740
* spread of venereal diseases has been checked or prevented or its type modified by the operation of the Brothel Law?
such a distinct and carefully worded verdict against the value of the medical provisions of the Hong Kong Ordinance, when considered side by side with their abandonment in more than two thirds of the licensed houses out of deference to a hostile feeling towards the medical inspection on the part of the native population we should have supposed would have formed sufficient reason for the entire abandonment of the licensing system But we find with regret and astonishment that Lord Kimberley has chosen deliberately and after remonstrance in the name of the Queen to maintain this despotic and impure legislation. We are come here to ask your Lordship, who has succeeded to the Office formerly held by Lord Kimberly to review your predecessor's decision-
=
*
are
and we cannot shrink
in an
We observe that in formulating his decision Lord Kimberley lays chief stress upon what he terms the ground of humanity To quote his own words one of the objections now raised to the Hong Kong system is that the houses licensed to "conduct a business (sic) which is contrary to the Law of "England and consequently of the Colony.
The has been from the first and in my opinion must continue to be that on the ground of humanity from this duty, and that the performance of it requires that a much stricter and more direct control shall be kept over those houses than is required or would be possible "English community_"This "stricter control," he goes on to explain is for the purpose "of protecting the inmates? That this idea of "protecting the inmates is as illusory
as the original idea of "protecting" from disease the immoral men who frequent the brothels holding the license of the Government
be learned from a letter addressed by the late Governor of Hong Kong to Lord Kimberley in June 1881.
June 1881 giving special information upon this very question - He she quotes the testimony of Mr. Smith, formerly Registrar General of the Colony "There is another matter connected with the brothels licensed and unlicensed in Hong Kong which almost daily assumes a graver aspect - I refer to what is no less than the trafficking in human flesh between the brothel keepers and the "runners" of the colony. Women are bought and sold in nearly every brothel in the place. They are induced by specious pretexts to "come to Hong Kong, and then, after they are admitted into the brothels, such a system of espionage is kept over them, and so frightened do they get as to prevent any application to the "police"
His Excellency then goes on to say
"the important question whether or not the condition of a woman once sold into virtual slavery was in any way ameliorated by the Ordinance of 1867. As regards this point I am "disposed to say that the Ordinance No 12 of 1867 by giving larger powers to the Registrar General and thereby indirectly to the inspectors with whom the practical working of the "Ordinance lies made the condition of the unfortunate women sold to the keeper of a licensed brothel worse than it was "before""The demand of Lord Kimberley for stricter control": has thus a sorrowful light cast upon it by the sad experience of the unfortunate women concerned after larger power had formerly been granted.
your
as most of
In approaching your Lordship upon the occasion of your assuming the duties of Colonial Minister of the Crown
Memorialists have culled illustrations of the working of the system from one of the Colonies in the Administration of which your Lordship exercises large power. - But, familiar as we are with the operations of licensed prostitution in other dependencies of the Crown and on the Continent of Europe · we are aware that these results are not peculiar to Hong Kong - The recent revelations in Brussels make it clear that the licensing of houses of ill-fame gives rise in Belgium to a slavery of which even English subjects have been the victims as horrible as anything which has been revealed in Hong Kong - The appeal which Monsieur Lenaers formerly head of the police in Brussels to cable him made a year ago for extended powers to combat the ever increasing tide of immorality, is an almost exact counterpart of Lord Kimberley's claim for stricter control to remedy the condition of affairs
The result in each place has been the same, heave's oppression corruption, cruelty, practised upon the weak; grosser corruption, increasing demoralization, of the administrators of the system – We would refer you to advocates of the system such as Acton as to the horrible or Parent Duchatelet or Senerus for testimony worse or have a go i an
740
* spread of venereal diseases has been checked or prevented or its type modified by the operation of the Broshel Lous ?
such a distinct and carefully wonded verdict against the value of the medical provisions of the Hong Kong Ordinance, when considered side by side with sheir abandonment in more than two thirds of the licensed houses out of deference to a hostile feeling towards the medical inspection on the part of the native population we should have supposed would have formed sufficient reason for the entre abandonment of the licensing system But we find with regret and astonishment that lord Kimberley has chosen deliberately and after remonchance in the name. of the Queen to maintain this despotic and impure legislation. We are come here to ack your Lordship, who has succeeded to the Officc formerly held by Cord Kimberly to review your predecessor's decision-
=
*
are
anduer
we cannot shrunk
in an
We observe that in formulating his decision Lord Kimberly lays chief thess upon what he terms the ground of humanity To quote his own words one of the objections now raised to the Hong Kong system is that the houses licensed to- "conduct a business (sic) which is contrary to the Law of "England and consequently of the Colony.
The has been from the first and in my opinion must continue to be that on the ground of humanity from this duty, and that the performance of it requires that a much shicker and more dired contol shall be kept over. ( those houses than is required or would be possible " English community _ "This "chicter control," he goes on to explain is for the purpose " of protecting the inmates? That this idea of "protecting the inmates is as illusory
as the original idea of "protecting" from disease the immoral men who frequent the broshels holding the license of the Government
be learned from a letter addressed by the late Governor of Hong
Kong to Lord Kimberley in June 1881.
June 1881 giving special information upon this very question - He shes quotes the testimony of Mr. Smith, formerly Registrar General of the Colony "There is another matter connected with the brothels licensed and unlicensed in Hong Kong which almost daily assumes a graver depect - I refer to what is no less than the hafficking ( in human flesh between the brothel keepers and the
vayet " of the colony. Women are bought and sold in nearly every
may
" broshel in the place. They are induced by specious pretexts to "come to Hong Kong, and then, after they. are admitted into || the brothels, such a system of expionage is kept over them, and so frightened do they get as to prevent any application to the " police His Excellency then goes on to say
there inet
the
" important question whether or not the condition of a woman once sold into vertical stavery was in any way ameliorated: by the Ordinance of 1967. As regards this point I am "disposed to say that the Ordinance No 12 of 1867 by giving larger powers to the Registar General and thereby indirectly to the inspectors with whom the pracheal working of the "Ordinance lies made the condition of the unfortunate women cold to the keeper of a licensed brothel worse than it was "before" "The demand of Lord Kimberby for stricter control": has thus a sorrowful light cast upon it by the sad experience of the unfortunate women concerned after larger power
had formerly been granted._
your
as most of
In approaching your Lordship upon the occasion of your assuming the duties of Colonial Minister of the Crown
Memorialists have culled illustrations of the working of the system from
one of
the Colonies in the Adminishahon of which your Lordship.
Lordship exercises large power. - But, familiar
es are with the operations of licensed prostitution in other dependencies of the Ocourie and on the Continent of Europe · we are aware that these result are not peculiar to Hong Kong - The recent revelations in Brussels make it clear that the licensing of houses of ill-fame gives rise in Belgium to a slavery of which even English subjects have been the victims as horrible as anything which has been revealed in Hong Kong - The appeal which Monsieur Lenaers formerly head of the police in Brussels to cable him made a year
for extended powers to combat the ever increasing bide of immorality, almost exact counterpart of Ford Kimberley's claim fore shicker contol to remedy the condition of affairs
The result in each place has been the same, heave's oppression
rruption, cruelty, prachsed upon the weak; grosser corro, increasing demoralization, of the administrators of the sytem – We would refer you to advocates of the system such as Acton as to the horrible or Parent Quchatelet or Senvers for beshimony
worse
or hve
a go
i an
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