98
of their sentence.
14.
The number of those who petition for the favor of release on such conditions, sensibly diminished, because there is now strict enforcement of those conditions, and the risk of discovery on return have been proved by experience to be real dangers. The effect however continues, and the great object, which from the first I stated was my aim, namely, to leave the Authorities of the neighboring Provinces to deal with the criminal classes of those districts, instead of throwing a large portion of them on the hands of the Authorities here, has already been in some measure attained.
15.
As from the first I personally had no doubt that by improving the Police, and by rendering prison labor really deterrent, as well as by devising means for preventing the continual return to Hongkong of confirmed criminals, I could greatly diminish the number of prisoners; I took upon myself last October the responsibility of closing the old Jail at Stone Cutters Island, and abandoning the new and extensive Gaol then completed there - a policy, which has been attended with the most gratifying results, not merely in diminishing crime by bringing all prisoners under a uniform system of surveillance and discipline, but also because the Colony has since had the advantage of ...