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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 10TH MARCH, 1877.
123
The Superintendent is of opinion that the class of men employed as Turnkeys should be improved. Very few of the present staff can write, which is certainly objectionable, as they cannot make entries in the Log and other books with their own hands. Mr. TOMLIN is of opinion that the salaries should be raised, and has sent in a body of suggestions to the Committee. As the enquiry involved a comparison with the pay of Police Officers, which is entirely beyond the question submitted to the Committee, they have contented themselves with laying Mr. TOMLIN'S statement before His Excellency.
DRY EARTH SYSTEM.
The Superintendent and Warden have called the attention of the Committee to the vitiated state of the air in It is not easy to suggest a the wards in the early morning caused by the stench proceeding from the night buckets. complete remedy as there is great difficulty in procuring mould in Hongkong. The soil of the island, a sort of laterite or desintegrated granite, does not absorb the urine so well or deodorise it so thoroughly as mould. The great point, however, seems to be that the earth of whatever kind (except clay) should be dry and well sifted; when mixed with a small quantity of the common carbolic acid it would, it is believed, mitigate the nuisance.
PENAL SERVITUDE AND IMPRISONMENT WITH HARD LABOUR SENTENCES.
The Supreme Court has at present power to sentence a prisoner to two years' imprisonment with hard labour, or Penal Servi- to penal servitude for any period not under 3 years. But under the present Gaol system the words “ tude" in the sense which they bear in England as implying progressive stages of imprisonment and punishment have no meaning.
Long sentence prisoners after undergoing 6 months of penal diet and hard labour are for the residue of their term in many cases put to light labour such as cooking, service, washing, mat-making, and go through no real course of penal labour.
The Committee are strongly of opinion that prisoners condemned to penal servitude should, during the whole term of their sentences, pass periods on penal diet of at least 5 days every month and in the case of previous convie- tions 10 days a month, and that such prisoners should be kept to real hard labour for at least 3 years of their sentence. (Mr. TONNOCHY dissents).
It is also recommended that the Ordinance No. 4 of 1863 be amended to meet the proposed alterations in the Regulations, and that the shortest term of Penal Servitude be increased to 5 years and of imprisonment with hard labour to 3 years if the distinction between the two is to be kept up, the advantages of which are doubtful.
It would certainly be desirable that the Judges should know more exactly to what amount and kind of punish- mnt they are sentencing a prisoner and if the distinction between imprisonment with hard labour and penal servitude be preserved they should be more clearly defined.
During the course of the enquiry the attention of the Committee was called particularly by the Colonial Secretary to the subject of cutting off "queues" of Chinese prisoners.
By the present regulations, except on grounds of health and cleanliness, the "queues" of those prisoners only on whom sentences of 2 years and upwards have been passed are cut.
The Committee recommend that the rule at present existing be retained and that the "queues" of prisoners sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment with hard labour and upwards be removed, but be allowed to grow for 6 months previous to a prisoner's discharge from Gaol.
In the case of 2nd convictions for 6 months or more up to 1 year, it is recommended that the "queue" should be cut off or not at the discretion of the Judge or Magistrate before whom the case is tried, such discretion to be em- bodied and to form part of the sentence.
The Committee strongly recommend that the photographing of prisoners be carried out more carefully. photographs are now taken in the Police Station, and are not well executed.
The
The evidence shows that under the present abundant diet, Chinese prisoners alter so much between the conviction and trial that identification is difficult. And identification is still more difficult when prisoners return to Gaol a second or third time, and the recollection goes back to the appearance of the prisoner at the time of trial.
The Committee think that great advantage would be derived from causing the prisoners to be photographed twice-once on admission and a second time on leaving the Gaol.
The Committee recommend that prisoners convicted for a second and third time be distinguished by a coloured sleeve, or some other apparent difference in their dress.
suce
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C. F. A. SANGSTER, Secretary to Commission.
work I hour night
VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 21st April, 1876
(Singned,)
F. SNOWDEN, Chairman.
(
}
C. MAY.
}
P. RYRIE.
)
W. M. DEANE.
)
M. S. TONNOCHY.
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