the Master who may not have the knowledge of the pecuniary circumstances of his predecessor but the evil which is sought to remedy does not arise from the landing here of persons who have been bona fide passengers.
This Section will afford the Captain, and the Agents at the port of departure of the regular steamer engaged in the trade, a valid excuse for refusing to furnish a free passage to Hongkong, or for refusing to take as passengers destitutes which the Consul or anyone sends to Hongkong.
And even in the case of a person applying for a passage on payment, the European Consuls at the various Coast ports know that a little enquiry will soon discover who the applicant is.
I am informed that in Shanghai the Consuls usually protect themselves against these unwelcome visitors.
1.4 They never discharge any seaman from any ship without taking guarantee from the Captain or Agent that the man will not become chargeable to his Consul for a period of months, and 2nd if a destitute is landed from any ship the Consul of the Country to which the vessel belongs at the request of the Consul of the destitute's Country puts pressure on the Captain to take him away again.
I am also informed that American ship-masters blame the vagrancy in Hongkong. Sec. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 provide for the punishment of the offences in the said Sections mentioned.
From these remarks, it will be seen that the Bill proposes to deal with persons who are destitutes, or vagrants, if they are so, by endeavouring to find employment for them and punishing them if they refuse employment when found.