Newsgroup: it.scienza.ambiente
Titolo: Re: C.H.E.A.P...C.I.G.A.R.E.T.T.E.S________HkLE8KJzy5nmY

of State for the Colonies at this time,
and his replies to Sir John Pope Hennessy were small encouragement to
the course the Governor had taken. He criticises his "somewhat unusual
course" in the appointment of a Commission "composed of private
persons to inquire into the administration of an important department
of the Government." He says: "I am unable to concur in the suggestion
made in your despatch as to the advisability of prosecuting Inspector
Lee." He implies that in his opinion "Inspector Lee was acting
strictly within his powers on this unfortunate occasion." "It is
quite possible," Lord Carnarvon continues, "that there may be abuses
connected with the Contagious Diseases Ordinance which ought to
be removed; but I would point out that such abuses arise from the
imperfections in the system as established by law.... While ready
to give consideration to the subject of amending the system, if
necessary, I fail at present to observe wherein the officers ... have
exceeded the duty imposed upon them by law."
From such responses as these we readily learn that it was not alone in
Hong Kong that these outrageous abuses of every principle of justice
in dealing with Chinese women failed to arouse more than a lukewarm
interest in their behalf, and all the way through Sir John Pope
Hennessy, with one or two notable exceptions, so far as the records
go, was shown but scant sympathy in his efforts to correct these
abuses.
On April 2nd, 1878, Sir Harcourt Johnstone asked in the House of
Commons the Secretary of State for the Colonies, "whether his
attention has been directed to a recent outrage committed ... at Hong
Kong, which is now forming the subject of inquiry by a Commission
appointed by the Governor. And if he will cause special investigation
to be made as to the manner in which

being carried out by unusual methods of
procedure.
The following cases are from the records of the Methodist Home for
Chinese Girls, located, since the earthquake, at Berkeley:
    No. 1. Made the following statement: "I am 12 years old; born
    in Canton; father a laborer; mother a nurse; parents very poor.
    Mother fell sick, and in her need of money sold me. Took me to
    Hong Kong and sold me to a woman; saw the money paid, but do not
    know how much; it looked a great deal. This was 3 years ago. The
    woman promised my mother to make me her own daughter, and little
    did my mother know I was to be a slave, to be beaten and abused by
    a cruel mistress. My mother cried when she left me; it was very
    hard to part. The big ship, 'City of Pekin,' took me soon out of
    sight. I have heard that she is now dead. On arriving we did not
    come ashore immediately. I was landed after 4 days. There was
    trouble in landing me. I had a red paper, bought at Hong Kong,
    that they called a certificate, and there was trouble about it.
    The woman who bought me had no trouble getting ashore because she
    had lived in California before. She told me what I was to say when
    I was questioned. She told me I must swear I was her own daughter.
    The Judge asked, 'Is this your own mother?' and I said, 'Yes.'
    This was a lie, but I did not know it was wrong to do as I was
    told, and I was afraid of my mistress. The Judge said, 'Did this
    woman give you birth?' and I said, 'Yes.' The Judge said, 'Did
    anybody tell you to say all this?" and I said, 'No,' because my
    mistress had instructed me how to answer this