Enclosure 2.
465
within less than 6 years of the inauguration of the Protector.
-ate and in little over a year from the date of the conquest
of Sokoto and Kano to make slave dealing an offence punish-
-able for a non-native by 14 years and for a native by 7
years (plus 2 years in lieu of fine), yet for the offence of
purchasing a human being aggravated by the intent to compel
her at the age of 11 or 12 to become a prostitute the Hong-
-kong Law (Ordinance 4 of 1897) imposes only the absurdly
inadequate penalty of two years' imprisonment. Offences of
this latter class are largely committed by women, upon whom
of course flogging cannot be inflicted, and I venture to
suggest that in their case the probably equally deterrent
penalty of a week's solitary confinement in lieu of the
flogging, which they would if males have received, be
substituted for corporal punishment. As the act of purchase
is difficult to prove and evasion by means of so called
adoption (with a present of money) may be easy, I consider
that the two cases should be discriminated and I enclose a
draft law to give effect to my proposals.
3.
It has been represented to me by
the Second Police Magistrate that if the punishment of
ordinary