Newsgroup: it.scienza.ambiente
Titolo: Re: High output current audio driver

parliamentary papers of recent years on
    our question has just been issued in response to questions put in
    the House of Commons by Mr. Henry J. Wilson, M.P., on March 8th
    last. The title is, 'Further Correspondence relating to Measures
    Adopted for Checking the Spread of Venereal Disease' (Cd. 2903),
    and relates to enactments in the Straits Settlements, Hong Kong,
    and Gibraltar, during the period in which the Rt. Hon. Joseph
    Chamberlain was at the head of the Colonial office.
    "The correspondence in question further reveals the existence and
    extent of a 'Yellow Slave Trade' in the East of large dimensions.
    The girls in question are stated to be 'bought when young,' and
    'believe themselves bound body and soul to the brothel-keepers.'
    Nine hundred and sixty-eight Chinese women, presumably of this
    kind, are reported at Penang, and 62 Japanese women. There were
    176 admissions of Japanese women, and 141 admissions of Chinese
    women in 1899 to the public hospital at Singapore, besides numbers
    of other cases to private hospitals maintained by the keepers of
    the houses of ill-fame.
    "Many passages in the correspondence give evidence of a continual
    import traffic going on, which the head of the Regulation
    Department, the 'Protector of Chinese,' at Singapore, seems to
    have made some effort to counteract. He speaks of ten girls
    between 9 and 15 that he attempted to rescue from sale to
    a traveling dealer, but who were returned to their former
    surroundings on a writ of _habeas corpus_ by the Supreme Court;
    but upon information in regard to this case reaching the Colonial
    office in London, correspondence ensu

money had occasioned the kidnaping,
    just as a receiver of stolen goods buys stolen property without
    due or any inquiry to verify the patent lies of the vendors. I
    have reason to believe that H.E. the Governor was desirous that my
    request should, if proper, be complied with; but on reference to
    former cases it appeared that a former Attorney-General had found
    that the system had been almost if not altogether unchecked for
    many years past, and that in particular, when His Excellency had
    desired to enforce the rights of a father to recover his child, he
    was not disposed to enforce that right because the father had sold
    that child."
He relates the details of yet another case concerning which he says:
"I took the responsibility to direct the Acting Attorney General to
prosecute this man and his wife." But the Attorney General, it seems,
did not.
"Is it possible that such a being as man can, according to law ...
become a slave even by his own consent?" asks the Chief Justice.
"I say it is impossible in law, as Sir R. Phillimore, 1 Phill.,
International Law, vol. 1, p. 316, has said in a passage I read with
the most respectful concurrence, but too long for full quotation." "It
is unnecessary for me to trace how it became the Common Law of England
that whosoever breathes the air of England cannot be a slave." After
reference to notable decisions on the part of England's highest
authorities as to the unlawfulness of slavery; to the claim that
slavery was secured to the Chinese residents by the promise not to
interfere with their customs, and reminding his hearers that the
promise was made only "pending Her Majesty's pleasure"; after quoting
the Queen's proclamation against slavery at Hong Kong, and the
assurance in that proclamation that "these Acts will be enforced by
all Her Majesty's officers, civil and military, wi

in girls and children failed to secure the attention they
deserved. It seems to us not at all amazing, when one reads this past
history, that by the time Chinese girls have seen and learned all that
they must in the Colony of Hong Kong, when brought to this country
they are utterly incredulous as to the good faith of police and other
officials. They must enter a complaint at the risk of their lives, and
if the officer of the law will not prosecute the case in spite of all
its difficulties (which are largely imaginary on the part of lukewarm
officials), then the girl must be returned to the master she has
informed against, to be in his power for him to vent his wrath upon
her. A case in point occurred in Oakland only a few months ago, and we
had a chance to interview the girl. The Captain of Police went through
the brothels of Oakland's Chinatown, accompanied by some missionary
ladies, in order to discover if possible any girls who would
acknowledge that they wished to come away. Every girl was questioned,
in the absence of the keepers, and not one, or perhaps only one, said
she wished to come away. There were some one hundred and fifty Chinese
slave girls in Oakland at this time, and one might say they all had a
chance to escape, and of their own will chose to remain. But was that
the truth? Not at all; the result did not prove at all that one, and
only one wished t

the Minister of the Interior of France, the country where
these Acts originated, nominated an extra-Parliamentary Commission to
go thoroughly into these questions. This Commission held its numerous
sittings in 1905, and in the end by almost a two-thirds' majority
condemned the existing system of regulation in France, and furthermore
rejected the alternative proposal of notification with compulsory
treatment, by sixteen votes to one. In reporting on the Conferences
held in Brussels, the _Independence Belge_ said, in a leading article:
"Regulation is visibly decaying, and the fact is the more striking
because the country that instituted it (France) is at present the one
that meets it with the most ardent hostility."
CHAPTER 4.
MORE POWER DEMANDED AND OBTAINED.
In 1866 the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell,
determined upon the repeal of Ordinance 12, 1857, in order to
inaugurate "a more vigorous policy of coercion," (says the
Commission's report): "The key note of the new regime was struck by
the Governor's first minute on the subject, dated 20th October, 1866,
in which he wrote he was 'anxious early to introduce to the Council an
amended Brothel Ordinance, conferring _necessarily_ almost despotic
powers on the Registrar General." ... Be it said to the honor of
Attorney General (now Sir Julian) Pauncefote, that in the face of this
he urges the most weighty objections to the policy of "subjecting
persons to fine and imprisonment without the safeguards which surround
the administration of justice in a public and open court." But these
objections were not allowed to

not
completed. A row of shops has been added at the left, over which is a
large Chinese theatre. A respectable Chinese man of literary pursuits
informed us that the theatre was "to attract custom there." A very
broad stairway, scarcely less imposing than the front entrance to the
theatre, leads down into the alley, and to the brothel. The seats for
women in the theatre are reached by a special door leading to this
alley. The heart of this building is approached through "Washington
Place," an alley, at the entrance of which one encounters a sign, "No
White Men Admitted Here, Only Chinese." This notice, which has been
put up at the entrance of Oriental brothels in Chinatown, has been
ordered by the Chief of Police, it is claimed, to prohibit Americans
associating with Orientals in vice, so as to prevent demoralization
and race quarrels. We do not dispute the motive, but the _effect_
is, that those who would work for the rescue of slaves are kept at a
distance, and no one who is likely to make a complaint against abuses
and law-breaking can approach the place without permission from
the police, which gives ample opportunity for getting everything
objectionable out of sight. As far as prevention of the commingling
of the different races is concerned, that may be hindered at certain
points, but American men are on the inside track here, as to making
money through these slaves. The building has been erected and is
owned by Americans, and one man of European name is a partner in the
immediate management of the place. On our first visit to this building
we were informed on reliable information that there were 125 Japanese
an

in giving orders that the law, whatever may be the
consequences to the brothel system, should be strictly enforced so as
to secure the freedom of the women." But he reckoned without his host.
The Secretary of State did not stand by the Governor. So far as the
records show, the Governor and Chief Justice stood alone, his entire
Executive Council taking the opposing side. What was to be done?
CHAPTER 11.
THE MAN FOR THE OCCASION.
Consistency demanded that either the brothel system at Hong Kong
should be abolished, or domestic slavery and so-called "adoption"
should be tolerated. No other courses were open. In his perplexity,
the Governor asked his learned Chinese interpreter, Dr. Eitel, to give
him further light as to this domestic slavery and "adoption" prevalent
among the Chinese. This request was granted in a document entitled
"Domestic servitude in relation to slavery." Dr. Eitel's main points
were:
    Slavery as known to the Westerner "has always been an incident of
    race." "Slavery, therefore, has such a peculiar meaning ... that
    one ought to hesitate before applying the term rashly" to Chinese
    domestic slavery. Slavery in China grows out of the fact that the
    father has all power, even to death, over his family. The father,
    on the other hand, "has many duties as well as rights." Therefore
    his power over his family "is not a mark of tyranny, but of
    religious unity." "Few foreigners have comprehended the extent of
    social equality, ... the amount of influence which woman, bought
    and sold as she is, really has in China,... the depth of dome

true, willingly
    allowed themselves to be sold for some temporary gain; but that
    brothel-keepers should be allowed to enter into such transactions
    is of serious moment. I have myself tried to fix such a case on
    more than one brothel-keeper, but failed to do so, though there
    was no doubt of the transaction, as I held the bill of sale. The
    only mode of action I had under the circumstances was to cancel
    the license of the house. In the interest of humanity, too, it
    might be enacted that any brothel-keeper should be liable to a
    fine for having on his or her premises any child under 15 years of
    age."
This statement as to the increase of slavery under this Ordinance is
just what might have been expected, but it is especially valuable as
made by the Registrar General who knew most about the matter, and it
contains most damaging admissions against himself, for as the Colonial
Secretary, W.T. Mercer, states in a foot-note in the State document
printing the Registrar General's statement: "Surely the bill of sale
here would have been sufficient evidence." It is plainly to be seen
from such statements that after a few efforts to take advantage of
anti-slavery laws at Hong Kong, after a few appeals to the police for
protection and liberty, slave girls would learn by terrible experience
to cease all such efforts. Think of the fate of a girl when thrust
back into the hands of her cruel master or mistress, by the heartless
indifference of the "Protector," after having ventured to go to the
length of producing her bill of sale into slavery. We should remember
these things, when we hear of American officials going through
Chinatown and asking the girls if they wish to com

"
This proposal on the part of Chinese merchants to form such a society
was cordially accepted by officials, and the Governor requested that
two police magistrates, whom he named, the Captain Superintendent of
Police and Dr. Eitel, should draw up a scheme to check kidnaping, in
concert with the Chinese petitioners. This committee met, and decided
that the objects of the "Chinese Society for the Protection of Women
and Children" should he as follows:
    1. The detection and suppression of kidnapers and kidnaping. 2.
    The restoration to their homes of women and children decoyed
    or kidnaped for prostitution, emigration, or slavery. 3. The
    maintenance of women and children pending investigation and
    restoration to their homes. 4. Undertaking to marry or set out in
    life women and children who could not safely be returned home.
At a subsequent meeting of these gentlemen, Mr. Francis, Acting Police
Magistrate, asked the Chinese merchants present, "If there was of late
any special _modus operandi_ observed in the proceedings of kidnapers
differing from what had been observed and known formerly?" To this
the Chinese gentlemen present replied that "there was indeed a mar

world, to live uprightly and justly
    by the work of her own hands,--is she in no danger of this law?
    Lonely and friendless, and poor, is she in no danger of a false
    accusation from malice or from error? especially since under this
    law _homeless_ girls are particularly marked out as just subjects
    for its operation; and if she is accused, what has she to rely on,
    under God, except that of which this law deprives her, the appeal
    to be tried 'by God and my country,' by which it is understood
    that she claims the judicial means of defense to which the law of
    the land entitles her?
    "I will only add that this law has a fatally corrupting influence
    over the male youth of every country where it is in force. It
    warps the conscience, and confuses the sense of right and wrong.
    When the State raises this immoral traffic into the position of a
    lawful industry, superintended by Government officials, what are
    the young and ignorant to think? They cannot believe that that
    which the Government of the country allows, and makes rules for,
    and superintends, is really wrong."
Such measures as these have acquired a foothold in the United States
more than once, but have been driven out again. They are proposed
every year almost, at some State Legislature, and often have been
proposed at several different legislatures during a single year. They
are in operation, to some extent at least, under the United States
flag at Hawaii, in the Philippines, and at Porto Rico. The enforcement
of the Acts must depend to a large extent upon the co-operation of the
male fornicator with the police and officers of the law, and places
good women and girls terribly in the power of malicious or designing
libertines.
It appears from official records, that in Hong Kong, during six months
in 1886-7, out of 139 women denounced by British soldiers and sailors
as having communicated contagion, 102 were on ex

Kong."
    Says Mr. Francis of Ordinance 6 of 1845, "The relations of husband
    and wife, parent and child, guardian and ward, master and servant,
    whatever they may have been when Hong Kong was Chinese, became
    from the date of that Ordinance what English law made them, and
    nothing more or less."
    "But in addition to the declarations of the Common Law," declares
    Mr. Francis, the following are in full force at Hong Kong: "The
    Act of the 5th George IV. c. 113, the Act of the 3rd and 4th
    William IV. c. 73, and the Act 6th and 7th Victoria c. 98, which
    have in the widest terms abolished slavery throughout the British
    dominions." "These Acts declare it unlawful for anyone owing
    allegiance to the British Crown, whether within or without the
    dominions of the Crown, to hold or in any way deal in slaves, or
    to participate in any way in such dealing, or to do any act which
    would contribute in any way to enable others to hold or deal in
    slaves. This simple declaration, if it stood alone, would make
    every act of slave-holding a misdemeanour, but the Acts themselves
    make it piracy, felony, or misdemeanour, as the case may be, to
    do any of the acts declared to be unlawful. These Acts further
    declare that persons holden in servitude as pledges or pawns for
    debt shall, for the purpose of the Slave Trade Acts, be deemed and
    construed to be slaves, or persons intended to be dealt with as
    slaves. Hundreds of persons are held in such servitude as pledged
    or pawned in Hong Kong, and not one of the parties to such
    transactions has ever been proceeded against under these Acts."
    "In addition to the above-mentioned Acts of George, William and
    Victoria, there is also the Imperial Act, entitled The Slave
    Trade Act, 1873, which cons