243
11. All affairs of the Association, whether important or unimportant, provided they are of advantage to the members of Committee or concern the Association, may at any time be brought before a meeting for discussion, and action shall be taken according to the vote of the majority.
12. All lawsuits in which the Association may be involved by charges preferred on account of the public acts of the Association, shall be authoritatively dealt with by the Attorney whom the Govern ment may appoint, or by the Attorney General, and all expenses shall be paid by the Government.
13. All Ordinances enacted by the English Government, or hereafter to be enacted, for the repres. sion of kidnapping or selling persons for purposes of prostitution, and similar offences, may at any time be published by the Association for general information, or the Association may issue special advertise. ments to be sent into the inland districts with a view to make them known far and wide, so as to warn people.
14. The Directors of this Association shall in the first instance be the ten persons to be elected publicly, and they shall record the names of all Committee members in a Register, and those ten per sons first elected shall be considered the founders of the Association. But they shall resign at the end of a year, and others shall be elected from among the Committee members to take their places. They shall, however, be eligible for re-election for a term not exceeding three years.
15. All Directors newly elected every year shall forward their surnames and names to be sub- mitted to His Excellency the Governor for ratification.
16. All transactions of the Association shall be carefully recorded, and such records shall at any time be open to the inspection of the members of the Committee and of the Government.
17. All expenses incurred by the Association, and the accounts of receipts and disbursements, shall be annually exhibited (in a balarice sheet), which shall be printed and copies distributed for the infor mation of the Committee members, and a copy of the same shall be subinitted to the Government for scrutiny and verification.
18. The salaries of all Secret Detectives, informers or managers employed by the Association shall be defrayed out of the public funds. The Detectives shall be first sworn in by the Government, and when approved by the Government shall be considered as if they were Police Constables, but such Detectives shall confine themselves entirely to the detection and repression of crimes of kidnapping and to the arresting of kidnappers, as also to the rescue of kidnapped persons. Whenever any business they have in hand from day to day concerns the Superintendent of Police or the Harbour Master, they shall be bound to report the matter to them and apply for their co-operation. But the Superintendent of Police or Harbour Master shall not use such Detectives in pursuance of other matters.
19. Whenever in a case of kidnapping there are persons who gave the information, they shall not be rewarded until the Police Court or the Supreme Court have decided the case, when, according to the regulations existing, the Government will determine upon a commensurate reward, and no such reward need be paid by the Association.
20. When any transaction of the Association requires authority exceeding the powers of the Association, application shall be made to the Government for assistance and co-operation, but if by accident the Association should unwittingly exceed its powers, application shall also be made to the Government for forbearance.
The above twenty regulations are herewith expressly submitted to His Excellency the Governor for ratification, and an official reply will be awaited before they are given effect, and further, the Gov- ernment is entreated to embody these Rules and Regulations in a Special Ordinance to ensure their permanency. Such is the Petitioners' earnest prayer.
28th September, 1880.
Translated by
E. J. EITEL.
3. When the time comes for the Annual General Meeting, previous notice thereof must be given to all Committee members, inviting them to come and take part in the meeting, or notice be given at least 7 days previous by insertion in one of the Chinese newspapers, so that all
may be informed. 4. At the ordinary meetings of the Directors three Directors present to sign the papers shall form a quorum.
5. Managers or Agents or others employed by the Association will, if involved in any litigation, being charged by others on account of public business, or charging others on the same account, have all their expenses paid from the public funds.
6. From among the Directors who have been publicly elected out of the number of the Committee members, there shall be elected a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and a Treasurer, and they shall be responsible for what they do.
7. The Treasurer shall be selected from among the Directors and be appointed by them, and shall be authorized to make all arrangements for getting good interest and so on. If the said officer is found deficient in his accounts, the nine other Directors shall be responsible for the amount, and no excuse will be allowed. As to putting out money on loan, the said officer shall at the time consult the other members and act accordingly.
8. Each of those who have been elected Directors shall, on entering office, sign a declaration on oath to signify his sincerity and disinterestedness.
9. Every Detective to be employed by the Association must find two respectable and substantial persons to stand security for him, each signing a bond for $250 guarantee against extortion, coercion or trumping up of false charges or other offences, and on entering office he shall further be required to sign a declaration on oath in proof of his good faith.
may
10. Any Rules and Regulations passed by the Directors from time to time after due discussion be successively added with a view to consolidate the system and to perfect it in details.
11. All Committee members should be careful to cherish the principle of human charity and entirely refrain from any improper action, but on meeting with kidnapped persons proceed with increased alacrity or join other members of the Association in energetic efforts for their rescue, and further, by some means or other, get the kidnappers arrested and handed over to the Government to be prosecuted, all with the hope that these evil practices be eradicated, when all people will rejoice over the riddance, which is the great aim of this Association.
12. All Committee members should be careful not to listen to any slander and thereupon lose courage and draw back half way, which would be wasting all the trouble taken in organizing this scheme. But it is hoped they will deal with every case with straightforwardness, when they need not be ashamed before gods or men, but will be able to face the bright spirits, and if after all there is vituperation or praise, they need not trouble themselves about it. Besides, it must be considered that the English Government wields great power in its hands, and is surely able to see through all the intricacies of each case, and will certainly prevent those criminals to play secret mischief.
13. This Association must establish a Register of the Committee members, account-books for receipts and disbursements, also a Day-book, Lester-book, Minute-book and so forth, to facilitate inquiries that may be made at any time by Committee members.
14. At the first starting of this Association, it has been agreed to use temporarily the Tung-wá Hospital for the purpose of meetings and for a place of detention of kidnapped persons until funds have been collected, when the English Government will be petitioned for the grant of a piece of ground suitable for the erection of buildings where destitute people can be accommodated.
The above 14 rules are designed for the guidance of the Committee members of this Association, and are now expressly transcribed and submitted to His Excellency the Governor for scrutiny and ratification.
[In C.S.O. 2491 of 1880.]
(Translation.)
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR
THE PROTECTION OF HONEST PEOPLE.
1. This Association will call every year at a certain time one General Meeting of all the Committee members to arrange for the public election of Directors, also to examine the accounts, which will then be submitted to the Government for its information and so forth.
2. All Committee members who have been elected Directors, will, when their term of office is about to expire, or at least half a month prior to its expiry, tender their resignation, so that others may be elected from among the number of Committee members, but if again elected they may resume their office. The names of the persons so elected will, however, have to be submitted to the Government for the information of His Excellency the Governor.
MINUTES BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
I have revised the rules, and have pointed out such amendments as appear necessary to reduce them to a form in which the Government might recognize them. Apart from this, I have left them precisely as I found them. They are Chinese in their structure, and I presume that those who drew them up are satisfied that they are suited to the object in view,
March 31st, 1881.
EDWARD O'MALLEY.
I send herewith also some draft rules which I have drawn up, showing how the objects of the Society might be provided for, subject to the conditions that seem to be necessary from a Government point of view.
April 1st, 1881.
EDWARD O'MALLEY.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.