Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 256

253

No. 20

93

HONGKONG.

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1892.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 1st June, 1893.

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFICE,

HONGKONG, 23rd May, 1893.

SIR,-I have the honour to forward herewith my report on the work of this department during the year 1892.

REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

The cost of the establishment of the Registrar General in 1892 was $22,278 as compared with $22,765.79 in 1891.

These figures do not include the half pay of the Assistant Registrar General, which is being drawn at home, as that Officer is at present on leave.

The revenue collected by this department amounted to $77,388.17. In Table I will be found a comparative statement of the revenue for the years 1891 and 1892 together with a detailed statement of the revenue derived from boats and markets. The revenue for 1892 shows an increase of $1,211.06 over that of 1891. The chief increase is in the revenue derived from boats which amounted to $15,066.25, or $3,262.75 more than the previous year. This increase is due to the provisions of Ordinance 26 of 1891, under which lighters, fish-drying hulks, etc. have now to pay annual licence fees, from which they were formerly exempted. The chief decrease-$2,268.50-appears under the head "Hawkers' Fees." Hawkers' licences are annual and the licence fees were collected annually up till the end of September, 1892, when a change was made and the fees commenced to be collected quarterly, so that the year 1892 is credited with the fees for one quarter instead of for a whole year. The number of hawkers' licences issued in 1891 was 2,171 and in 1892, 3,029, or an increase in the latter year of 858.

The total number of licences of various kinds issued during the year 1892 was 8,004 as compared with 6,770 in 1891.

WOMEN AND GIRLS' PROTECTION ORDINANCE (11 or 1890).

This Ordinance has continued to work satisfactorily. Under it there have been 80 prosecutions involving 91 persons (see Table II). In these cases 12 of the defendants were discharged, 2 were called upon to find security, and 66 were found guilty, and either fined in sums varying from $1 to $100 or sentenced to terms of imprisonment varying from six months to one year.

Under Part II of the Ordinance 260 women and girls were detained. Of this number two died. and nine were still under the care of the Pó Léung Kuk or Society for the Protection of Women and Girls at the end of the year. The remaining 249 were dealt with as follows:--

Left, .....

Restored direct to parents or relatives, Restored to husbands,.

.42

.82

.46

77

", guardians,

6

11

>>

native place,

7

>>

1)

through charitable institutions in

China,

Sent to Victoria Home,

Sent to Haiphong through the French Consul,..

Sent to the Italian Convent,

Sent to Alice Memorial Hospital,

Adopted, Married,

..16

4

9

5

2

5

.25

249

Of the girls secured by bonds, the validity of which is protected by section 19 of Ordinance 11 of 1890, during the past year, one was sent to school, one was relieved from presenting herself at this Office quarterly, fifteen were married, one died, and two absconded. The number of these girls is now reduced to 103.