N°
No 325
(
sir,
C
42491
342
Rond 2 in 14
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 22nd September, 1914.
14
9933
73
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your despatches No.184 of the 16th of July last and No.122 of the
8th May, 1913, on the subject of Ordinance No.3 of 1913. This
Ordinance, which appeared to you to constitute a departure from
modern criminal legislation inasmuch as it extended the applicat-
ion of corporal punishment to offences under the Stowaways and
Deportation Ordinances, has now been in operation over a year and
I submit a report on its working during that period.
2.
With regard to offences under the Stowaways Ordin-
ance these have become much less frequent and the Police Magis-
trates did not in any case during the period in question make use of their extended powers.
3.
Under the Deportation Ordinance seven offenders
have been at various times during the past twelve months sentenced to corporal punishment, and the Police Magistrates consider that
the Ordinance has been of distinct value as a deterrent, as the
number of offences against the Deportation Ordinance during the
period April to July of this year fell to 47 as against 76 during
the corresponding period of last year.
4.
I have met the representations in paragraph 2 of
your despatch of the 8th May by instructing the Police Magistrates to make use of the flogging penalty only in aggravated offences.
I have the honour to be,
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEWIS HARCOURT, MP..
&C
&C..
&c.
sir,
Your most obedient,
humble servant,
B
A
Governor, &c.