684574-1880-Night-duties-of-the-Police- — Page 3

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 14TH AUGUST, 1880.

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The Committee, however, cannot agree with him that the Police requirements of the city, important they doubtless are, differ essentially from those of towns where the two-thirds rule prevails; nor hat the circumstances of the place are such as to override the proved and imperative necessity of guarding life and property in the most effectual manner possible during the hours when they most leed protection. More than this, they think that the specialities of European life within the tropics, vhere, during many months of the year, dwelling houses are easily accessible, and the peculiarly limsy nature of the fastenings to the entrances to Chinese residences, stores and shops, afford strong rguments in favour of vigilance by night even in excess of that which prevails in England.

8. "In the second place, Mr. DEANE holds that the system of undivided eight-hour beats, which would be entailed on the Indian and Chinese portious of the force by the two-thirds rule, is more than the men could stand. (Appendix, Document I, p. vi. and pp. 7, 25 and 27). This is rertainly a consideration to be not lightly disregarded, especially as the evidence before the Committee is to a great extent in favour of Mr. DEANE's views.

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9. Inspector CRADOCK thought that eight-hour beats at a time 'would be a very hard duty.'

• They' (the Chinese) did eight hours at one time, and there were a great many cases in the hos-. pital.

(p. 67). Mr. CREAGH would have two-thirds on at night if it could be managed,' but he

6 hard. It was found too ried it with the Sikhs for a short time, and it was working the men very much.' (p. 46.) But on the other hand, Mr. CREAGH thinks the men 'could stand it,' although they would not like it. They do it in India,' but not during the whole summer, and Mr. CREAGH never knew such duty affect any one's health. (p. 47). Inspector GRIMES thought that Chinese and Sikhs could do eight hours' duty without material injury to their health,' but in the summer nights it would be hard on them having to carry a rifle.' (p. 75)

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10. "The undoubted necessities of the position, however, are such that in spite of these opinions the Committee think that the plan proposed by them ought to receive a fair and impartial trial. Duties which are safely performed by Englishmen in their own climate could, they believe, be under- taken by Indians and Chinese under climatic conditions not unfavourable to their health and endurance; and as to the duties imposed on the men by attendances in Court and in other ways, mentioned by Mr. DEANE, they do not differ materially from those which Policemen in England have to perform, nor ought they to be allowed to interfere with the primary objects of their employment. Moreover, it is within the recollection of the Chairman (Hon. C. MAY) of the Committee, that for many years Constables, composed of materials inferior to those which are now obtained, did eight and even nine consecutive hours of beat duty in Hongkong without difficulty, or injury to their "health."

GOVERNOR J. POPE HENNESSY, C.M.G. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH, BT., M.P.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 13th October, 1879.

SIR,I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 80 of the 17th of July. 1879, on the various questions connected with the Police Force and the increase of crime in this Co- lony, dealt with by Mr. Mar's Committee.

2. In my despatch No. 26 of the 17th of March, 1879, I reported that I had taken the responsi- "bility of instructing the Captain Superintendent of Police, Mr. DEANE, to place two-thirds of the force on night duty, as I thought the increase of crime of late years was, to a large extent, due to the insuffi- ciently guarded state of the Town at night.

3. I instructed him to furnish from time to time reports on this important change in the distribu- tion of police work, and also to submit for my consideration. any suggestion he might desire to make with respect to it, or in regard to any additional strength to the force he might think essential.

4. On the 1st July, 1879, Mr. DEANE reported as follows:--

"I have collected reports from the six Inspectors on duty in the City of Victoria, and their "upinions coincide with mine, viz. :--that having so many men on duty between 10 P.м. and 6 A.M. “has had a decidedly beneficial effect in diminishing the amount of crime during those hours."

5. Chief Inspector HORSPOOL, writes:-

Being absent from the Colony from May 1878 to May 1879, I am unable to give an opinion as to the "immediate' effect the change to the two-thirds principle had upon the crime of the Colony. But having, as it were, served my police apprenticeship at home to the two-thirds system, I had always looked to it as the best, and I am convinced it is even more necessary for the proper "protection of life and property in this Colony than in England."