Sessional_Paper_1886-1887 — Page 220

No. 1495.

SIR,

217

31

(15)

Colonial Secretary to Registrar General.

COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 29th October, 1885.

I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to transmit to you, for your consideration and report, the documents specified in the annexed Schedule.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant, (Signed)

FREDERICK STEWART,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, Esq.,

Acting Registrar General,

&o.,

&c.,

&c.

Enclosure.

Enclosure 1.

Extracts from Secretary of State Despatch, No. 51, of September 12th, 1885, respecting a Bill for the prevention of abuses connected with Child adoption and Domestic Service.

2. In the absence of further and more convincing arguments than those at present before me, I am not prepared to sanction the abandonment of the proposed Ordinance; and I should be glad, if possible, to ascertain the views of some of the leading Chinese in the Colony and of the Po LEUNG KUK in regard to the Bill.

3. The draft Ordinance embodies the suggestions made by Mr. RUSSELL in his Report of 18th July, 1883, (pp. 8 and 9), which were apparently not opposed by the leading Chinese, and were supported by yourself and your Executive Council (as reported in your despatch, No. 189, of 13th August, 1883), and were approved by my predecessor. I am not in possession of any information, which would lead me to suppose that circumstances have altered since 1883, so as to render an Ordi- nance of this kind less necessary or less desirable.

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Registrar General to Colonial Secretary.

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, April 17th, 1886.

SIR,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th October last forwarding for my consideration and report an extract from a despatch from the Secretary of State on the subject of the Draft Bill for the prevention of abuses connected with Child Adoption and Domestic Service.

2. In accordance with the instructions of the Secretary of State, I have con- sulted the leading Chinese in the Colony and the Chairman of the PO LEUNG KUK. in regard to the Bill. They are all of opinion that the Bill, with the slight verbal alterations, noted in the copy enclosed herewith, should be introduced at once, as it seems well calculated to help to remedy the evils with which it specially deals and which have in no way so decreased as to render the introduction of such a measure unnecessary.

3. That the present Bill is much needed and highly desirable the working of this department during the last two years and a half clearly shows. During that period no less than 201 females, varying in age from 1 year to 18 have come under the protection of this office. Most of them have in some way or other been con- nected with brothels, and it is almost certain that, unless they had been rescued they would ultimately have been made to lead a life of shame. At present they are secured in amounts rising from $50 to $500 by a bond, the conditions of which are that the female secured has to present herself at this office once every quarter, that she will be properly brought up, and, when she arrives at the proper age, married. Every effort is also made, and in many instances successfully, to urge the parents or guardians to have the children under their care properly educated.