CO882-6 — Page 12

10612

13

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

No. 9.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR C. B. H. MITCHELL.

[Answered by 17125 (not printed).]

(No. 222.)

SIR,

Downing Street, July 15, 1895.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

No. 8.

RIPON.

GOVERNOR SIR C. B. H. MITCHELL to the MARQUESS OF RIPON.

(Received June 17, 1895.)

[Answered by No. 9.]

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 195, of 21st May last, forwarding a copy of the revised form of ticket issued by the Protector of Chinese to the inmates of brothels.

The Chinese lettering on this ticket seems to be printed in very bad (red) ink, as part of it has become obliterated in passing through the post, which bears out the cor- rectness of the statement in paragraph 8 of the memorandum by Mrs. Andrew and Dr. Kate Bushnell, accompanying my predecessor's despatch, No. 430 of 28th December last,† to the effect that those ladies found the tickets so blurred as to be unintelligible.

I shall be glad if you will give directions to have the tickets printed in better ink.

I have, &c.,

J. CHAMBERLAIN.

(No. 195.)

MY LORD,

Government House, Singapore, May 21, 1895. In previous despatches,† as marked in the margin, I have dealt with some of the No. 113 of 8th April. points raised in Your Lordship's despatch, No. 436, of the No. 166 of 30th April. 28th December last.‡

2. With regard to paragraph 7 of that despatch, I have the honour to transmit a copy of a letter from the Protector of Chinese, enclosing a copy of the ticket now in use, modified in accordance with Your Lordship's instructions.

9187.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

No. 10.

SIR,

(No. 196/95.)

I have, &c.,

C. B. H. MITCHELL.

Enclosure in No. 8.

PROTECTOR OF CHINESE to COLONIAL SECRETARY.

Chinese Protectorate Office, Singapore, May 14, 1895. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, S. of S. 786/95, transmitting extracts from a despatch from the Secretary of State.

2. In reply, I beg to state that steps have already been taken to introduce the modified form of tickets in accordance with paragraph 7, and I attach a copy of the ticket as now used.

3. I note the instructions of Secretary of State in paragraphs 9 and 11 of the despatch, and will in future have them strictly followed.

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary,

Straits Settlements.

I have, &zo.,

W. EVANS,

Protector of Chinese, Straits Settlements.

NOTICE issued by the Protector of Chinese to Prostitutes and Girls of Brothels. Whenever a prostitute or girl has a grievance, she may come to the Protectorate and complain. Any one who dares to prevent her will be arrested and severely punished without mercy.

• No. 5.

† No. 5 and 6.

No. 4.

SIB,

MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR C. B. H. MITCHELL.

[Answered by No. 11 and (par. 4) by 476/95-8 (not printed).]

(No. 245.)

Downing Street, August 12, 1895.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 168, of 90th April last, forwarding a Memorandum drawn up by a Committee of the Executive Council regarding certain proposed amendments of the Women and Girls' Protection Ordinance.

2. As regards the first paragraph of that Memorandum, I concur in your view that it would not be expedient to repeal section 14 of Indian Act 48 of 1860, but. I still think it would be desirable to enact also a new clause on the lines of section 7 of Indian Act 21 of 1857.

3. With reference to the last paragraph of the Memorandum, I have to explain that, while adopting provisions similar to those contained in section 5 and the first part of section 10 of the Hong Kong Ordinance 11 of 1890, there will be no neces- sity to repeal any of the existing provisions of the Straits Settlements Ordinance. I am disposed to think that the above-mentioned provisions of the Hong Kong Law might be extended, and that the new clause might be enacted somewhat in the following

form:-

A

Any person who procures or attempts to procure any girl under sixteen years of age or any woman or girl above that age, not being a common prostitute or of known immoral character, to have either within or without the Colony unlawful carnal con- nection with any other person, or for the purpose of prostitution, either within or without the Colony, and any person who knowingly receives or harbours any woman or girl, knowing that such woman or girl has been procured for such purposes and with intent to aid such purposes, shall on conviction before the Supreme Court or a Court of two Magistrates, be liable to imprisonment of either description for a term not croeeding one year, or to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars, or to both."

No &

↑ No. 4.

+ No. 6

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :---

11111C.O. 882

9

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO