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Diseases Ordinance. In these brothels Europeans and Chinese are entertained indiscriminately and the Chinese themselves, respectable objects, strongly object to the existence of these houses, and have petitioned Government to put the law in force against these houses which have become, owing to the lax administration of the Contagious Diseases Ordinance, very numerous.
I think there are sufficiently strong reasons for the Ordinance being retained in this Colony. From 1870 to the latter part of 1882 the Law as relates to brothels has almost been in abeyance with the result that these houses have become quarters of disease in all parts of the Colony owing to the number of them.
Now the Chinese themselves have been made aware of the law and many of them have shut up afraid of the law being put in force against them. As a result of the laxity of the administration of the laws in this respect the complaints from the Army and Naval Authorities of the number of diseased cases amongst the men have been frequent of late years and license...