CO129-058 - Sir Bowring - 1856 [8-10]

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My opinion is that the Government must be told that the Government must deal with its own Criminals, and that it will be a question for his own discretion whether the small neighbouring isle called Middle Island shall be made available as a place for their detention. The requisite outlay should be provided for out of the Revenues of the Colony. It will be the Governor's duty...

Number of Sentences of Transportation and "death recorded" in Hong Kong.

Year Transportation Death 1849 5 1850 44 14 2 23 3 10 4 33 96 Total 225 5

During the first 5 of these years the number of Prisoners in jail ranged from 100 to 200; in the last 2 years it sometimes amounted to 250.

The population of Hong Kong in 1847 was

Europeans 650 Colored 28,850 Total 29,500

The population in 1855 was

Europeans 1,250 Colored 72,650 Total 73,900

[Sir John Bowring has, I believe, shown great alacrity in getting rid of a large surplus and increasing expenditure accordingly; the present service would afford a legitimate demand on any spare funds].

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