Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 897

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"done in the matter (the offer of the Chinese to form themselves into a Society for the "Protection of Women and Children), and I regret that so much valuable time has "been lost." In my Despatch of the 23rd of January last I ought to have mentioned that, whilst awaiting the decision of the Secretary of State on the specific proposal therein submitted, I had taken the responsibility of allowing these Chinese gentlemen to constitute themselves provisionally and informally into a Society of the kind; and from time to time the local Government have obtained practical assistance from them. For instance; in the enclosed papers your Lordship will see that Mr. Consul GILES, writing from Amoy on the 30th of April, calls the attention of the Hongkong Government to a suspicious case in which a child was sent to this Colony. After a reference to the head of the police and the emigration officer, the case was put, on the 10th of May, before the Chinese Society for the Protection of Women and Children; the Attorney General advised that the child should be detained (though he did not think that a case of kid- napping had been made out) pending the enquiries of the Society. Those enquiries elicited all the necessary facts. Mr. FUNG MING SHAN and the other gentlemen of the Society were duly thanked in a letter from the Acting Colonial Secretary on the 31st of May, and in a few days after the child was restored to the custody of his relatives.

4. The rules and organisation of the Society have been under the consideration of Mr. NG CHOY, and they will be submitted before long to Mr. O'MALLEY, the Attorney General, for official recognition.

The Right Hon. the EARL OF KIMBERLEY,

&c.,

&c.,

&c.

I have, &c.,

(Signed)

J. POPE HENNESSY.

No. 8.

The Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley to Governor Sir J. Pope Hennessy, K.C.M.G.

SIR,

DOWNING STREET, August 27th, 1880.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch of the 23rd June, relating to the formation of a Chinese Society for the Protection of Women and Children.

I shall be glad to receive copies of the rules when they have been revised by the Attorney General.

Governor Sir J. POPE HENNESSY.

No. 10.

I have, &c., (Signed)

KIMBERLEY.

Governor Sir J. Pope Hennessy, K.C.M.G., to the Right Honourable the Earl of Kimberley.

MY LORD,

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GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG, September 3rd, 1880.

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4. I am happy to say that, in forwarding the criminal calendar on the 7th of July 1880, the Chief Justice, says:—

"The diminished number of serious crimes in the Colony is as creditable to the police as it is satisfactory to the public."