CO129-188 - Governor Hennessy - 1880 [5-6] — Page 426

90

DRAFT.

80

HongKong

420

12084

12

Hong Kong. I should hope that similar co-operation in the future will produce the like results in the Colony under your Government. It is obvious that the duties hitherto performed by the Inspectors of Brothels cannot be entrusted to the general body of police, and men should, as in England, be carefully selected for the work, and strictly supervised in the discharge of their duties. They should be members of the police force, and subject to the general rules of the force, but for the exercise of their special functions they should report to and be immediately under the control of a particular officer, and you will inform me whether you recommend for this duty the Deputy Superintendent of Police or the Registrar-General. They should be paid from the funds raised under the Ordinance, and should receive sufficient emoluments to ensure the appointment of trustworthy and competent men, who must be looked for in this country if there is any difficulty in finding them in the Colony.

You may find it desirable to consult the Governor of the Straits Settlements upon some of the details of the measures to be prepared, and I shall be glad if you will communicate freely with him upon any point in which the experience of that Colony may appear likely to be useful.

There remains the question of finance upon which I would observe that whilst it is in my opinion indefensible to make a tax on brothels a source of revenue to the Colony, it seems to me to be sound in principle and just to the tax payers that any amount required to meet the cost of the necessary control and supervision of these houses beyond the amount contributed by the Admiralty should be levied on the brothel keepers.

Should the collections exceed the amount fairly chargeable to all the several departments which have to do with this service, including a due proportion of the Medical, the Police, and the Registrar-General's establishments, as well as the direct charges of the Lock Hospital and similar matters, the equilibrium between revenue and expenditure may be maintained by increasing the outlay should the efficiency of the service seem to require it; or by reducing the amount of the fees, chargeable for registration of the bouses,

I have in conclusion to request you to take this whole subject into your careful and early consideration, and to transmit to me, with as little delay as possible, the draft of any Ordinance or Ordinances which you would propose to lay before the Legislative Council.

In reply to your despatch of the 13th of November*, I asked on the 31st of December+ for explanations in support of your statement that the Ordinances of 1857 and 1867 have tended to intensify the evils of brothel slavery, but I do not delay this despatch until receiving your reply, as I shall be able to address you further on that point, should it be necessary to add to what I have said above.

Governor Sir J. P. Hennessy, K.C.M.G.,

&c.

&c.

&c.

* No. 57.

† Not printed.

I am, &c.

KIMBERLEY.

The Secretary

To The Admiralty

MINUTE.

Treas

Mr. ducas

Mr. Le Robeck

Mr. Wingfield.

XMr. Bramston, 2

Mr. Meade.

Mr. Herbert.

26

Mr. Grant Duff.

Lord Kimberley.

Jr. 4

49

of

Sir

28

July

With reference to you

of the 28th Dec

1881. 1

letter

1939

and precious corespondence

کہ

merfecting S: Sloggett's

report on the Contagious Diseases Ordinances of

Hong Kong

I am directed

by the Earl of Himberley

to transmit to you for

the

information of The dads Commissimas of

the Admiralty:

a

+

copy of a desforce which

a

has been addressed to

the governor of Hongtrong