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416
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 22nd SEPTEMBER, 1877.
wings are devoted to Chinese and others to Europeans. The Europeans were in separate cells of the sume size as some of those that were occupied by a number of Chinese, so that although when you struck the average you might get 864 cubic feet, yet the space for the majority of the Chinese prisoners was in reality only 200 feet, and in 1876, 190 feet. The question of cubic space as regards the health of the prisoners is a minor one when compared with the effect of association on the habits, character, conduct in gaol, and future life of the prisoners. In one of his reports, the Superintendent of Police remarks that a large proportion of the prisoners who come before my honourable friend here (Mr. MAY) every year are old offenders, and he truly says, this is a serious thing, to which we ought to direct our attention. How are we to deal with such cases? If we have a gaol on the separate system, where the prisoners must do some useful hard work, and where they know there is not the slightest chance of their release before the end of the Judge's sentence except by steady good conduct, if we provide reformatory and industrial training for juvenile criminals, and if we let it be clearly understood that second offences will be punished with a long sentence, that I think will do more to check the growth of crime than anything else we can devise.
We must keep steadily before us, the one great object, to check the growth of crime. If by certain measures we can succeed in reducing crime, and amongst those measures are some which are open to the imputation of being humane, that is no reason for being ashamed of such measures. We must pursue our real object, the stamping out of a criminal class, the protection of life and property,— regardless of the charge that in so doing we give certain offenders, and especially that numerous class here, the little boy criminals, some industrial training.
I shall not to-day give notice of any particular measures. The subject I have brought before you is one of some magnitude, and I trust at a not very distant meeting, within the next few weeks possibly, to have an opportunity of submitting my plans in more detail. Under the Ordinances of this Colony, the Governor in Executive Council has the power of framing regulations for the gaol. The present regulations he can entirely annul if he pleases, and make new regulations if he thinks fit to do so; but this is a subject of very great interest to the whole community, and I desire to have the advice and assistance of the Chief Justice and of the unofficial members of the Legislative Council, who represent property; and therefore I shall not avail myself of the powers of the Ordinances as they exist, but whatever changes I shall ask you to assist me in making I shall lay before the Legislative Commeil and invite your opinion on every branch of such changes. Whatever scheme I shall put before you, I will give you ample notice of, You will read the despatches I now lay upou the table. Some further despatelies will be printed when the Surveyor General has completed his estimate and plans of what alterations are necessary to carry out the separate system. I shall put these before also, and invite your consideration of the whole question.
THE PRAYA.
Hon. I. Lowcock- I wish to ask a question, if your Excellency will allow me, though I think I am rather out of order, but it is on a subject of importance to the Colony, and I think you will allow it should be answered. I refer to the reconstruction of the Praya, or repairs rendered necessary by the typhoon of September, 1874, which have been delayed, I think I may say, in a most unreasonable manner. Last time the subject was mentioned, the Council was informed that the plans had been approved by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and that the means suggested by the Commission for finding the necessary funds had also been approved, and on that occasion this Council was asked to vote for the commencement of the work. I think the Colony is justified in asking why the work has been discontinued. I am not in a positon, of course, to press for an answer at present.
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 22ND SEPTEMBER, 1877. 417
locked harbour like that of Victoria. I have always had the opinion that the plan submitted by myself was fully sufficient to withstand the seas of typhoons, and the proof is that a few sections I built in 1874, and which the Commission that inquired into the matter saw, have proved fully efficient. There they stand, and similar works by my predecessor also stood the typhoon of 1874. Therefore, I do not see that our design can be improved upon, and I have no doubt, when this information reaches the Secretary of State for the Colonics, His Lordship will give his consent to the design as amended.
Hon. H. LowCock thanked His Excellency and the Surveyor-General for the explanation. The Council was then adjourned sine die.
THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS WERE AMONGST THOSE LAID BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE 17TH INSTANT.
The Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon to His Excellency Governor Pope Hennessy.
DOWNING STREET,
20th June, 1877.
SI, I have to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. AUSTIN's despatch No. 75 of the 11th of April, respecting certain matters of Prison Discipline.
proposals as will place the system upon a sound basis for the future.
I rely on you to review the whole question of Prison Discipline in Hongkong; and to make such
despatch, I observe a direction that the practice is to be discontinued of Turnkeys employing prisoners In the letter from the Acting Colonial Secretary, which forms the enclosure to Mr. AGSTIN'S
to cook their meals for them and act as their body servants when their quarters are so situated as to "necessitate the prisoners passing outside of the office gates whereby they are enabled to communicate "with the outside world."
I do not know whether any Turnkeys have their quarters within the office gates. If there are any such, then under this letter they may continue to employ prisoners as their cooks and body servants. I consider that they should not be in any better position than those residing beyond the office gates, and should provide for their wants at their own expense.
If your experience of climate suggests that it would be expedient to provide them with this assistance from public sources, the boon should be applied equally to Turnkeys residing beyond the office gates, and in some form less objectionable on grounds of discipline than prison labour.
I have, &c.,
(Signed,)
CARNARVON.
His Excellency Governor Pope Hennessy to The Right Immurable the Earl of Carnarvon,
GOVERNMENT House,
HONGKONG, 2nd August, 1877.
His EXCELLENCY ---I think ray honourable friend was fully justified in asking the question, and it is certainly one of importance. I had hardly arrived in the Colony when the matter was brought to my notice by the Surveyor General and other members of the Council, and I myself very soon saw its vast importance to the Colony. The consequence was that on reading the papers relating to it, I thought it desirable to telegraph to the Secretary of State to ask for authority to have the Surveyor General at once to proceed with the work. I received an answer that Lord CARNARVON was sending out to me a despatch containing the whole of Sir Jous CoODE's views on the subject, and when they arrived, it would be my duty to put them before the Surveyor General, and move the Surveyor General to make a further report. It was on the 15th June I telegraphed. The despatch has arrived. I lost no tie MY LORD,I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the despatch No. 72 of the 20th of in putting it into the hands of the Surveyor General, and he did not lose a single day in taking up thee, in which your Lordship instructs me to review the whole question of Prison Discipline in case and preparing his rejoinder to Sir Joux Coone's remarks. No doubt that will be again submitted Hongkong, and to make such proposals as will place the system upon a sound basis for the future. to Sir Jos COODE, and I hope by telegraph I may receive instructions to proceed on the modified
Your Lordship will have seen from the despatches noted in the margin, and plan. It would be in order, perhaps, if my honourable friend the Surveyor General would add a few
which crossed the despatch now under reply, that I had already given some attention to the subject.
words.
The SURVEYOR GENERAL-The difference which has existed between my own designs and those of Sir JOHN COODE are due perhaps to a misunderstanding on his part, of course, I speak with due deference to so high an authority on marine engineering,--but he has conceived the opinion that the sea wall is exposed to the full force of the open sea. I have had to study economy and efficiency combined; he has looked only to efficiency, not conceiving the works are to be carried out in a land-
No. 33, 13th Jane, 1877.
», 34, 14th June,
,, 35, 15th June,
38, 15th June.
22
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41, 22nd June,
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,, 43, 22nd June,
44, 23rd June,
55, 6th July,
,58, 8th July,
60, 12th July,
61, 18th July,
64, 18th July,
», 65, 19th July,
173, 28th July,
2
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In one of his despatches, written in the month of September last year, Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY referred to the "serious increase of crime in Hongkong," which, he said, would be indicated in various returns that might have hereafter to be laid before your Lordship. Soon after my arrival in the Colony, in April last, the duty of transmitting the returns in question that is, the Police returns, the Gaol statistics, and the statistics of crime for 1876---devolved upon me.