Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 630

REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN, THE HONOURABLE HO KAI

AND MR. F. H. MAY.

In reply to your letter No. 736 of the 28th April last, we, the undersigned mem- bers of the Special Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor to investigate and report ou certain points connected with the Bill for the incorporation of the Pó Léung Kuk at present before the Legislative Council, have the honour to forward the following report.

The Committee held meetings, covering a period extending from the 12th May, 1892, until the 10th February, 1893, and examined thirteen witnesses.

An application was received from Mr. FRANCIS, Q. C., and Messrs. WOTTON and DEACON to appear before the Committee on behalf of the Pó Léung Kuk. After consideration, the Committee decided by a majority that if it were found that the absence of Counsel was likely to affect adversely the interests of the Society, the Committee would inform the Society, so that it might be represented by Counsel.

The Committee also considered the question of admitting representatives of the press to their meetings, and decided by a majority against their admission on the grounds that, as the proceedings before the Committee would be taken down by a shorthand writer and ultimately published, it would serve no useful purpose to have the proceedings made public while the enquiry was being conducted.

At the same time the Committee considered what mode of procedure should be adopted in conducting the enquiry into the nine points enumerated in the letter from the Colonial Secretary on which His Excellency the Governor more particularly required a report. On that question the opinions of the members of the Committee were divided, two members being in favour of first enquiring into the working of the Society, as they were entirely unacquainted with the details and interior working of the Pó Léung Kuk, before proceeding to deal with any of the other points of investigation; and two members desiring in the first instance to investigate the charges which had been made against the Society, as that appeared to be the fairest mode of enquiry and in accordance with the practice usual in such matters. After, however, Mr. WHITEHEAD had stated that when he had called the Pó Léung Kuk a Chinese Secret Society, he had not meant that it was a secret society such as is liable to be dealt with by the Ordinance against secret societies and that he would explain more fully later on what meaning he had intended to convey by the words he had used, and that he had never brought any charge against the Pó Léung Kuk Society of obtaining subscriptions improperly by "pressure" or "order," that he had not used the words "pressure" and "order," the Committee decided to enquire into the working of the Society before proceeding to consider the other points of enquiry.

From the records which the Committee have had before it, it appears that the first step towards the formation of a Pó Léung Kuk was made in 1878, when a memorial* was presented by certain Chinese merchants to Sir JOHN POPE HENNESSY praying to be allowed to form an association for the suppression of kidnapping and traffic in human beings on account of the daily increase of crimes of kidnapping." In forwarding this memorial to the Secretary of State in his despatch of the 23rd January, 1880, the Governor said :— "In my minute of the 12th November 1878 I expressed the opinion that this was a very praiseworthy proceeding on the part of the Native gentlemen who originated

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* Sce Appendix 39.

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