The Daily Bress
HONGLONG, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 1871.”
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THE DEPUTATION OF UNOFFICIAL JUSTICES OF THE PEACE TO H.E.
THE LIEUT.-GOVERNOR.
A deputation, consisting of the following gentlemen, waited on H.E. the Lieut..Governor ou Saturday morning -Hon. P. Ryrie, Hon. B. Rowett, W. Wilson, T. G. Linstead, S. J. Gower, G. Maclean, T. Pyke, E. Arthur, E. D. Sassoon, J. Berwick, J. M. Vickers, and E. R. Belilios, Esquires.
Hon. P. RYRIE (who acted as spokesman of: the deputation) stated that, from his letter to the Colonial Secretary, His Excellency had no doubt been made aware of the object of the present deputation, and he thought that H.E. would admit that the present insecure state of the Colony, the numerous crimes and attacks ou persons and property which had occurred, aud eontiuned to occur, with increasing fre- quency, unchecked, undiscovered and unpun- isbed, the great alarm thereby occasioned among the residents of the Colony, fully justi- fied the public feeling which led to the recent meeting of non-official Justices of the Peace, resulting in two resolutions, which he would lay before His Excellency. Mr. Byrie then proceeded to read the first Resolution, which is as follows:-
"That the whole body of non-official J. P. wait upon H. E. the Lieut-Governor by ap- pointment, and ascertain if any, and what, im- mediate steps are being taken by the Govern- ment with regard to the reformation of the Police Force"
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His Excellency the GOVERNOR said that he would lay the Resolution before his Council, which be would at once sammon for the pur- pose, and that a reply would be given in "due courge...
Mr. RYgin then introduced the second. Re solution, stating that the inefficiency of the Police was a fact which bardly any one in the Colony would attempt to deny, and that it was a most expensive establishment every house- bolder in the place how to his sorrow, when he had to pay up titraordinarily heavy asaess- ment for Police rates. The opinions as to the cause of this inediency were various. In one quarter it warstated that it was owing to the bad materials of which the body of the Force was composed; in another, it was the ineffi- ciency and inexperience of the beads of the department; in a third, that all the troubles were owing to interference with the beads of the Police by the beads of other departments. But whatever the cause might be, the fact re- mained that the Police was certainly inefficient and very expensive; and the only way to arrive at the truth was by a fair inquiry in which the community (out of whose pockets the money Came) should participate. The second Resolu tion was then read: it is as follows:-
"That His Excellency the Lient.-Governor be also requested to appoint a Commission consisting principally of residents not official members of Government with full power and authority to enquire into the existing state of the Police Force, the result of auch enquiry to be made public, and that the former official report of the Commission of 1869 be as a pre- Hinsinary placed in the hands of the Commis
sion now desired to be appointed."
Mr. RYRIE explained that he was in doubt whether the Commission referred to was held in 1869 or 1870; but the one to which be refer- red was held after the Showkewan murder.
HIS EXCELLENOY gave the same reply as be- fore, viz., that he would consult his Council, and after he had done so would state his inten- tions.
The deputation then retired.
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