Sessional_Paper_1886-1887 — Page 212

23

(5)

209

(C.S.O. 3)

No. 83.

See (2,)

Enclosure.

SIR,

Registrar General to Colonial Secretary.

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 13th September, 1883.

With reference to Mr. Justice RUSSELL'S Report of the 18th July last, on Child Adoption and Domestic Service among Hongkong Chinese, (page 8), and to my letter, No. 73, of the 31st ultimo, (C.S.O. No. 2152) regarding the 14 young girls found in No. 233, Hollywood Road. I have the honour to enclose, for the consideration of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, a draft Ordinance conferring on the Registrar General the powers with which I think he should be invested in order to carry out effectually the scheme suggested by Mr. RUSSELL.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

FREDERICK STEWART,

Registrar General.

The Honourable

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.

Enclosure in Registrar General's Letter No. 83 of 1883.

(In C.S.O. 2253.)

1883*

An Ordinance enacted by the Governor of Hong- kong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, for the prevention of abuses connected with Child Adoption and Domestic Service. WHEREAS it is expedient to make further provision

for the prevention of adopted female children and female servants from being brought up in the Colony for the

purpose of prostitution: Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

1. It shall be lawful for the Registrar General, as Pro-- tector of Chinese, to summon before him any person whom he reasonably suspects of having in his custody any adopted daughter, or female servant, between the age of six and sixteen inclusive, with the view of disposing of her as a prostitute; and it shall also be lawful for the Registrar General, in his discretion and after due enquiry, to call on any such person who has the custody of any such female child to give reasonable security that such child shall not be sold, pawned, or otherwise disposed of for any immoral purpose, and that the absence of such child from the Colony shall be duly accounted for.

2. For the better carrying out of the preceding section, it shall be lawful for the Registrar General to require the production before him of any female child under adoption or domestic service; and also to summon any person who can give information as to the treatment of such child by her adopted parents or master, under a penalty not exceed- ing two hundred dollars.

3. It shall be lawful for the Registrar General, in the interests of any female child, to make a written application to a Judge in Chambers for a writ of Habeas Corpus, with the view of taking away such female child from any person who has no legal claim to her custody, and whose retention of her is prejudicial to the child's interest and liberty.

4. It shall be lawful for any person considering himself aggrieved or affected by any action of the Registrar General under this Ordinance to appeal in a summary way to a Judge in Chambers against any decision which the Regis- trar General may give under this Ordinance; and the Judge may confirm the decision of the Registrar General, or may order in writing the same to be annulled.

5. This Ordinance shall come into operation on a day to be hereafter proclaimed by the Governor.