Now that the Governor of Hong Kong did not forward all the papers but that he has forwarded to the Secretary of State Documents nos 1 to 5. I now enclose nos 6 to 12 inclusive as requested.
Copy of the Earl of Kimberley's Despatch of the 20th of May 1880 (no 5) which called for a prompt answer, was forwarded in due course by me on the 25th of June 1880 as appears by enclosure no 6. I was at Kowloon. Induced partly by work and still more by the unpleasant disturbances in the Registry office I was unable to answer the inquiries until the 26th of August 1880 (see no 7). The Earl of Kimberley will see that I therein referred to the Attorney General's advice against bringing the questions before the public directly from the Bench.
I had thought that this Communication would be forwarded to the Earl of Kimberley, in due course. But the Governor has informed me that he had not done so, and suggested that I had not answered some of his Lordship's inquiries with sufficient distinctness. I therefore wrote the Letter dated 24th November 1880 (no 8) which gave supplementary answers in which I inclosed (no 9) a memorandum by Mr Francis stating that there are 18,000 to 20,000 prostitutes as against only 6,000 respectable women.
Document no 10 is carefully drawn up and I believe gives a correct view of the result in Hong Kong of the practices I have deprecated. It refers to the facts of five cases on which some of the prisoners were tried for crimes of a revolting character, the natural outcome of the illegal practices.
No 10 of these documents were forwarded to the Acting Colonial Secretary in Hong Kong on the 28th February 1881.
I had hoped that the Letter which I forwarded last year might have induced a less ungenerous view by Lord Kimberley of my judicial conduct. The object of presenting which I have denounced as they affect the moral status of the Colony was to me of great gravity.
Before I left Hong Kong the Governor told me that he had not forwarded the documents because he was waiting for the opinion of the Attorney General. But I understood him to say that whether he received that opinion or not the Documents should be all forwarded by the mail in which I left.
I have the honour to be,
Your most obedient Servant,
John Smale,
Chief Justice of Hong Kong.
Page 480
Page 481
Dated July 25th 1881.
The Chief Justice of Hong Kong.
(Serial no 3451).
The Assistant Under Secretary of State.
Colonial Office.
Kidnapping in Hong Kong 23 July 1881.
Eight Enclosures.