718 THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 26TH NOVEMBER, 1879.
examined Mr. DEANE, Mr. CREAGH, and a number of the Inspectors and other persons competent to give advice on the subject. No one indeed was more competent than the Chairman himself to form an opinion upon it. They arrived at the conclusion that the two-thirds night system, as it is called, should be tried, and that the system would probably tend to diminish crime, for they expressed a decided opinion that the Colony was not adequately policed at night time. Well, that report was laid before Her Majesty's Government, and about the same time, or indeed a little before that report reached the Government, they also received, from two important sections of the Community, the opinions of those sections upon that very question, as to the Police. Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH received a memorial addressed to him by all the leading Chinese merchants of the Community, in which amongst other things, they expressed an opinion that the town had not been for some years adequately policed at night, and expressed a hope that he would sanction a moderate increase of the Police Force. On the other hand, a resolution was also laid before Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH in which some of the European section of the Community took a different view, and thought no change was necessary in the Police arrangements of the Colony. Well, that point has been considered carefully by the Secretary of State, and he has conveyed to me the decision that he approves of the two-thirds system of night duty, and he asks me also carefully to consider the question whether some increase ought not to be made in the Police Force. Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH also points out that Mr. MAY'S Committee called attention to the fact that on one particular day in October, to which they referred, there were 105 members of the Police Force employed on what were called special duties, that is five or six at Government House, a few employed taking care of the Courts of justice, and in different parts of the Colony the Police were engaged in that way--my Honourable friend Mr. TONNOCHY hal twenty in the Gaol and in various ways 106 inembers of the force were diverted from what were really their proper duties. Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH directs that these Policemen should be paid for by the different departments that were using them. Accordingly, in preparing the Esti- mates, I have charged the various departments with these Policemen who were formerly charged to the Police vote, and I requested Captain DEANE to state what increase in the force he would require, inasmuch as all the money not so required would be struck off the Police vote. Mr. DEANE in his minute expresses his views, and is content to have an increase of thirty-six men in the Police force. The sum which will be charged to the various departments, amount to $12,245. However, with certain reductions of salaries which you will see by the pay list-the net increase in the salaries of Police force will be $10,680, and there is a further expenditure for the present year of something over $11,000 in connection with steam launches for the Police. I have told you what the opinion of the Committee was. I am now able to give you also the opinions of competent persons in the Police force itself as to the actual results of this question of the two-thirds night duty. During my absence in Japan, the Administrator called upon Captain DEANE to let him know how this new system worked, and Captain DEANE reported as follows:-"I have collected reports from the different Inspectors, and their opinions coincide with mine, it has had a decidedly beneficial effect in diminishing the amount of crime during those hours." Chief Inspector HORSPOOL says he was always in favour of the two- thirds system, it was the system under which he worked in London, and it has been most beneficial here; and all the other Inspectors say the result has been most satisfactory and has diminished crime. Captain DEANE was of opinion he required a few more men so as to increase the day duties, and he is now content with the comparatively small increase of thirty-six. So far, I hope our Police system has been improved. I may add that the Senior Acting Magistrate informed me that during the time this system has been in operation, there has been a marked diminution in the number of cases of serious crime.
Now, gentlemen, there is one slight increase in the establishment charges which I am instructed to make in a despatch from the Secretary of State, No. 105 of the 15th August. Sir MICHAEL HICKS- BEACH was good enough to say.-"In consideration of the expense entailed on the Governor by the numerous entertainments he is called upon to give, I am of opinion the allowance made to him for lighting Government House, etc., should be increased from $1,440 to $4,800, such increase to date from the 1st January last."
There is another change which you will see, and which really does not involve any question of money, it is merely a transfer from one department to another department, and that follows from the fact that Mr. FORD is now placed at the head of the Botanical department. I shall lay before you the various minutes and papers which explain how it came to pass that Mr. FORD, arriving in this Colony in 1871 and being placed in the position to which he was appointed, and being in that position for some time, was subsequently, some two years afterwards, deprived of his position as the independent head of a department. For you will see that this was not known to Her Majesty's Government, but that when the attention of the Government was called to the position and duties of Mr. FORD despatches årrived the result of which is I now have to place before you a separate department at the head of which is Mr. FORD. The despatches of the Secretary of State, minutes, and some subsequent corres- pondence, will all be printed for the information of the Council.
With respect to the financial proceedings of the year 1879, I think my Honourable friend (Mr. MARSH) in his capacity as Auditor looked very carefully into what would be the result of the year's transactions and endeavoured to anticipate what they would be some months ago, and I think my
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