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The total number of Police stationed in the New Territory at the end of the year after the opening of San T'in, the last station opened, was--

32 Europeans

86 Indians

27 Chinese

7 Interpreters.

There were also employed in patrolling in launches the waters of the New Territory-

9 Europeans 41 Chinese.

CRIME.

I attach a return (Appendix No. XVIII) of cases from the New Territory tried in the Police Court of Victoria during 1899, with which I have been furnished by Mr. GOMPERTZ, Acting Police Magistrate, who has also given me the figures and information on which the following remarks are based.

The first case was heard on April 24th, which gives roughly eight months or three-quarters of the year as the period during which cases from the New Territory have been brought into Hongkong.

The total number of cases, exclusive of those from the New Territory, heard in the Police Court of Victoria in 1899 was 10,003 comprising 11,175 accused persons for the twelve months. In addition there were 155 cases from the New Territory, with an aggregate of 271 accused persons.

The cases from the New Territory represent 0154 of the whole. If, however, the first quarter of the year be omitted, as the newly leased area was not then under the jurisdiction of this Colony, these cases will be 0206 of the whole.

They become more important, however, when the average of serious crime is taken into account.

If the standard be the number of cases committed for trial at the Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court, it appears that out of 10,003 cases arising in Hongkong only 50 or 0049 of the whole were committed to the Sessions. On the other hand, out of 155 New Territory cases no fewer than 25, or 16 of the whole, were committed for trial.

This striking difference is no doubt chiefly due to the lawlessness which was rife in the New Territory when it was taken over and which continued until the Police Force had been organised.

The appointment of a Magistrate to try cases in the districts north of the Kowloon range of hills has relieved the Magistrate in Hongkong from the work of trying cases that occur in those districts, and owing to the small number of cases that the Magistrate in the New Territory has hitherto had to try, he is able to sit twice a week in Hongkong. This has sensibly lessened the strain which had to be borne by one Magistrate.

Up to the end of the year the Magistrate sitting at Táipó had to deal with 23 cases only which occurred in the districts north of the Kowloon range of hills. Two of them were serious. The remainder were trivial.

Cases from the Islands of Lamma and Lantao and from the district south of the Kowloon range of hills are still brought to Victoria. From this portion of the New Territory have come one case of piracy and several of robbery with violence and aggravated assault.

The return of cases from the New Territory gives no particulars of Death Enquiries. The Police Magistrate in Victoria officiates as Coroner, and there have *been four cases of death in the territory as to which it has been found necessary to hold a formal inquiry extending in each case over several days. In three of the cases a jury was summoned,

The total amount paid on account of fines and forfeitures in connection with the cases tried in the New Territory in 1899. amounted to $936.32; a sum of $783.65 has been paid in fines and a sum of $152.47 for forfeitures.