subject to Sir J. Brooke the
it
"He
I also
Governor was expatiating Lord
"" the said that unless it was that Governor Bonham had
Grey
proposed that Chinese Convicts should be transported from Hong Kong to Labuan, he. Sir
J. Brooke recommended
Adoption
the
the measure as
likely to be advantageous to the "Settlement, & more economical
"than the labor at present
employed.
on receipt of this
despatch Grey & Gov. Labuan.
6. May.
1850.
despatch Grey directed Sir J. Brooke to report that he lay under apprehension of providing for the
safe custody of the Convicts at Labuan, for their superintendence & for the various incidental services necessary to control & direct the labor of the prisoners, of how far those objects could be secured without entailing
a larger amount of expenditure than the Settlement would be able to afford.
At the same
time his Lordship enquired of Governor Bonham how many
L. Grey to Gov. Bonham.
L' Grey 16 May /50
Page 134
Convicts he formally would have occasion to send annually to
Labuan
Gov. Bonham to Lord Grey
22 July. No by Governor Bonham and that
the number would probably
750
not exceed thirty
annum. It may be added that the maintenance
of each Convict at Hong
Kong
1. 8. & with the bedding
& other expenses attending them Not less
life than £7, 10 per annum. To Lord Grey's queries Gov. of Labuan (for Sir J. Brooke)
replied 6 May. 28 June. 50
Sir
stated distinctly that he considered Labuan to be
benefited by being made a station for Chinese Convicts from Hong Kong, but that
he should wish the number at first to be limited to 100 prisoners in order gradually to try the practical effect of the arrangement.