CONTENTS.
1. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong...
2. Telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
3. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the
Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong
4. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the
Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong
5. Telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
6. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the
Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong
7. Despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
21st March
21st March
Page. ..3
1922. 22nd February
16th March
...4
4
..6
28th March
LAJ
3rd April
...7
10th June (Received 24th July)
..7
25th August
17
5th September
17
18
TTI
7th September
18
9th September
18
19
8. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Officer Administering the Government of Hong Kong
9. Telegram from the Officer Administering the Government of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
10. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Officer Administering the Government of Hong Kong
11. Telegram from the Deputy to the Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
12 Telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Officer Administering the Government of Hong Kong
13. Despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
14. Despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
...
15. Despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong
16. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong...
17. Telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
18. Despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
19. Telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong...
20. Despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies
21. Despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong...
24th November
1923.
6th March (Received 9th April)
6th March (Received 9th April)
2nd May
LAN
1929. 17th January
45
.45
4 la
29th January
22nd February ..le (Received 26th March)
20th April ...6.1
...
16th May (Received 20th June)
22nd August
...... ..75
HONG
KONG.
Papers relative to the Mui-Tsai Question.
No. 1.
Telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor of
Hong Kong.
(Sent 22nd February, 1922.)
(Answered by No. 2.)
Mui-tsai. I am not at all satisfied. Unless I am able to state that this institution does not involve the slightest element of compulsory employment (which is the essence of slavery) and that every mui-tsai of a certain age is in law and in practice free if she wishes to leave her adopted parents or employers, I cannot defend its continued existence in a British Colony. So far as administrative measures can make it so this freedom must be real. Would it be possible, for example, to give to each child on attaining age of discretion (say twelve years) a numbered identity disc which she could at any time post to Secretary for Chinese Affairs whose duty it would then be to secure her release? A Commission (including local advocates of reform) should be appointed to consider
(a) What legislative and administrative measures are neces- sary to bring about complete abolition of compulsion in em- ployment of mui-tsai over age (the possibilities of the plan suggested above or other measures for securing real freedom to leave employment might be enquired into).
(b) To recommend precautions to secure to mui-tsai under age an equivalent measure of protection. In view of the practical difficulty of a child asserting her legal freedom par- ticular attention should be paid to devising some means of affording them some safe and secret means of appeal to the Chinese Secretariat in case of ill-treatment.
(c) To investigate fully the possibility of preventing the transfer of mui-tsai without the consent of their natural parents or the Chinese Secretariat.
(d) To report what measures should be taken by Government to cope with the anticipated result of the measures adopted.
You should obtain the Commission's Report and send it to me with your recommendations before you leave the Colony in June. You should in any case issue a proclamation immediately making it quite clear to employers and employed that the status of mui-tsai, as understood in China, will not in future be recognised in Hong Kong,
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