CO129-202 - Acting Governor Marsh - 1882 [7-9] — Page 527

[In C.S.O. 2491 of 1880.]

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HONGKONG.

CHINESE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

DRAFT RULES AND REGULATIONS.

(Translation.)

RULES AND REGULATIONS AGREED UPON FOR THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF HONEST PEOPLE, FOR THE DETECTION AND SUPPRESSION OF CRIMES OF KIDNAPPING,

AS WELL AS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

1. The subscribers shall conjointly constitute one Society, viz., the (above mentioned) Asso- ciation, and may from among the members of the Association publicly elect ten Directors, who shall have power to carry into effect all legal measures.

2. No distinction shall be made as to the amount of subscription, but subscribers of $10 shall be considered as members of the Committee of the Association, and shall have a vote at all public dis- cussions of the same. After the first subscription has been made, no further subscription need be raised unless the funds of the Association are found insufficient to meet the expenses and cause a stoppage of its operations, whereupon the members of the Committee of the Association will exert themselves and raise an additional subscription, but the amount of the individual subscriptions will be left to the voluntary effort of each, and there shall be no compulsion.

3. The Association is established with a view to afford protection to honest women and to children, that is to say, to discover and repress crimes of kidnapping and to rescue kidnapped persons.

4. Whenever any male or female children have been kidnapped and are brought to Hongkong, be it for purposes of prostitution or for domestic servitude, for the purpose of sale for adoption or apprenticeship, or for the purpose of hypothecation or re-sale to a foreign port, or when any person is brought here under false and specious pretence, and not of his or her free will and accord, in any such case coming to the knowledge of the Association, some means must be devised for the rescue of such persons, so as to enable them to return to their homes.

5. Whenever it happens that any kidnapped person, male or female, is required to wait till the case has been tried in Court before he or she can be discharged, such person shall be temporarily detained by the Association until the case has been finally settled, when such person shall be assisted to return to his or her native place.

6. When it happens that a kidnapped person has no home to go to, the Association shall, in the case of a girl, make arrangements for her bethrothal or find some trustworthy persons who are willing to adopt her or bring her up to be a daughter-in-law, and in the case of a boy, he shall be given in adoption, or apprenticed, or other provision made to give him a shelter, so as to prevent his being homeless. For these reasons, it will be necessary to erect a building where homeless persons may find temporary residence and comfort, and it is for this purpose that subscriptions are required.

7. All charitable persons who will subscribe ten dollars, whoever they may be, or wherever

they may reside, will be considered as members of the Committee of the Association.

8. If the Directors for the time being of the Association find it desirable to have Agents to assist them at other ports for purposes of effective co-operation, they can bring the matter up for discussion, and from among the Committee members at such port there shall be elected one or two persons to be Agents of the Association.

9. The Agents elected and appointed by the Association may at their respective ports call a meeting of the Committee members for the transaction of all business, and anything furthering the objects of this Association may be carried into effect as may be deemed convenient, but in cases of im- portance or difficulty they shall, by letter, consult the Hongkong Association, and await reply before may at any taking action. If any Agent wislies to resign, or mismanages his duties, the Association time elect another person to take his place.

10. The Association shall use a seal with an inscription both in English and Chinese characters, and such seal shall be used in cases of purchase of property or of important public matters, when an impression of that seal shall be affixed, but whenever the seal is thus used, it shall be necessary that the signatures of two Directors for the time being be added before the matter can be looked upon as anthentic..