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Military Assistant.
General Gordon has effected a great improvement in the Gaol discipline since he has been in charge, and it would be a loss to the Public Service were he to resign his appointment, as he contemplates doing. Indeed, there does not seem to have been any organized attempt to enforce discipline before his arrival.
A number of Chinese and Portuguese employees have been dismissed by him as it was found that they supplemented their pay by selling opium and tobacco and other luxuries to the prisoners. One consequence of the introduction of discipline has been a violent assault on the Superintendent, to which he refers in his annual report.
In the evidence taken before the Committee of the Executive Council to enquire into allegations of bribery of the Police Force, it will be found stated (pages 89 and 135) that the present Governor of the gaol is not liked by the criminal classes; he is too severe; that he is a terror, and they all dread him.
Should the decision of the Treasury be adverse to General Gordon, it will be necessary to send someone out from home to replace him when he leaves, as there is no one here whom I could recommend.