CO129-532-3 Mui Tsai system 4-12-1930 - 9-11-1931 — Page 89

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3. Since the last of the prosecutions mentioned in

paragraph 3 of the same despatch there have been 22 prosecu-

tions under the Ordinance (No. 1 of 1923). Of these,

14 have been for keeping an unregistered maitsai, 13

convictions being rogistered, and sight have been for

bringing an unregistered mitssi into the Colony, convic-

tions being obtained in all cases.

4. In three of the thirteen convictions for keeping

unregistered muitsai mentioned in paragraph 3 (above)

the defendants were fined respectively $150, 2100, and

2150 or sentenced to the equivalent terms of imprisonment.

in the remaining ten cases fines were of varying amounts,

usually about 750, according to the gravity of the

circumstances.

In the eight cases of bringing unregistered

muitsai into the Colony, the circumstances were nearly

all of an inoffensive character, and the offences

were committed in genuine ignorance of the Hong Kong

muitsal legislation.

from 5 to $25. A feature of several cases was that the

defendants themselves went to the Secretariat for Chinese

Affairs to try and register their muitsai, and thus

brought the fact of their non-registration to the notice

of the authorities.

Fines therefore ranged generally

A detailed return of convictions secured

under the ordinance is attached.

5. No new registration was permitted, but in

a few cases where muitasi had been brought into the

Colony by their employers, were obviously happy with

them, and had no other relatives or friends, both

employers and muitsal were seen out of the Colony, on the

conclusion