As Eiseling the Fanninitiator for
his
J
decision.
Lated 2nd day of Moon (18th September
1682, fame Sig feat.
Yann Directors of the To Leving Kurt.
امسة
(Signes, Tring ssing than & others.
The ston: James Russi
Paquitan Generai
Without reference to nationality, all pergo Riding on British Territory are free agents. They cannot be under the restraint of others. If any of yon, girls, have been kidnapped, purchased, se. duced, deceived, or,
for or pledged money, or have been compelled to swear before entering the brothels that you will act as prostitutes, to which you object, you raust understand that this is illegal, and you are at liberty to come personally to this office, or go to any police station to report will be at once
the matter at tended to. "time you please. Your grievance If you want to leave the brothel, and make up your mind to go to a a protector, abandoning prostitution,
the use of foreigners only, all of which are 2 under Medical as well as Police inspection. There are nearly a hundred other house5, sfitting appendix to our recent comments frequented by Chinese alone, which are sub- n the Government notification re the ject to domiciliary Police visits with a view gistrar-General and the Chinese, and the to the liberty of the women and sanitary harks which fell from the Chief Justice laws, but the inmates are not subject to the 20th instant, relative to slavery, we Medical inspection. It will thus be seen
the Government will certainly let you do what you e the following information, the result of that the Chinese brothels are divided into
your will. You must all be aware of this. Be not quiries, as to what is now being done to two classes, and that while both are liable please, and will not allow you to be detained against bride against this evil. The great object to Police, only one is liable to Medical in- deceived by brothel keepers. Observe this notice.
Registrar. General's Department. the Registrar-General since taking up spection. There is thus no possible hardship The subjoined translation of a beading of a Department last spring, was to put a inflicted on the Chinese women, in spite of list of names in each house shows that the to the brothel slavery by the erection the attempts of Sir JOHN POPE HENNESSY keepers have no plea of ignorance of the law such safeguards as would render any and the Commission appointed by him some to advance in justification of any attempt to t of servitude impossible and prevent years since to inquire into the working of the hold girls in constraint --- 666 se returns and personation, to which end Contagious Diseasca Ordinance in Hong- The purchase of people for the purpose of prosui- believe he at once sought the co-opera kong to make it appear that tho medical tation is quite contrary to English law. Should you, in of several of the principal Chinese resi- inspection was intolerable and degrading to to force them to become prostitutes, or use other pretences to have power and control over them, they, nts interested in the matter. The subject them, because they could at once avoid it by being thas in trouble, eau go to the officials, and re- not a pleasant or a savoury one, but it going into the other class of brothels. Under port the matter, so that you can be punished accord. is to be faced, especially when the fanatics the old system of registration, loop-holes soever. Lot each obey this tremblingly, and do not ho form the Society for the Repeal of the were afforded for the substitution of one From these details it will be apparent to all
brothel kaupore, deceive or purchase ignorant women
ing to law. There can be no exonse for you what.
treat this as a slight matter.
ontagious Diseases Act are joining with girl for another and for various evasions of observers that there can be little excuse left rex-Governor in the cry that we are the law. What it is now sought to secure for those women who pretend to be ignorant rcing vice as well as opium upon the is that each of these poor creaturos shall hinese, while the Aborigines Protection attain an individuality, be made to understand of their rights and privileges under British boiety are hurling all sorts of anathemas that she is a perfectly free agent, and is quite There are, however, we are glad to say,
rule.
of brothels are
fers, &c., there are numerous entries of
gainst Hongkong as the seat of a most objec- at liberty to renounce her miserable avocation onable form of slavery. That there has been at any moment without let or hindrance, many proofs going to show that the inmates now fully alive to their ch buying and selling of human flesh in To this end the Department has been quietly rights. Thus, in the book of daily trans- his Colony we have shown on several but steadily working for some months. Ás ccasions, but the chattels have been either one precaution against personation and illing victims or the vendors and pur- imposition each woman is, when she comes persons leaving of their own accord with- out giving a reason; others who come, hasers have acted in daring defiance of to register, now required to produce two
and report "going to Canton," or "to the law. The traffic in human flesh is photographs of herself, one for the Registrar-
Macao"; transferred to No. so and so; divided into two classes, women to recruit General to insert in the Registration book, married" in one or two instances; and se
the brothels; children for adoption (if boys), with her natue, age, &c., the other for her to or for domestic servants, if girls. It is with keep and produce to Inspectors when they. Then, again, it is a significant fact that the new arrivals who have been photograph-- the former branch of the trade, by far the make their visita. The one at the office is
most hateful and repulsive, that we have now given up if this woman leaves the brothel ed are, with rare exceptions, especially in the purely Chinese brothels, old and unattractive to deal. There can be no manner of doubt for marriage or any other purpose. As a that the mode in which the brothels of Hong-proof that these poor women do sometimes women, no fresh young girls being among Whether this is the recently registered. kong were originally supplied was by the better their lot, may be noted the fact
due to the impossibility of purchasing importation of purchased women consig that two blanks already appear in the
them as slaves and holding them in secure the brothel keepers as chattels gallery of photographs, the owners having bondage or to the efforts of the Po Leung ned to in whom they practically maintained they married and left the Colony. The book is
Kuk in suppressing kidnapping we are un- had as much rested ownership as in any locked up, but any person from the main able to say positively; but we think it is the cattle they might purchase in the market, land missing a relative and suspecting her to
former cause that operates most powerfully, and the claim was acquiesced in by the wo-be in a brothel can examine it. At the outset It is not too much to say that, under the pre-, men and girls either because they knew nothis innovation encountered the most stub. better or felt they would "lose face" if they born opposition from the keepers of the bro- sent administration, the liberty of the sub. turned on their mistresses, The machinery thels for Chinese, who at first flatly refused ject is so fenced round with precautions that it is almost impossible for any one to break, of law and the rules and regulations under to comply with the new rule, but they soon through them successfully. In one respect, which the registration of brothels was work-recognised the hopelessness of resistance and however, the law is still defective: it does K ed, proved insufficient for the well meant no difficulty is now experienced with them. not fully secure the future of young children, purpose of making the miserable victims of Another important change is a record of the so many of whom are brought up in these the kidnapper or the procuress aware that surprise weekly visits of the Inspectors and abodes of vice. It is in contemplation, we they are free the moment they touch British their remarks in their journals, from which hear, to amend the present Ordinance and soil. Time and again a scandal would be can be gathered any facts in connection with forbid the keeping of all children in brothels, created and public indignation aroused at the women that may be desired. In order a measure which, however unpalatable to the the disclosures made in the Police and that the women may never be in doubt as persons interested, will deal a deadly, and, we the Supreme Courts, and the late Chief to their freedom of action, a notice in Chi-
of quasi-slavery which has grown up, fungus Justice's fulminations against the social nese is posted up in every brothel, which is may hope, final blow at the hateful system, and domestic slavery prevailing amongst the read over to all the inmates on each visit
like, in our midst, and in spite of British laws Chinese still farther concentrated public at by the Inspector, and a copy of this is given being so directly and uncompromisingly an- tention on what was felt to be a serious evil to each new candidate for registration when tagonistic to the abominable institution. and a disgrace to the Colony.
she presents herself to the office.
In devising these now checks upon this giant' On the accession of the present Registrar carefully expounded in presence of the Re- social evil the Registrar-General received General to the post, he at once addressed gistrar-General. The following is a trans- much useful help and willing co-operation himself to the task of providing fresh safe lation of this document :----
guarda for the liberty of the subject, in order
to, if possible, render not only the detention of any woman in a brothel against her will entirely impracticable but to prevent her getting there unless she was active to get herself registered. We are betraying no state secrets in detailing some of the steps taken to this end. It should first, however, have been mentioned that there are some thirty-four registered Chinese brothels for
It is
from the leading Chinese in the Colony, which has been more valuable on account of the difficulties necessarily surrounding the question. That the efforts now put forth may in time efface the last vestige of the abuse we sincerely trust, but it may be as well to warn the Government that the slightest relaxation of vigilance, the least encouragement to the Shinwa to halt.
will be showi
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