(Enclosure 6.)
RETURN of PRISONERS confined in VICTORIA GAOL on the 14th April, 1886.
Europeans. Indians.
Chinese.
Total.
Sentenced to Penal Servitude of 5 Years and upwards,...
5
2
142
149
Sentenced to Penal Servitude of 3 Years and under 5
Years,
I
44
45
Sentenced to 2 Years and under 3 Years,
1
39
40
Sentenced to 1 Year and under 2 Years,..
60
64
Sentenced to 6 Months and under 12 months,.
114
120
Sentenced to 3 Months and under 6 Months,
12
103
115
Sentenced to 1 Month and under 3 Months,
14
110
126
Sentenced to less than 1 Month,
5
19
24
On Remand, for Trial, &c.,
42
44
For Debt,
:
TOTAL...
51
4
677
732
(Enclosure 7.)
Statement of Dr. Ayres.
Saturday 17th April, 1886.
Present: All Members of the Commission, except
Honourable ALFRED LISTER.
Dr. AYRES, I have been Surgeon to the Gaol since November, 1873.
I think the punishment diet in the Gaol could well be reduced from 1 b. of un- cooked rice to 3 lb. of uncooked rice.
Persons committed to prison in default of finding security get full diet: that could be reduced.
I think it could be reduced to 1 tb, uncooked rice.
In India for all petty offences whipping is allowed varying from 5 to 20 strokes of the rattan on the breech.
The ordinary Chinaman is as well able to bear whipping as the Indian. All sentences of whipping are subject to the opinion of the Medical Officer that the offender is able to bear it. It worked well all the time I had to do with prisoners in India.
We never had or heard of any trouble in connection with whipping.
I have recommended whipping here for petty offences.
Separate or Solitary confinement is a severe punishment for Chinamen.
There has been no trouble with respect to the health of the men sentenced to soli- tary or separate confinement.
I am not aware that whipping in India has been abolished.
I have not gone into the several methods of Chinese punishments and I cannot say whether there are any which could be introduced here.
The separate system would I think be the most severe kind of punishment for Chinamen.
I do not think you can do without whipping.
Separate confinement reduces the man.
I
In England you have. often to relieve the prisoner from solitary confinement. think for the identification of prisoners and those sent back to China more recourse should be had to photography and perhaps a small tatoo mark in some place where it would not be easily seen, the inside of the arm for instance.
155