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instance of a long sentence man being convicted again. Mr. Badeley states that in his opinion the least sentence for
crimes of violence should be 7 years. By this he means, no doubt, such crimes as at present are generally punished by 3 or 4 years sentences, being convictions for armed robbery or rob- -bery with violence without extenuating circumstances. The
Chief Justice, who is engaged on a revision of the Laws, has,
however, submitted a Bill for the abolition of minimum penalti-
-es in order to bring the Law of this Colony into harmony with
the tendency of Imperial Legislation. In these circumstances I
am not prepared to support the proposal for a legal minimum
term of imprisonment, though I share the Captain Superintend-
-ent of Police's views as to the advisability of long sentences
in the class of cases to which I have referred.
2.
One of my predecessors minuted in
this connection, that in view of the influx of criminals from
China into this Colony, "the reform of the criminal is no part
of our duty". That view was probably justified in the circums-
-tances of the time when it was written, but the great changes
which have taken place, and are now taking place in China, have
in my opinion rendered the adoption of a wore liberal-minded
policy both possible and politically advisable. Co-operation
with