395
ment is imposed upon persons convicted of certain misdemea-
nours indictable at common Law.
3. It is difficult to find in the law books
any observations showing within what limits the common law
power of imprisonment has been, in practice,kept;but I think,
from the cases, it may be taken to have been (unusually from
one to two years.
4. Now, although the maximum punishment of one
year's imprisonment with hard labour coupled with a fine of
$500, as provided by Section 5 of Ordinance No.3 of 1898, would
seem sufficient in most cases, the Secretary of State truly
"
pointed out in his despatch No.104 of 26th. April, 1898, that
for certain conspiracies punishable by common law, such penal-
ty might be inadequate. The present Ordinance, accordingly, in-
creases the maximum term of imprisonment in such cases to
three years with hard labour.
(sd.) W.MEIGH GOODMAN,
Attorney General.