....
PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
TLC.O.
REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- |
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON,
133/26 ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
417.
purpose, all the Foreign Population under Police supervision should, in fairness, be included in Hong- kong, as well as Shanghai. The Census Returns from which that total was taken do not profess to include soldiers and seamen, Now, the Foreign Population, including seainen and soldiers, as well as residents and others from Goa, Manila and India, has for years been more than double the number stated by Mr. JOHNSTON, and was, at the last Census, shown to be 7,699, a number which at once makes an error of more than 50 per cent in all Mr. Jousstox's comparative statements. (Vide Appendix A.)
5. Again, it may be true that there are 113 Europeans, and 328 Indians in the Police of Hongkong. and only 39 European Police at Shanghai, if the Consular staff, and that of the Supreme Court be omitted. It is not, however, true, as assumed by Mr. JonssTox (par. 7), that the Chinese portion of the force is useful only against Natives, which assertion is evidently intended to lead the reader to infer that the Foreign Police are useful only against Foreigners. There is no such distinction. The European and Native Force act indiscriminately, whether in the city, or whether in the outlying villages and harbor, which latter duties alone engage 200 of the force.
6. The proportion, therefore, of Hongkong Police to the total population-121,000--which it supervises is 1 to 191, and the proportion of Foreign Police to Foreign residents is nearly 1 to 70.
7. Misstatements of the materiel and working of the Police force are, however, of little couse- quence compared with the unnoticed fact that in Shanghai there is only a small level and compact space, and a native population thereon to be watched, whose comparatively peaceful and docile character enables them to be governed with peculiar facility, especially as the Chinese authorities lend material assistance on the spot. In Hongkong, there is no such help. The resident population is far larger than that wider supervision of the Anglo-American Council at Shanghai, whilst it is, moreover, continually recruited with professional criminals from the most restless and turbulent Provinces of the Chinese Empire, so that Hongkong may be said to be in a constant state of siege from without.
8. In Hongkong, moreover, the hills and valleys have to be watched and patrolled. Numerous outstations are maintained, and the Police employed on many duties which never occur at all at Shanghai, and in the absence of which, it would be essentially unnecessary to maintain so large a free as is required by the special peculiarities of Hongkong, whether geographical or moral.
9. Nevertheless, no ignorance of special circumstances can be held to justify a wanton distor- tion of statistical returns, or the incorrect statement, (par. 9), that in 1868, there were at Hongkong, 1,033 convictions of Foreigners under the head of "Murder, Manslaughter, Robbery with Violence, Assault. Larceny, Kidnapping, Unlawful Possession and Piracy," amounting to 29 per cent on the number of Foreigners.
10. The suljoined analysis of the 1,033 convictions of Foreigners in 1868, shows that the total percentage was not 29 as stated by Mr. JoussTos, but 13.2. It also shows that the number of convictions under the heads given by Mr. Johnston was not 1,033, but 334, of which 255 were cases of common Assault or Disturbance on board ship. (Vide Apendix B.)
11. Under Piracy, Kidnapping, and Murder, which Mr. Jonssros puts forward so prominently (par. 9) as three of the classes of "serious" crime committed by Foreigners in Hongkong, not even one case occurred!
12. Finally, if both for Hongkong and Shanghai the cases of Assault, which are generally trivial, and unfit to be classed with Felonies, and if also the minor offences, such as Drunkenness, Refusal of Duty, &c., be deducted from the totals in each place, the serious crimes committed by Foreigners will be found to have been in the ratio of 1.5 per cent to the population in Shanghai in 1868, and of only 1 per cent to the population of Hongkong.
13. Nevertheless, Mr. JOHNSTOx did not scruple to assert that the proportion of "serious crime" to Foreigners in Hongkong was 29 per cent, an inexcusable misrepresentation, which I respectfully trust this Governinent will cause to be corrected, as such misstatement by their Secretary in no way improves the position of the Anglo-American Council at Shanghai, a body whose excellent administra- tion is generally acknowledged.
Appendix A.
EXTRACT from No. 1.-Cɛssus of Hoxuxoxo, including the Military and Naval Departments, lat June, 1889.
No. of No. of
POPULATION. HOUSES. BOATS.
*Europeans and Americans, Resident Population, Europeans, Military,
+Europeats and Americans, Naval Establishments, Europeans and Americans, Crews of Mercantile Ship-
ping in the Harbour,
Europeans and Americus, Temporary Residents, Europeans and Americans, Prisoners,
Total of Europeans and Americane,
Goa, Manila, Indian, and others of Mixed Blood,
Resident Population,
Goa, Manila, Indian, and others of Mixed Blood, Crews of Mercantile Shipping in the Harbour,.. Indians. Military,
Goa, Manila, Indian, anst others of Mixed Blond,
Prisoners,
Total of Indias, &r.,..
Appendix B.
282
TOTAL
Men. Women. Boys. Girla
1,101
3281
381
62
328 61
2,280
59
705
1:29
7:00
915
915
130
130
63
€3
3,579
585
324
341
120
01
41
802
18
M
the conte
45
4,880
097
862
10
10
*
2002
109
52 2,810
Grami Total,
ALFRED LISTER, Atling Registrar General.
RETURS of COSVRTIONS of Foreigners for Serious and Misor Crimes and Offourer, during 1988, in Hongkong,
7,190
3
04
2
255
2
0
444 15
154
9
63
6
14
* 1,033
Estimate of Foreign' Population, including Soldiers and Seames, Hatin of Convictions for Serious Crimes,......
.7,199
1.0 per cent
4.2 per cent.
Assaults and Disturbances on board ship, Minor Offences,
1.2
+
9.0
13.2
W. M. DEANE, Captain Superintendent of Pilier
To
The Honorable J. GardineR AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
Hongkong.
Respectfully submitted,
W. M. DEANE, Captain Superintendent of Police.
211