684139-1880-Treatment-of-Paupers-in-Hongkong- — Page 1

460

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE

No.135.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Report is published for general

information.

By Command,

FREDERICK STEWART,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office,

Hongkong, 7th June, 1880.

1880.

百

·第報憲

異轉政使司史爲

漢務參贊中陳

曉讀事照得現A

督憲將下關批語

及待食人法抄印

俾衆週知

語批憲督法人貧待港香

甚

批

批

貧

待 批示如左 香港總督部堂燕 淃 貧無靠等情禀懇賙濟 督憲 内因陳吳氏以已及兩幼子赤 卽本年第七百七十三號公文

現在所有光景 一本港邊岩之人 致於無家室

陳事竊職奉到

漢務參贊歐爲中

二日批飭卑職提

督憲大八四月初

外爲

凡所

遇等 稱在

無腳 國有致

至於

千八百八十年四月初二日批 貧之項支錢五圓給此貧婦一 免音成無賴之流茲仰先在濟 善法可減如此貧人之艱苦而 甚協本部堂意仰將提舉有何 批據此禀末歐參贊所增一語

一千八百八十年

六月 初七日示

接則有行

悛者所自

改按理

日遊若且船

蕩輩彼

之混本有

名國出港稍 航本

領自每有

院舟葛

懇請察閱

之艱苦而免音成

舉善法以減貧人 此謹將腐見申陳 也在澳門或香港 無賴之流等語奉 度或馬孻等人一 也華人三也

生長之西洋人二

或亞美利加或印

所遇大約可分 無籍流民有逃自舟船者有出自醫院者若 此等人現在香港 者送往別行以爲已任但本港有舟子原是 外國人或毆羅巴 頭目皆不接納者按若輩混名水老鼠船政廳 爲三卽無家室之 不商則例所理且彼本國領事官及代理 而求衣食有所得輒將沽作買酒費入夏時若 之擔攫啖而不解囊晨往西人富厚之家俯首 同事之儔而作不速哺之客路遇肩挑果

凡無度活貲者是 外邦人每恐貽羞本國視將稍有瓜葛之窘 實是嗜酒之輩彼終日閒遊過酒家冀遇曩昔

所稱窮籍之人卽 國之鄉親速設法助便附航別往蓋旅港之 驗彼實爲罔知慢改遊蕩之徒而巡理府識伊

有至香港而致窮窘者若董本國之領事或同

理輩是

首果昔

TREATMENT OF PAUPERS IN

HONGKONG.

MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.

(In C. S. O. No. 773 of 1880, Mrs. CH'AN née NG,

petiuon for relief, having been lejt destitute with two children.)

I agree with Dr. EITEL'S note on this petition and would be glad if he would suggest some way of mitigating the evils of this form of destitution

whilst avoiding the formation of a pauper class.

Meanwhile let him give this poor woman $5 from the Charitable Allowance Fund.

(Signed), J. POPE HENNESSY.

2nd April, 1880.

REPORT BY DR. EITEL.

In pursuance of His Excellency the Governor's Minute of the 2nd instant. to the effect that I should suggest some way of mitigating the evils of destitution, whilst avoiding the formation of a

qauper class, I have the honour to subinit the

following considerations :---

1.-The present condition of destitutes in Hongkong.

The classes of destitutes. i.e. of persons desti- tute of the actual necessaries of life, at present to be found in Hongkong, may roughly be divided into non-resident foreigners (i.e. Europeans, Americans, Indians and Malays), Macão or Hongkong born Portuguese, and Chinese.

As to non-resident foreigners arriving here in a state of destitution, or lapsing into it after arrival, their respective Consuls and countrymen speedily take some steps to get them shipped off elsewhere, as most foreign nationalities herc consider it a duty of national self-respect to rid the Colony of their own paupers. Nevertheless there is always

a small fluctuating residue of non-descript seamen, deserters, or men discharged from Hospital, who are beyond the pale of the Merchant Shipping Act, disowned by their respective Consuls and Slipping Masters, “ beach-comber's " well known

to the Marine Magistrate as incorrigible loafers or to the Police Magistrate as drunken sots. They hang about the grog shops, levy blackmail on former shipmates and on native fruit hawkers, call at gentlemen's houses early in the morning begging for food and clothes which are forthwith converted into drink, and manage to get on well enough in summer when they can sleep out on