492
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19TH OCTOBER, 1878.
CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE DIETARY SCALE AND
STRUCTURE OF THE HONGKONG PRISON.
Papers laid before the Legislative Council, by Order of His Excellency the Governor, 15th October, 1878.
The Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon to His Excellency Governor Sir Arthur Kennedy, K.C.M.G., C.B.
[No. 99.]
DOWNING STREET,
5th November, 1875. Sru, I have had under my consideration, in relation to the outbreak of February last in the Singapore Gaol, the question of the propriety of subjecting prisoners to what is called "Penal Diet."
The conclusion at which I have arrived is that prisoners at hard labour ought not for any period to be confined to a diet of rice, salt, and water, or bread, salt, and water, as those articles do not, in my judgment, contain the elements of nutrition necessary for the sustenance of prisoners at hard labour; and I have to request that you will arrange for some addition to be made to the list of articles of diet supplied to prisoners during the period in respect of which they are now liable to be subjected to penal diet. The addition need not be otherwise than distinctly moderate and I have to request that you will report to me, after consultation with the chief Medical Officer of your Government in what manner you propose to execute my instructions.
The Officer Administering the Government of
[No. 2.]
HONGKONG.
I have, &c.,
His Excellency Governor Sir Arthur Kennedy, K.C.M.G1, C.B., to the Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon.
CARNARVON.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 3rd January, 1876. MY LORD,I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's Despatch, No. 99, of 5th November, 1875, on the subject of penal diet in the Singapore Gaol.
In reply thereto, I beg to transmit an extract from the Prison Rules at Hongkong, which explain themselves and from which your Lordship will observe that no prisoner is subjected to hard labour while undergoing penal diet. These rules have been in operation since 1872, and have been found to work well, and the general health of the prisoners exceptionally good.
I
may remark that the penal diet proved to be a most deterring punishment to riotous and drunken sailors, with which our Gaol was at one period crowded.
With this exception, I shall defer making any alteration till I receive further instructions from your Lordship.
The Right Honourable
[No. 100.]
THE EARL OF CARNARVON,
I have, &c.,
A. E. KENNEDY, Governor.
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies,
ge.,
&e.,
fc.
The Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon to His Excellency Governor Sir Arthur Kennedy, K.C.M.G., C.B.
DOWNING STREET,
29th July, 1876. SIR,-I have received your Despatch No. 99 of the 7th of June last, reporting that prisoners sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment or uuder are exempt from hard labour and are kept on penal diet, I concur in the reasons which you have adduced in support of this practice, and I should be glad would transmit to me the Report of the Commission which has enquired into the dietary and discipline of the Hongkong Gaol, together with the evidence brought before it.
if
you
Governor Sir A. E. KENNEDY, K.C.M.G., C.B.,
&c.,
$0.,
&c.
I have, &c.,
CARNARVON.
[No. 40.]
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19TH OCTOBER, 1878.
His Excellency Governor Sir Arthur Kennedy, K.C.M.G., C.B.,
to the Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon.
GOVERNMENT House, HONGKONG, 28th February, 1877.
493
MY LORD, With reference to your Lordship's Despatch No. 100 of the 29th July, 1876, I have the satisfaction of being able, on the eve of my departure, to inform your Lordship that the questions connected with the discipline and dietary of Victoria Gaol, Hongkong, have at length been satisfactorily settled, and put, I trust, upon a basis which will eventually result in a material decrease in its inmates. The long delay which has taken place not only in the preparation of the report, but in the final adoption of the regulations and dietary scale, has been owing to the thorough and exhaustive manner in which the Commission prosecuted its enquiries in the first instance, and to the desire by which the Executive was animated to allow every variety of opinion in matters of detail to be thoroughly ventilated and weighed before finally reducing to a system the suggestions recommended by individual members of the Commission.
With these remarks I will leave the report of the Commission, together with the evidence taken by it, and the code of regulations and scale of dietary finally adopted by the Executive in your Lordship's hands.
I have, &c.,
The Right Honourable The EARL OF CARNARVON,
Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies.
$o.,
$o.,
$0.
A. E. KENNEDY, Governor.
*The Report of the Commission, together with the Regulations and Dietary Scale as approved by the Executive, appeared in the Government Gazette of 10th March, 1877, Vol. XX111, p. 116.
The Right Honourable The Earl of Carnarvon to His Excellency Governor Pope Hennessy, C.M.G.
[No. 45.]
DOWNING STREET,
7th May, 1877.
SIR-I have received Sir A. KENNEDY'S Despatch No. 40 of the 28th of February, forwarding the Report of a Commission appointed to inquire into the discipline and dietary of the Victoria Gaol, together with a Code of Regulations recommended by the Commission.
2. I do not gather from Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY'S Despatch what action the Hongkong Government has taken in regard to the Code of Regulations which has been drawn up by the Commission. I shall assume that those Regulations have not yet been promulgated and that it is therefore open to me to comment on them fully with a view to their amendment before promulgation.
3. But first with regard to the Report of the Commission itself I have to observe that while I agree in the view that the dietary has hitherto been excessive, experience leads me to be cautious in adopting reductions in face of adverse professional opinion. The fact that the diet of a prisoner is better than that of a free labourer is not necessarily a conclusive proof that it is excessive. The diet of the free labourer may be more ample than is strictly necessary. The human frame may be able to sustain itself on less food when the man is free, thau in the depressing circumstances of impri- sonment. A Government incurs a grave responsibility if it reduces men to so low a condition that an outbreak of epidemic evil find them an easy prey to its ravages. Altogether the question is surrounded with so many hygienic and medical difficulties, that in examining the question for yourself I have no doubt you will exercise great caution.
4. I am not disposed to disagree with the criticisms of the Committee on the subject of Prison Labour, and, as at present advised, I concur in their recommendation that the eight cranks now in store should be put up and made use of.
5. If it is thought desirable to introduce a tread-wheel, one can be procured through the Crown Agents, and sent out to the Colony, with instructions how to put it together and use it.
6. The Committee seem to have considered the question of the reconstruction of the Gaol upon
the separate system beyond the scope of their enquiries, though expressing an opinion in favour of the plan.
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 Singapore Prison is a warning of the have to request that will danger of affording Chinese prisoners an opportunity to combine.
you
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.
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