CO129-259 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1893 [5-8] — Page 225

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lenge the hon member to show that the Chai r mau in the discharge of his duty in connection with this Committee of inquiry has not carried out his work in a manner that is sutisfactory to the public.

Hon. T. II. WHITEHEAD-Sir, I rise to order. Is the hon. member in order P

the Chinese public, that he did not mean what he had said.

Hoa. T. H. WHITEHEAD-The words I use: were not understood by your Excellency in offensive sense.

now

The REGISTRAR-GENERAL-Your Excellency, I am simply stating that it took the hon. meta- His EXCELLENCY- do not think the hon. ber a whole year to give us his explanation. member is at all out of order.

The hon. member says that he did not nae those The REGISTRAR-GENERAL-A Special Com-terms in the sense in which they are generally mittee of inquiry was appointed. As to the understood. He may not have used them in that results of the inquiry, they have been laid sense, but the Chinese community most certainly on the table and hon. members of this Coud- understood them in that sense, and they again and cil have had an opportunity of reading them. again told me that they had understood them in As regards the general results of the inquiry, that souse, and they also understood that they had all the members of the Committee were agreed. been accused of squeezing. With regard to that On the main points there was absolutely no differ-charge, the hon. member has explained it in his ence of opinion. They did disagree on matters report. As far as the Chinese community is con- of detail and it is perhaps that difference that cerned they thought, and I do not think very led to three separate reports being drawn up. unnaturally, that these charges were banging Hon. members have had the opportunity of look over their head. into the cases which were brought against the

Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I never accused Society, most of them at the instigation of the the Society of squeezing, but the Police did ao. hon. member for the Chamber of Commerce.

The BEGISTRAR-GENERAL-Having dealt Every one of these cases was thoroughly in with the opposition and statements of the hon. vestigated and every one of them proved to have member who represents the Chamber of Com absolutely no foundation. (Applause.) The so call-merce, I come to the consideration of el charges disappeared at the very first meeting the Bill which is before us. The object of the Committee. I consider that in the mat of the Bill is the incorporation of the So- ter of these charges the Po Leung Kuk has ciety commonly known as the Po Lenng Kuk, a been treated most unfairly. I stated again and Society for the prevention of kidnapping and again when sitting in Committee that I the protection of women and children It has considered the Society should be told at once

been in existence for thirteen years. The hon. that there were no charges against it. I member who represents the Chamber of pointed out that it had been stated in the local Commerce has made another discovery. for Press more than once during the sitting of the he says it only came into existence in 1892. Committee that grave charges were hanging That is certainly extraordinary, for I have over the hond of this Society. At the first been personally acquainted with it myself for meeting of the Special Committee of inquiry over ton years and with the committees that I said to the hon. member for the Chamber of have carried on its work. It appears that the Commerce who was instrumental at any rate in hon. member thinks that because it has been de- bringing forward some of those charges-I said pendent it has bean non-existent, but I scarcely to him after he explained that he never made think he is serious when he says that, because if the charges, I trust that the hon. member will dependence sans non-existence there are a great make his explanation as public as his original many people in this colony who are very much statement with regard to the Society bus bean dead though they firmly believe they are alive made." And what was the answer of the hon. and kicking. (Langhter). The good work of the member He called my remarks" gratuitous and Society is acknowledged by every single mem impertinent." Gratuitous they certainly were,

ber of the Committee of Inquiry, including the for they did not even earnfhis thanks. As to being hon. member who represents the Chamber, and impertinent, the hon. member recognised their the senior anofficial member, whom I regret pertinency a year after---a year, mark you-when not to see in his place to-day, especially on h did make public the explanation which has account of the reason which has provented ha pablished in the proceedings of the Combis being here. I will quote what the senior mmittee. I should like to ask the hon. member unofficial member says. He says "The So wt be would think if the Po Loung Kuk bad ciety has done excellent service," and be boight charges against the financial institution speaks of "its undoubtedly valuable work." var which he presides and allowed them to con- The hon. member for the Chamber of Come- une unexplained for a whole year. Yet that merce thinks that the thanks of the Go- is exactly what the hon. member has done. verament are due to the Chinese gentlemen In April, 1892, in this Council, he described who had carried on the good work from year to the Society as a "Secret Society," an unfortu- year," and says, "I agree that the services of nate term he now calls it, and it took him more the Po Leung Kuk are most valuable in afford- than a year to tell the community, including ing food, clothing, and shelter for rescued wo-

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men and children and destitutas and in co-, objects for which the Society was formed, the operating with the Government by corres- Society desires that its position and status as ondence and other means in making enquiries laid down in those rules should be altered so as in providing, by marriage or otherwise. to be in conformity with the form which for people who cannot be restored to home the Society bas gradually assumed, and or fiends" He also says :~~" I am of opinion, which practice has proved to be the most with Dr. Ditel, a most invaluable witness, that effective for carrying on the work Of the neder proper control the Po Lenng Kok can Society. That form is laid down in render very valuable service in detecting and draft Ordinance incorporating the Society." brin ing to justice kidnappers and other off-a- As the same Committee points ont in the ders against women and children. I adopt his report, the chief difference between the rules ap- (Dr. Bitel's) words, ' that none but a Committee proved by the Secretary of State and this Ör. of respectable Chinese residents can effectively linance that under the Ordinance incorporat- and safely grapple with the shades of diffor ing the Society the Government is to have ence between kidnapping and selling and cope a voice in the management of the Society and with the tricks of Chinese kidnappers and there is to be a permanent Committes. In the Chinese anti-kidnapping detectives These Ordinance there is also provision for the Governer are the remarks of the hon. senior unofficial altering, amending, or disalloring the rules member and the member for the Chamber of and regulations made by the Society, and for Commerce, who speak in the highest terms of the inspection of buildings. There is also a the work of the Soviety. The good work of the change with regard to membership. Formerly Society is also proved by statistics During the a subscription of $10 ont tled the subsort- last four and a half years, up to 1891, no less ber to life membership. Now it is proposed than 2,751 persons came under the protection of to change the subscription, making it either an the Society. In the report of the majority of annual one or providing for compounding by a the Special Committee allusion is made to this certain amount down. So far as the Special Com- fact in the following terms - Thousands of mittee of Inquiry were concerned, they were un- women and girls have been resoned, thousands animons as to the advisability of the Government of destitutes cared for, and thousands of per- having a voice in the management of the Society. sons restored to their relations." The bou. They differed, however, as to how that voice of member for the Chamber of Commerce objects the Government was to be board is the to those remarks He calls them "mere words working of the Society and I will quote and nothing wore." I much regret that I am the opinion of the sonior unofficial member unable to follow him in his objection, for if in oo that point. In his report he says. I feel four and a half years 2,751 people are placed strongly that it is inadvisable that the Re- under the protection of the Society I do not gistrar General should be a member of the think it is a very big guess to say that certainly governing body, though on the other hand it double that number came under the Society would be a very good thing if the member ra- during the other eight and a half years it has presenting the Chiuose were ex-officio · hairman been in existence. I do not think I need adduce | of this body. The Registrar-Goueral should be any other facts in proof of the usefulness of the outside it as the authority to whom all questions Society. What then is the object of the Society de under debate should be submitted, the right of siring incorporation ? Its object is to increase its final appeal from his decisions to the Governor efficiency ant that the Government should have in Council being always reserved." And Mr. a voice in its management. As you are doubt. Whitehead says:-"The Registrar-General must less aware, hitherto, carrying on its work under have in all respects the final and decisive word in rules approved by the Secretary of State, the all dealings by the Society with women and girls Society has been able to work quite instepond- entrusted to its care. He should be entirely ently of the Government in theory, but as a outside it, and above it, and should not be mixed mattor of fact it has is practice worked in oo-up in the debates and discussions of the mom- operation with the Registrar-General; and now bers of Committes." And again he says. "It the Society desires to bring theory and practice would be an unbecoming position for any high iato conformity. The reasons why it desires in- | officer of the Government to be placed in a min corporation are clearly stated in the report of last ority and over-ruled by a majority of the Com- year's Committee of the Society furnished to the mitfee of the Society." I suppose that the Committee of inquiry. In that report it was stated:| Registrar-General ought to feel grateful for the "Having obtained funds, the Society is now in position in which the senior anofficial member and & different position from that which it cooupied the hon member who represents the Chamber of when it was dependent on the Tung Wa ospital Commerce wish to place him; they evidently for the maintenance and housing of the girls ¦ wish him to be the aletator of the Chi- entrusted to its care. For this reason and also nese community, and his gratitude ought to because the constitation of the Society as laiba espcially great to the latter gentleman, down in the rules approved by the Secretary of seeing that it is only a short time ago that State has not proved itself adapted to meet the | in this Council he was very anxious that the Re-

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