CO129-376 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [3-4] — Page 475

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CONFIDENTIAL.

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Sir,

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RECO

Government House,

Hongkong, 21st. April, 1911.

In my Confidential Despatch of

27th. February, 1911, I requested your sanction by telegraph

to apply the Garrotter's Act of 1863 to this Colony for

crimes of armed robbery and robbery with violence. I had

desired to include certain phases of the crime of kidnapping

but as this goes beyond the English Act I omitted it on the

strong recommendation of the Attorney-General. I desire now

to place before you my views on this subject.

2.

Kidnapping is of three kinds viz.:-

(a) the ordinary crime of stealing children, or even adults,

and carrying them off to be held to ransom: (b) kidnapping

for purposes of stowing away on vessels especially of fe-

-males: and (c) kidnapping for purposes of enforced prosti-

-tution. With regard to (a), this crime has never been so

prevalent as it now is and the Acting Chief Justice (Mr. W.

Rees Davies) said recently that the Colony "reeked" with

RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.

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