MEETING held (in accordance with the Minute of His Excellency the Governor on C.S.O. No. 2641, of 12th November, 1878), at the Magistracy, on 28th November, 1878,
at 2.30 P.M.
Present:-Dr. EITEL, Acting Inspector of Schools; J. J. FRANCIS, Esquire, Acting Police Magistrate; C. V. CREAGH, Esquire, Acting Police Magistrate; Mr. FUNG MING-SHÁN, Comprador of Chartered Mercantile Bank; Mr. SUI SHANG-KAI, Opium Merchant; and Mr. TSE TAT-SHING, Tea Merchant.
After it had been stated that Captain DEANE had received permission to withdraw from participation in these Meetings, and that Mr. LO LAI-PING was unavoidably prevented from attending the present Meeting, the Petition addressed by Mr. LO LAI-PING and others, with its enclosure, was read, as also the Minutes on the same document, C.S.O. No. 2641.
Adverting to the fact that kidnapping had always been practised in the Colony, Mr. FRANCIS then put the question to the petitioners if there was of late any special modus operandi observed in the proceedings of kidnappers differing from what had been observed and known formerly, and justifying special proceedings either on the part of petitioners or on the part of the Government or both. To this question the Chinese gentlemen present replied that there was indeed a marked difference observable in the proceedings of kidnappers of late, because they had become acquainted with the loopholes English law leaves open, also with the principle of personal freedom jealously guarded by English law, and that through this knowledge their proceedings had not only become less tangible for the Police to deal with, but the kidnappers had been emboldened to give themselves a definite organization, following a regular system adapted to the peculiarities of English and Chinese law, and using regular resorts and depôts in the suburbs of Hongkong. In support of this, Mr. FUNG MING-SHAN laid on the table two documents written in Chinese (marked A and B). One of these (marked A) contained a list of 38 different houses in the neighbourhood of Sai-ying-p'ún and Tai-ping-shán used by professional kidnappers as their regular resorts or depôts, and a list of 21 professional kidnappers whose names are given, but whose residence could not be ascertained. The other document (marked B) consists of a list of 41 professional kidnappers whose personalia have been satisfactorily ascertained. Both papers are herewith appended together with an English translation.
The Magistrates present, feeling satisfied that there was good raison d'être for some special organization to oppose this systematized sale of women and children for unlawful purposes, pointed out to the Chinese members of the meeting that one great difficulty the Government frequently met in dealing with such cases was the question what to do with women or children, found to have been unlawfully sold or kidnapped, how to restore them to their lawful guardians in the interior of China, how to provide for them in case such women or children had actually been sold by their very guardians, who, if the woman or child in question were restored to them, would but seek another purchaser, how to prevent such women and children being sold again by their guardians or friends, how to deal with persons absolutely friendless, &c. To this observation the Chinese members of the meeting replied that they were prepared to undertake this duty and overcome these very difficulties by means of an organized "Society for the Protection of Women and Children," which would employ trustworthy detectives to ascertain the family relations of any kidnapped person, which would see to such persons being restored to their families upon guarantee being given for proper treatment, which in cases where restoration would not be advisable or where in the absence of relations and friends it was impossible, would take charge of such kidnapped persons, maintain them and eventually see them respectably married.
The meeting thereupon agreed that it would be desirable for the proposed "Society for the Protection of Women and Children" to obtain corporate existence and then authority to employ private detectives to be sworn in as special Constables, who would have to be selected and to a certain amount (corresponding to that guaranteed in the case of ordinary Constables) secured by the Society's guarantee, who would also be under the general superintendence of the Captain Superintendent of Police to whom they would, if in the Colony, report themselves daily, without however being liable to any ordinary Police duty, being entirely under the orders of the Society.
Mr. FRANCIS suggested to the Chinese members of the Committee the desirability of spreading in the neighbouring districts a knowledge of the English law forbidding the sale of persons and guaranteeing the liberty of the subject. The Chinese members expressed themselves anxious to do so if someone drew up a succinct statement of the provisions of the English law on the subject. The Magistrates present expressed themselves willing to draw up such a digest in a brief form and Dr. EITEL promised to translate it into Chinese for the use of the Society.
The Committee then agreed that apart from the superintendence of detectives to assist the regular Police in the arrest of kidnappers, the functions of the proposed Society would be the raising and administering of funds to pay the detectives and to provide for rescued kidnapped persons, for which an account should be published annually.
The Committee further agreed that there would be no need for the proposed Society to pay out of their own funds the rewards to be offered for the detection of kidnappers, as there is a law authorizing the payment of such rewards by the Government.
The Chinese members of the Committee then made some reference to one or two members of the Chinese Police force being suspected of being in league with professional kidnappers, but as they had no distinct proof to bring forward and would therefore, for the present, not give names, it was agreed not to go into this point.
This closed the proceedings for the day, it being understood that draft regulations of the proposed Society would be prepared for the assistance of the Chinese members by Mr. FRANCIS and, after consultation with the whole Committee, finally submitted to His Excellency the Governor together with the Minutes of this meeting and of any future meeting that may be held.
E. J. EITEL.
Confirmed at the meeting of 28th June, 1879.
JOHN J. FRANCIS.
COPY OF LETTER FROM CHINESE SECRETARY TO COLONIAL SECRETARY,
HONGKONG, 3rd October, 1879.
SIR,-I have the honour to address you in the name of the Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor, under date of 12th November, 1878, to inquire in concert with certain Chinese gentlemen into the matter referred to in their petition of 11th November, 1878, (C.S.O.2641), and to draw up some scheme, for the approval of His Excellency, to check the crime of kidnapping.
The Committee now submit to His Excellency the papers I forward under this enclosure, which contain not only information as to the character and extent of kidnapping practised in Hongkong, but also a detailed scheme for the suppression of this crime by means of the aid which an organised native Society for the protection of women and children would render to the Executive.
The Committee beg to urge upon His Excellency the Governor to sanction the proposed Association, and to authorise the Chinese gentlemen, who are the promoters of this excellent organisation, to take the necessary steps to carry out their ideas.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
E. J. EITEL.
The Honourable W. H. MARSH,
Colonial Secretary,
&c.,
&c.