THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 25TM FEBRUARY, 1871.
HONGKONG
79
"That it has been further manifested in other cases of conspiracy as in the stealing of the Captain Superintendent DEANE'S watch and the attempt to fix the felonious possession of the watch on an innocent man, and also in various cases of extortion and other crimes.
"In some of these cases European in nearly all Asiatic and especially Chinese Constables were implicated.
(6
"That it has appeared to me that among the Seikh Constables unnatural crimes have been not unfrequent and that they have in this respect demoralised the Chinese. One member of that Force is now in Gaol for life, contaminating by his presence even the worst inmates of that place. That they are stupid and though strong, from their crass ignorance very inefficient. "That by Ordinance the force called District Watchmen are by virtue of their nomination constituted Constables that the Funds mainly supporting that force are raised by an illegal assessment on the Chinese, and that although they are subject to the Jurisdiction of the Regis- trar General whose duties are alien to Police duties they are mainly under an independent body of Chinese shopkeepers who however well intentioned are not trustworthy for such purposes. And that the Force contains objectionable characters to whom it is dangerous to the Colony to give the powers of Constables. And that on enquiry other reasons will appear for the suppression of this Force one of which is that all Persons having the powers of Con- stables should be under the central power of Mr. DEANE.
"That I believe it will be found that one main cause of the inefficiency of the Police is that the English Inspectors and others do not speak Chinese. In India, in Ceylon, and in Japan it is required of all Officials to learn the native language.
That a body of men called Mr. CALDWELL'S Informers are paid by and are really the servants of the wealthy Chinese Licensees of the Gaming Houses and that these Licensees have obtained by means of these Informers power over honest nen as well as over the Criminal classes of which one instance appears in the Daily Press of 22nd February last; and that this power has been rendered more certain by the direction therein copied by the head of the Police to all Police Officers to obey the directions of the bearer of the piece of paper unnamed, thus in effect constituting in the Masters of these Informers an imperium in imperis of the regular l'olice.
"That a Commission having on my statement been issued to Messrs. SMITH, MAY, and MITCHELL, and they having made one Report and afterwards an amended Report, they were put aside. The result should have been made known at least to the Members of the Legisla- tive Council in order that in voting the supplies, the Council might give such Advice to the Executive as the facts elicited might call for and that not having received such Report that the Council should investigate the facts for themselves through a Committee.”
Hongkong, 11th November, 1870."
His Excellency then adjourns the Council at 5 o'clock.
Read and confirmed, this 23rd Day of February, 1871.
L. D'ALMADA È CASTRO, Clerk of Councils.
"JOHN SMALE,"
Chief Justice. .
HENRY WASE WHITFEILD, Major-General, and Lieutenant-Governor.
SUPREME COURT OF HONGKONG.
REGULA GENERALIS.
ANNO TRICESIMO QUARTO
VICTORLE REGINA..
January, 1871.
Whereas by Section XXIII of Ordinance No. 6 of 1845, it is enacted that it shall be lawful for Supreme Court to make and prescribe Rules and Orders amongst other Things touching the of holding the Court; And Whereas by a Rule dated the 13th Day of April, 1870, it was that the Sittings of the said Court should be held from that Date and until further Order Court in the Building situate and being No. 7, Queen's Road, Central, in the City of Victoria; Whereas it is expedient to repeal the said Rule: It is therefore ordered that the same be hereby and that the Sittings of the Supreme Court of Hongkong in its Common Law, Equitable, ley, and Probate Jurisdictions respectively, also in its Criminal Sessions and in all other Tions, shall be held on and after the 18th Day of January, 1871, at and in the Supreme Court of the said Colony.
By the Court,
W. H. ALEXANDER,
Registrar.
Revised and approved by the Legislative Council, this 23rd Day of February, 1871.
L. D'ALWADA E CASTRO, Clerk of Councils,
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