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Q. What is unconstitutional about the present proposed mode of encouraging these gentlemen ?
A.—I consider, as I have pointed out before, that the preliminary investigation is unconstitutional. I can refer to a case* that I believe occurred last year, which I have been informed of, in which a man was kept seven days by the Pó Léung Kuk before any charge was made and was then brought before the Magistrate and convicted. That is utterly wrong in my opinion.
Q. A man was kept seven days you say?
A. A man or a woman. I can give my authority. Another case † which I can refer to is one in which a woman, who was a concubine, ran away from her husband and she was taken up in Hongkong by a European. After a time the husband came looking for her and in the meantime he had become blind. The Pó Léung Kuk sent for this woman and insisted on her paying $50 for the maintenance of the man on account of his blindness. That I consider irregular.
Q. Do you know this case of your own knowledge ?
A. Not my own knowledge.
Q.-Will you give us your authority? You are only giving the information second hand and it is only fair to all parties concerned that the names should be given.
A. With regard to the woman who ran away from her husband I am not quite prepared to give my authority at this moment, but with regard to the other man who was detained for seven days my authority is Inspector KEMP.
Honourable C. P. CHATER.-Do you think this other case will be on record in the Pó Léung Kuk?
A.-I do not know how they do things there. I do not know any thing about the internal working. My main objection to this kind of thing is not merely to such things as have taken place but to the system which allows it to be possible that such things should occur.
Even if they have happened we do not know of it and it seems to me to be irregular to leave it possible for such things to happen at all. The seven days' deten- tion case arose out of a case in which the people had been taken to the Pó Léung Kuk for the preliminary examination.
Q-Was the man taken before the Police Magistrate?
A. He was, and I believe he was convicted.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.—After seven days' detention in the Pó Leung Kuk ?
A. That is what I am told.
The CHAIRMAN.-How was it the Magistrate did not find it out?
A. He would not be likely to know. I was not Magistrate, I have not looked up the case, I am merely telling you what I have been told.
The CHAIRMAN.-It seems extraordinary.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.--We can call Inspector KEMP.
Honourable Ho KAI-You say the prisoner was kept seven days in the Pó Léung Kuk ?
A. So I am told.
Q.-Before he was brought before a Magistrate?
A. So I am told.
*Sec Appendix 21.
† Sec Appendix 22.
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