little less than in the coverponding mouths preceding my arrival.
6.
No friction
was taken to
the mode in which I had carrień
out the deportation Roinances;
was
屁做
remark made about
any remark
the number of prisoners in Gaol
What this time.
1876.
لية
compared with
I have the honor to be
Bir Your Most Obedient
"Stumble Servant Servant
THE DAILY
THE GAOL..
20-
His EXCELLEvcr-Now, gentlemen, at the last meeting of Council I referred to a sugges- tion of the Chief Justice about the prison and the prison rules, and I then told you it would be my duty to lay before you information which would put you in possession of the requirements of the Secretary of State. Well, I have done that, and in writing to the Secretary of State I told. him that this dispatch which he had sent he did not instruct me to lay it before the Legistative Council, but I said" though you have not instructed | me to lay the dispatch before the Legislative Coun. ail I bave ventured to do so, as I am at all times; most anxious to ascertain, by the full expression of opinion in public Council, the views of those who represent so important á section of the com- munity as the gentlemen I refer to." I may say that in the dispatch I wrote to Sir Michael Hicks-Beach reporting the fact that I had Jaid his dispatch before the Council, I said that my hon. friend on the right (Mr. Keswick) to whom I mentioned in August its gonerul scope and who had a conversation on the subject with Mr. Priceand my hon. friend on the left (Mr. Lowcock}, who also had a conversation with Mr. Price about it, both entortained doubts as to whether it was judicious to spend much money on gaol extension in this Colony. My friend on the right (Mr. Keswick) did not think it, was right to spend much money in that way, and he sug gestel an alternative scheme which if carried out he thought might do away with the necessity. However that may be, I think it only rospectful to my hon. friends that they should have laźd bofore them the first dispatch of Lord Carnarvon and the dispatch of Sir Michael Hicks-Beach. They have been in the bands of hou, members since the 15th October and I have no doubt my hon. friends have carefully considered them, and I should be glad to elicit a full and frank expression of opinion on the sub. jeet. I am sorry my hon, friend Mr. Price is not here to-day because he would have given us some important information, but with- out myself entering into the matter or ticipating what you may say I think it but right to inform you what the basis of our consideration ought to be. In the first place Her Majesty's Government say we must have a gaul on the separate system. Then comes the question how many prisoners ought we to accommodate in the gaol here. Now taking this time in the last year of Sir Arthur Kennedy's administration, that is, November, 1876, as a period which we may fairly look to as giving as a fair average of the number we ought to provide for in the gaol, I find a memoran- dum of Mr. Tomlin in which he says, in November, 1876, that owing to the very large number of prisoners confined in the gaol, 574, it became necessary to increase the number of prisoners in each cell, putting nine in each of the large cells and seven in the small ones. Mr. Tomlin also favoured me in May, 1877, with a return of the whole cubic space of the colls in which these prisoners were confined, and the re sult is that in the large cells, where usually there were seven prisoners, but where in 1876 there had been nine, there were 184 cubic feet for each nuan,
In the other cells it amounted to 221 feet for each man. Inow speak of Chinese prisoners only. The European prisoners have larger calls, that is, there is a much smaller number in the cell; indeed, as a general rule, sach prisoner has a cell to himself. Now, the question is, if we are to have anything like that number, 574 prisoners, whether it is right to crowd them so much into the cells that we should: have only 221 or 184 cubic feet for each man. Her Majesty's Government have over and over again said yon must have at last u thousand cubic feet of breathing space for each man, and I find in a very valuable report supplied by Deputy Inspector-General Wells and Dr. O'Brien, thongh the precise object of their in- quiry was of a different character, they refer in- cidentally and for reasons which you will under. stand, to the space in each cell and they express the opinion that the average space in the cells of our prison is not sufficiently large. Taking the Europeans and Chinese throughout the whole of the gaol in regard to their space they find the allowance is from 482 to 775 cubic feet. This is the general average, which includes Europeans. The figures they gave, 482 and 775, were the
? 12rm, 1878.
figures given by Dr. Ayros. He made a subso- quent minute that these were the average of the whole guel, including the Europeans, but taking Chinese alone of course it is much smaller. The commissioners, who have most recently reported on the gaol, express a decided opinion we should have from a thousand to twelve hundred enbic feet per man. Lord Carnarvon, writing Ito me shortly after I arrived, said I consider the separate system to be the only true basis of prison discipline, and among Chinese prisoners there are very special reasons for its adoption. It is mentioned in the report that few of the warders know Chinese, and the terrible outbreak in the Singapoge prison is a war- ning of the danger of affording Chinese an opportunity to combine. I have to request that you will at once call on the Surveyor- General to draw out plans for consideration showing the alterations that would be requisite and the surrounding ground and buildings." Well, you are aware, gentlemen, I did that. I made an effort also to get rid of our old Well, offenders by a transportion scheme. it did not succeed. Her Majesty's Govern- ment do not see the way clear to that at present, and no hope is held out that it will be lone ultimately. Then comes the important dispatch of sir Michael Hicks-Beach of the 5th June, 1878. He puts the whole case very briefly in the last two paragraphs. He says---
to
he
"In many respects I am ufopinion that the erection of a new prison on afhewkif will be found to be the best solution of the question; but the expense which it would involve would doubtless be very great, and it will be for you to inquire carefully into the fancia! conditions of the various schemes which I have sug gosted. The main elements for consideration appear roughly, on the one hand, the cost of acquiring additional land in the vicinity of the present alte and of converting the present buildings and erecting those which will be required in addition; and on the other hand, the cost of a new site and the cost of a new pri- son; against which should be set the aromat that would be derived from the sale of the present site and buildings. I need soureely say that, in the event of its being decided to erect a wholly new gaol, it would be undesirable to spend money on enlarging or con- verting the present building,
"In the foregoing remarks it has been my object to set before you what I conceive are the chief ele ments of the question for consideration, and before I arrive at a final decision cu matter in which the assistance of specific local knowledge is so matorial, I shall be happy to receive from you a report upon the comparative cost of the several proposals, and apon the sites which seem to you suitable for a new gaol, together with such further suggestions as yon may desire to offer after consulting Mr. Price." He there instructs me to consult with Mr. Prive before making my final recommendation. Well. in addition to consulting Mr. Price, I am very anxious to consult with you and hear your riews on the subject. The financial ques. tion is of very great importance. I men- tioned to my hon. friend on the right (Mr. the cost of Koswick) in August last that the ground from the present gaol up to Caine- rond-I think it was something like $45,000 I said we would have to pay for that alternative scheme as regards the land, but I have reason to believe we might have to pay a considerably larger sum. On the other hand, if it is possible for the Government to adopt a site for which we should have to pay no money and sell a portion of our present gaol site, I think it not at all unlikely we might be able to build a gaol for considerably less than if we were to carry ont So I the plan of advancing up to Caino-road. would ask you to consider this question. If we 10 up to Caine-road and the population of the Colony continues to increase, if we have a popu- lation of say 300,000 or 400,000, what becomes You will have of the gaol in Caine-road ? built a gaol to accommodate a certain number. but you cannot go on extending it. On the other hand, you might get a site where the Gaol could be extended as required. These, I think, gentlemen, are considerations which it is my duty to put before you, and I shall be very glad now to hear the members of the Council, either official or non-official, express their views on this subject.
Hou. W. KRSWICK-Your Excellency, I was not aware that this subject was to be brought. forward to-day, and I am not prepared at once. to The state all the views I entertain upon it. objectious which I have previously expressed are not in any way lessoned by any statement
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