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No. 7 A.
The Earl of Carnarvon to Governor Pope Hennessy, C.M.G.
(No. 69. Barbados.)
Bir,
Downing Street, October 29, 1875.
I HAVE received Lieutenant-Governor Freeling's despatch No. 100 of the 29th of July, forwarding the Report of the Commission on Convict Labour.
2. I referred this Report to Sir Rawson Rawson for his observations, and I inclose a copy of his reply.
3. You will find from the correspondence in the archives of your office that my predecessor and myself have stated our opinions very fully on the state of the Barbados Gaols; and the question of prison discipline is one which will, no doubt, engage your serious attention. I may add that the correspondence relating to the Barbados Gaols, together with similar correspondence with other Colonial Governments, has been laid before Parliament, and is now in the printer's hands.
I have, &c.
Sir,
No. 7 B.
(Signed)
Mr. Malcolm to Sir Rawson W. Rawson, K.C.M.G.
CARNARVON.
Downing Street, October 29, 1875.
I AM directed by the Earl of Carnarvon to acquaint you that he has read with interest your remarks on the Report of the Labour Commission in Barbados, and I am to convey to you his Lordship's acknowledgments and thanks for your communication.
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I am, &c. (For the Earl of Carnarvon,) (Signed)
W. R. MALCOLM.
No. 8.
Governor Hennessy, C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.-(Received December 14.)
(No. 146. Barbados.) My Lord,
Barbados, November 25, 1875.
IN my despatch No. 145, of even date, your Lordship will see a message, dated 26th October, 1875, to Lieutenant-Governor Freeling, from the late House of Assembly, reporting that a measure had been passed by them for giving effect to the recommenda- tion of the Government that an additional turnkey should be provided for District C Prison.
2. Owing, however, to the dissolution on the 27th of October, that measure did not become law.
3. In another message of the same date, the late House of Assembly referred to the space that was available in the out prisons, which space they suggested might be utilised pending the action of the Legislature on the subject of prison accommodation.
4. On my visit to the Town Hall Prison, on the 2nd of November, I instructed the Provost-Marshal to make out a list for me of such prisoners as he thought it desirable to transfer to the out prisons, só as to relieve the Town Hall prison. Captain Hyde reported that seventeen would be sufficient, and they were accordingly removed.
5. I also inspected the District Prison C, to which some of these prisoners had been sent, and, pending the reintroduction of the measure that had passed the late House of Assembly, I was able to detail a steady corporal of police as an acting turnkey, so that no inconvenience is likely to arise from the temporary delay of legislation on this subject.
6. I have also visited the juvenile prison (District Prison B) and Glendairy Prison : on these and other prisons I inspected I shall report fully
7. Meanwhile, I have much satisfaction in assuring your Lordship that the general prison accommodation is greater than I expected, and the sanitary state of the prisons
No. 5.
65
better, on the whole, than the sanitary state of similar institutions I have an opportunity of examining in larger Colonies.
8. It is due to the local gentlemen in both the legislative bodies, that I should assure your Lordship that they appear sincerely desirous of carrying out whatever suggestions they may receive from Her Majesty's Government respecting the prisons of
I have, &c.
Barbados,
(Signed)
No. 9.
J. POPE HENNESSY.
Governor Hennessy, C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.-(Received December 14.) (No. 155. Barbados.) My Lord,
Barbados, November 29, 1875.
I LAID before my Executive Council your Lordship's despatch No. 69, of the 29th of October, 1875, inclosing a copy of Sir Rawson Rawson's observations on the recent Report of the Commission on convict labour in Barbados.
2. I have already inspected some of the gaols, and the questions of prison accom. modation and prison discipline are engaging my attention.
3. I have already introduced a slight change in the system of prison punishments, which seems to work well; it is the more strict enforcement of penal diet.
4. I found the total number of prison offences rather high, and that they were committed by a comparatively small number of the prisoners, some of whom had been repeatedly flogged.
5. Therefore, as it is my duty to review every sentence of the Visiting Justices, and to confirm or vary them, I have substituted for flogging, solitary confinement on strict penal dict that is, bread and water, and gruel and water, alternately, for short periods (seven days at a time), instead of the system that prevailed here of half rations which included fish, sweet potatoes, plantains, and rice.
6. This seven continuous days of severe penal dict is not imposed without the medical officer's sanction; and he is instructed to keep the prisoners so sentenced under careful observation.
7. The Bill for enlarging Glendairy Convict Prison and modifying the Town Hall Prison has been reintroduced in the new House of Assembly, and I trust it will soon become law. But, probably, the commencement of any enlargement of Glendairy Prison had better wait your Lordship's decision on the general question raised in my despatch No. 149, of equal date, respecting a provision of a convict prison for the Windward Islands.
I have, &c. (Signed)
No. 10.
J. POPE HENNESSY.
Governor Hennessy, C.M.G., to the Earl of Carnarvon.-(Received December 30.) (No, 165, Barbados.) My Lord,
Barbados, December 9, 1875. THOUGH I was able to report by last mail that I had found the general prison accommodation in Barbados greater than I had expected, and the sanitary state of the prisons better, on the whole, than I had observed in some other colonies, I was sorry to be compelled also to report that I found the number of prison offences rather high, and that they were committed by a comparatively small number of prisoners, some of whom had been repeatedly flogged.
2. The Inspector of Prisons, Mr. Watts, has recently reported more than once on the defective gaol discipline in this Colony, and "the necessity for a general reform in the whole prison system of Barbados."
8. My inquiries and observations confirm what Mr. Watts has said on the subject. Indeed, whatever I may be able to report as to the good sanitary state of the prisons, I must not conceal from your Lordship my conviction that there, is very little real prison Ydiscipline in the Barbados gaols.
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