CO129-194 - Governor Hennessy Administrator Tonnochy - 1881 [8-9] — Page 17

The humble petition of the undersigned merchants and others sheweth,

That this, however, being a matter of repressing the dishonest and protecting the honest, may be an interference with official regulations, wherefore your Petitioners dare not proceed in the matter without a warrant from Your Excellency (authorising them to do so) and your Petitioners are thus constrained to present this present petition conjointly, humbly praying that Your Excellency may be pleased to yield to the wishes of the people and issue a warrant to authorise your Petitioners at all times to institute inquiries, and if they meet with kidnappers immediately to request the co-operation of the police in arresting them and forwarding them to the proper tribunal to be tried and severely dealt with, those who succeed in arresting kidnappers receiving a reward and the kidnapped persons being supplied with means to return to their homes, whereby honest people will be saved from ruin and kidnappers will be unable to carry out their schemes at random, thus also our native city will be benefited and Hongkong will derive equal advantage,

And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Appended are five regulations which are respectfully submitted to Your Excellency.

In the fourth year of KWANGSUI, 1878.

[Here follow the Stamps of 62 different Shops.]

Translated by

E. J. EITEL.

Hongkong, 9th November, 1878.

光大四千年月+禀年

16大員如被拐者係東莞縣人該拐匪係別縣人其花紅銀亦照賞給仁宇爲淵藪故集議捐資遍懸賞格凡捱到案無論男婦若係東縣人不拘被拐者係何縣人每拐匪一名審訊定罪後即賞花紅銀二十匪其詭計雖說亦難逃恫鑒也

一商等在港貿易有年近聞拐風日盛一日所見楊匪及被拐之人乃本邑者居多是以親此情形實不忍匪黨以一所之項係東莞縣人自行捐簽將來議定存貯何處則公舉殷商三位專理

隨地講捉則惕匪猝不及防無所逃匿如此查辦將見不久而自绝矣求官釉諭起見因匪行踪詭秘倘俟有所聞然後禀官飭查拿尚需時日至匪逃脫故必乞官預爲發給執照一遇線人報信卽可隨時遇有拐騙等情經官審訊確據後其花紅銀卽向值理處支給其被拐之人無論遠近亦由值理酌量給發川資護送囘籍【此禀乃係禀明存案

睚恃此愈得以行其術遂於被拐之人或用甜言小利或以恐嚇危詞逼其自認情甘縱使當面質訊亦難破其奸謀者今商等以本邑人而攻本邑之

good a speedy escape. Now the laws of Hongkong being based on the principle of liberty of the person, the kidnappers take advantage of this to further their own plans. Thus they use with their victims honeyed speeches and give them trifling profits, or they use threats and stern words, all in order to induce them to say they willing to do so and so. Even if they are confronted with witnesses, it is difficult to show their wicked game. Now we, the undersigned, up will use natives of the Tung-kun District to track the kidnappers of Tung-kún, and although their wicked schemes are very deep, yet they will find it difficult to escape a careful search.

3. The undersigned merchants, engaged here in trade for many years past, have lately noticed that the crimes of kidnapping are increasing from day to day. Many of both the kidnappers and of their kidnapped victims are natives of our native District (Tung-kún). Seeing this to be the state of affairs, it is unbearable to think that these villains take this hospitable Colony for a convenient refuge. A meeting has therefore been held and it is proposed to raise subscriptions with a view to publish everywhere offers of reward. every one who brings a kidnapper to trial, whether man or woman, provided they (the kidnappers) are Tung-kún people, and irrespective of the place to which the kidnapped persons may belong, there will be, for each person brought to trial and sentenced, a reward paid to the amount of twenty dollars, and if the kidnapped persons are natives of the Tung-kún district and the kidnappers belong to other districts, the reward will also be paid as above.

4. The money raised has been subscribed by Tung-kún people and it will be settled hereafter where the money is to be deposited. But three persons of good repute will be elected to act as Managers and when any case of kidnapping turns up, as soon as the case is tried and proved, the amount of the reward will forthwith be paid by the Managers, and as regards the kidnapped persons, whether they came from far or near, the Managers will arrange and provide means for their being sent back to their homes.

5. This statement has originally been drawn up, with a view to be forwarded as a petition which may be kept on record, praying that the Government issue a warrant. For the kidnappers keep their movements enveloped in secrecy, but if on information being obtained the authorities have first to be requested to send detectives to inquire or arrest, it will necessarily take some good their escape. It is therefore necessary to request the Government to issue a warrant, so that, the moment information is given, the kidnappers can then and there be given into custody on the spot, whereby the kidnappers will all at once be deprived of their resources and be unable to escape. Should this arrangement be carried out, kidnapping will soon be stamped out.

Translated by

E. J. EITEL.

Hongkong, 9th November, 1878.

甚闔港幸甚禀紅被拐者則資遣回籍庶不至耳民受害尤不使拐縱橫則本邑幸有拐立即就地請差協同拿獲送官審明嚴辦獲匪者則賞給花

督憲大人臺前恩准施行謹將條五欸錄呈鈞

公呈禀明在漢乞大人俯順輿情給發札諭俾商等隨時訪察遇

大英一千八百七十八年

條陳

多取道於此以其易於授受而巧於趨避也且港例有自主之條而拐江而中國內地貧民無不同聲頌德矣一香港爲各通津故睚

年來水旱頻仍民多窮困於是匪徒得以乘機誘拐設計網羅無知經獲案務從嚴辦庶拐匪聞風斂跡則大憲仁愛之恩不止澤及香女易墮術中一入牢籠鮮有自能解脫者今擬遍懸賞格購線緝拿一一拐帶之風隨處皆有然莫有多於香港者亦莫有甚於近日者皆因

(Enclosure in Petition of Messrs. Lò Lai-ping, Shi Shang-kái, Fung Ming-shán, Tsé Tat-shing and others.)

1. Kidnapping is a crime which is to be found everywhere, but there is no place where it is more rife than Hongkong, nor was there a time when it developed so rapidly as of late, the reason being that there have been floods and drought alternating for some years whereby many of the people were empoverished. Thus it happened that evil disposed persons had an opportunity to set their wicked plans for inveigling and kidnapping people in operation. Ignorant women fell an easy prey to their schemes. If once they entered the trap there were but few who could extricate themselves again.

Now it is proposed to publish everywhere offers of reward to track such kidnappers and have them arrested. If once they are in custody they will be severely dealt with. Perhaps these kidnappers, hearing this news, will mend their ways.

Thus the grace and favour of His Excellency the Governor will not only put under obligation the people of Hongkong but all the poor people of the inland districts will, with one voice, praise his goodness.

2. Hongkong is the emporium and thoroughfare for all the neighbouring ports. Therefore those kidnappers frequent Hongkong much, it being a place where it is easy to buy and to sell and where effective means are at hand to make good a speedy escape. Now the laws of Hongkong being based on the principle of liberty of the person, the kidnappers take advantage of this to further their own plans...