1868 — Page 139

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON,

To Is To Te Te Te

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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4. Every effort is therefore used to put a stop to clandestine prostitution. From May 1868, to the end of the year, there have come before this department 63 cases, including 187 defendants, with one or two exceptions all Chinese women. Of these 26 were dismissed, mostly for want of evidence, and the rest have been dealt with by fine gr imprisonment. The inmates of each unregistered house have also been sent to Hospital, and detained there until restored to health. I submit that this is a very great step in advance, compared with the former practice at the Magistracy, by which the Master or Mistress of the house was simply fined, and the great root of the evil-the prostitutes-left to be distributed among other houses, or to reopen an establishment elsewhere.

5. On the final discharge of these prisoners when restored to health, endeavours have been made to trace their further proceedings, and this has been to a considerable extent successful. Many have entered Registered Brothels, and so become subject to Inspection, others have left the Colony under security of $100 not to return without report and permission, and some are residing here on the same security for their good behaviour.

6. Hlouses to the number of 33 have been declared by advertisement in the Gazette to be unregistered Brothels. This record is important, notwithstanding that each declaration was preceded by the removal of the inmates to Hospital. For when a Chinese house has once been a brothel it is difficult to get it rein- habited respectably. Therefore, on a second conviction of any one of the declared houses, it will be at once closed up and will remain vacant.

7. Although the fines inflicted have seldom exceeded one-fourth of the maximum sums named by the Ordinance, yet during the eight months under review, penalties to the amount of $2,217.50 (£460) have been imposed. Of these $1,681.50 (£350) were recovered.

8. There will not however be so many cases this year, partly from the more notorious keepers of clandestine Brothels having at last registered their houses, as will be stated below, and partly because experience has shown the advisability of not prosecuting unregistered houses which receive Chinese only. This is mentioned, lest at the end of the year there should seem a falling off in activity. Never- theless, the efficacy of the Ordinance cannot be wholly estimated by the amount of prosecution under it.

9. The system of ships being, on their arrival, instantly mobbed by a set of young girls, on pretence of obtaining clothes to wash, has been almost utterly put a stop to. The clothes are now fetched by men, or by old women known at this Office.

10. I think, from my own observation, and from reports of the Police, that there is also a decrease of the out-door prostitution which used to go on ainongst the soldiers at the Eastern end of the Town.

11. The most important step of the year, however, has been the inducing to Register, and thereby bringing under control, a number of houses which had previously existed as brothels in the more central parts of the town, Under the old Ordinance, when without any l'olice surveillance whatever.

no Registered Brothels were allowed East of the cross-roads, the premises in question had always been, though in a forbidden locality, notorious brothels. This had gone ou for years, and no respectable families could or would live in them. Nothing short of absolute closing of them up would meet the case, and

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then no doubt they would have opened elsewhere. But, to say nothing of the ery which would have been raised by the owners of the property, two convictions are required even to close them up, and after one house is once convicted they all become so careful that a second conviction is next to impossible. There are only two plans feasible with such houses-either utter extinction, uot possible I think, or regulation. The semblance of control which some people so much advocate, is practically neglect, with occasional intervals of prosecution and fine, and rather increases the evil, as it drives these people to form guilda, which pay fines, and spare no expense in engaging legal assistauce, or in procuring, reinoving, and intimidating witnesses.

12. Thirteen houses in the more central part of the town, and 54 women therein resident as prostitutes, have thus become subject to Medical Examination. Licenses were granted them on one stringent condition, namely, that the slightest instance of disorderly conduct, public solicitation, or other source of scandal, would be instantly followed by their forfeiture, and that the women would then be dealt with under the Ordinance. They were not allowed to put up number-boards. One instance of complaint from a l'arsee gentleman, who lived opposite one of these houses, was followed by its instant closing, and the removal of the women. No other case of disorder has occurred: in fact, those who do not seek out these houses seem not to be aware of their nature.

13. It is quite certain however that many estimable people would object to them did they know of their existence. The only reply is, that a large muumber of women are now under Medical Inspection, who before were free from all control, and that by placing their names on the boards of these establishments they have put themselves within the power of the Government. It would have been very difficult to obtain legal proof of the profussion of even a few of them, but now, should the houses be closed to-morrrow, the Government is in a position to insist on knowing what becomes of each one of their inmates, and to order her for periodical examination.

14. But still there must be many unlicensed houses left. There are whole streets of what may be considered the most pernicious establishments of all, viz., houses full of kept women, where, nevertheless, common prostitutes are main- tained for chance comers, or are sent out for if needed. And the employers of the women so kept are exceedingly jealous and resentful of any interference with the houses in which they reside, giving them written certificates to serve in case of a visit from the police; and of course these papers become marketable articles. What makes these houses, however, almost impregnable to the law is their invariable habit of never admitting any person they do not know, or who is not introduced by one of their known customers.

15. It is very much to be regretted that persons who are infected in these places will not, even under circumstances of the greatest privacy and confidence, place their names at the disposal of their medical advisers. A deposition of a few lines taken in private, and never to go beyond my own office, would give legal power to break up many of these dens, against which no evidence can now be obtained. But this deposition they steadily refuse to give, and thus perpe- tuate for others the evils from which they themselves have suffered.

16. It

may he objected, and I know that it has been, that the aim of the Government should be to protect sokliers and sailors, but that the more educated