that he would take
any other steps -
(
reasonably satisfied
was of the
necessary
that his intervention
in the interest of the child,
direct of the
objection
With respect to the second
that the powers granted by the original Bill were too extensive and were to be exercised without due publicity, it was proposed that the Registrar General should have power to associate with himself two members of the Police or two Chinese residents of the place, and that the Governor should have power to make regulations respecting the admission of the public to these inquiries.
The third objection was that the Ordinance did not state what was to be done with the child.
Section 2 of the proposed Ordinance enacted that the Registrar General should have power to make an order, either for proper custody of the child, or he might have left it with the custodian, security being given for the fulfilment of certain conditions. I was informed that difficulty would arise on this point, as in almost all cases the child is left with the custodian, due security being given for its care and maintenance.
The Bill, as framed, was introduced and read a first, second, and third time. Great opposition was offered by the unofficial members and the principal Chinese to the clause giving extensive powers to the Registrar General, although in introducing the Bill I had distinctly stated that the object of the Ordinance was solely to prevent female children being brought up as prostitutes; the objection still raised was that under the Bill the Registrar General had too extensive powers, and there would have been great difficulty in passing the Bill. After consultation with Dr. Stewart, the Acting Colonial Secretary,