152
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Government, wrote a formal letter
295
159
The Bill is divided into four parts.
Part 11 is intended to
Care will be taken that liquor distilled introduced on the instructions in Stanley is used there and not moved Secretary of State for the Colonies belief that there were boy; as well Parts I and IV may be called forms!
is an attempt to deal with the mui tai-a surprising mistake or auxiliary. elsewhere so that the object of the re-
discussed mui tsai question-quether societies in addressing them come into force as soon as the Bill is duced fee is not set aside.
perhaps, more discussed that under formally to the queation talked passed and the Ordinance is gazetted. Part III is to be postpoded and not to THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded, I say that because I think it is declaring mui tsai illegal, evidently come into operation until proclaimed by to admit at the outset that much at of the fact that mui tsai is the the Governor-in-Council. Part II pro- critician-though not all of the of a person and not of a thing. vides that hereafter no one is to take or employing mui tsai is cs of that kind are perhaps only into his employment in the Colony any mistakes, but I am afraid they mui taai as a mui tai, and Part III
and the resolution was carried.
Chinese Wine and Spirit Shop Licence (Stanley)
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the following resolution:--
ignorant and unsympathetic.
of the
I think that the confusion of the existence of a certain type of provides that all mui teai are to be critical and rather apt to jump registered, that no one is to employ an
largely due to the use
It is hereby resolved that the Second/"slavery" for what is not alavery Jusiona without sufficient evidence.unregistered mui tsai, and that all mui Ordinance, 1911, be amended by the addi. the employers is not recognised nk that what is more important to wagea.
Schedule to the Liquors Consolidation Mui tai are not slaves; the co
tion of the following sub-heading at the end of the heading Chinese Wine and Stanley, Spirit Shop Licence':-(1) $25.7
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY-The same reasons apply for reducing the fee as in the case of the former resolution.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded and the resolution was carried.
The Military Lands Question
HON. MA. H. E
POLLOCK.
way by law: the girls are ment it: and Chinese custom recognis the family, though humble mec obligations of the employer tow
a. It is impossible, of desire to do so, but perhaps argue this point now, and I allowed to give one illustration th
the
tsai over a certain age shall be entitled
than confusion of mind or ignor- details is lack of sympathy with Now as regards the details of the Bill. civilisation. Chinese civilisa Clause 2 of the Bill is declaratory.
ancient and an honourable Payment by an intending employer to and I, for one, think that in some a parent or guardian of a child has never I in this Colony conferred any rights such employer to retain that the custom of employing whatever on is one of those points. it is superior to our own,
The possession of the child as against the
under my notice the other dructure of that civilisation is parent, or oven to retain possession of
case At recent murder Sessions one of the witnesses was
girl of about 13; she was bright.
erent from ours, and to embark the child as against the child itself.
task of changing that social The clause, therefore, is simply declara- even in one detail, is one that tory of the existing law. Clause 3 is the cause even the boldest legis definition clause. A mui tsai is defined A female domestic servant whose
gent, well-clothed, chriously pause. It is recognised, there-as she gave her evidence clearly awe must go slowly and care employer has obtained her services K... gently except that the very head we are anxious to avoid doing by means of a payment. Paragraph (ii) asked the following question" Will the down two or three times in sence to sentiments and customs of the definition is intended to cover two Government give information to the her mother, the murdered watch perhaps we are not in entire cases: one is the case where the girl has
Council as to the progress of the negotia tions for the transfer of the Military Establishments from their present sites
was only nearly at the end of for the Crown that we discov note of the police or Court
Clause 4 in the main clause in Part II
been transferred from one employer to another, and the other is the case where atom of employing mui tesi has the employer has died and the care of to other sites which will not impede the known till then-that the girl in the course of long years of the house and the custody of the child to social and economic has devolved on the widow, the son, or commercial and residential expansion of daughter of the murdered won ont
but mui taai. She had refer and we realise that we incur the concubine of the employer. the Colony!"
t custom. There is a danger THE COLONIAL SECRETARY replied-woman throughout as her rangers in attempting to our
and responsibility which I am into operation at once, It provides that the month of May this year and the Burprise some of the critics of the may lose the quasi-parental of the Bill, the part which is to come The local negotiations were concluded in think that class of incident w
better dass of employer recog-
no person shall hereafter tako into his here is also the danger that we employment any mui tesi. That. of conditions on which the Military Estab-
ease the risks of neglect, kid. course, will not prevent anyone taking lishments should be removed to other sites were forthwith submitted to the
ud prostitution. But when all into his employment as a hired servant And apologies are made for a girl who was formerly a mui teai. Colonial Office and War Office. The re-
acd white wo Clause 5 provides that no employer sult of the discussion which subsequently
se that the custom of employ- shall beroafter take into his employment took place between the two departments
criticism, has not yet been notified to this Govern-
ai is by no means wholly bad any female domestic servant under the many of the mui tsai-I think age of ten years. That is intended to ment.
ity are contented with their prevent evasion because in the case of fairly well off, and while we children under 10 it would be very dif- the dangers of this legislation, ficult to prove that they were or were be denied that the system does not mui tsai. Clause & provides that to abuse, and grave abuse, in every employer of a mui tsai must pro of evil and unscrupulous vide the girl with sufficient food and Hence this Bill.
clothing and medical attendance in case
The Female Domestic Service Ordinance
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL-Sir, I beg to move the first reading of a Bill intitulen, "An Ordinance to regulata certain forme This Blll is of female domestic service."
It would also surprise them to: our Chinese servants-at any ich cases-apply the term "mui some European members of a holds who have important and
The fact the duties in connection with the of our children. apply the term to persons of shows that the word cannot him the connotation of "alavery, critics of the system think.
The criticism, too, I am Оле often been ignorant. society of repute which conside a duty to go into the question:
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