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HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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culated to give sound advice thereon. I can- not too strongly express the extreme resent- ment of this Colony that its name should have been fouled, unjustly fouled, by the state- ments which have all too lightly been made concerning it of late at home.
The Hon. Member said-I rise, Sir, to which one Member of the "Advisory Body propose the resolution standing in my is at any rate specially interested-since name. I need scarcely say, Sir, that it from time to time cases of disease have is distasteful to me to go into detail on been imported into this Colony from this subject, nor is it necessary to do so.
that Port. As an old resident of many For months past, Sir, a tissue of libels, years standing and as one who has which I personally can only describe as
been outside the Government and occa- malicious, and perhaps inspired, have
sionally criticised it, I can say that the been circulated at Home in connection system of registration here is a system with this Colony, both as regards the Mui
not to protect vice, but to protect women Tsai system and what is called the and children from vice. Finally, so much "Social Evil Conditions," the bulk of has been said and circulated at Home which, I do not hesitate to state, are
which has been misrepresentation of the not borne out by the facts as we know truth, that we would urge that the Home them. That there has been growing pub- concerned at any rate, should appoint to the Government, SO far as Hongkong is lic indignation here of these libels has Advisory Body some resident of long stand- been evidenced in the Press and it would ing in Hongkong familiar with the facts, certainly have found voice in public meet-life and conditions here, and therefore cal- ings if the present opportunity had not occurred. There is evidence, too, of the mis- interpretation of facts even by those who were supposed to know them. I would recall to Your Excellency's mind and to the minds of hon. members of this Council that some three years ago we had a visita- tion from a Commission inquiring into vice in the Eastern ports and a statement was published in one of the most pro- minent medical journals over the name of Mrs. Neville Rolfe, a member of that Commission, who spent some time in- quiring into conditions here, containing assertions which were so definitely con- sidered to be not only a gross misrepresenta- tion of the facts, but libellous in its references to the state of disease in this Colony that a well-known private medical practitioner here took himself personally to contradict the statements, with the result that Mrs. Neville Rolfe was moved to retract the statement. These and many other such statements have led to the incor- poration of Hongkong into the appoint- ment of an Advisory Body to inquire into the "maisons tolerees" and social hygiene of Hongkong and other places. I submit that this is totally unnecessary, so far as Hongkong is concerned at any rate. In the second place I think I express the unanimous opinion of hon. members when I say we resent interference in what we may fairly call the domestic control of the Colony of Hongkong. The Home Govern- ment might with no greater reason have appointed a Committee to advise upon the hospital system of Hongkong, and we, with equal propriety might have asked that you, Sir, should suggest a Commission of Enquiry into the conditions of vice in Plymouth,-in
HON. MR. H. W. BIRD-Sir, I wish to fully endorse the remarks that have fallen from the senior unofficial member. It would seem that no matter how irrespon- sible an individual may be, he or she has only to say something 'derogatory to Hong- kong, and notice is promptly taken of such statements without any attempt being made I strongly support the suggestion of my to find out whether they are true or not. colleague that the Colony should be re- presented on this advisory body by some- one who has close knowledge of the facts that exist here, so that in the event of statements being made regarding local conditions that are incorrect they could With these be promptly contradicted. remarks I beg to support the resolution.
HON, MR. KOTEWALL-Sir, I support the resolution, though I should have been glad to see the word "malicious "omit- ted, for I am inclined to the belief that the action of those whose activities have brought this Colony so unpleasantly and unfairly into the
the limelight, has been actuated by excessive zeal for their cause rather than by any unworthy motive. I wish, however, to associate myself in this public protest against such action which has undoubtedly tended to create a false impression of conditions in Hongkong.
HON. MR. CHAU SIU-KI-I agree with the remarks made by my hon. friend Mr. Kotewall.