PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O.
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3 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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4. But I may say here that large amendments are still required in the criminal law of this island, and I would have undertaken, during the period when I have been acting Attorney-General, to introduce such amendments, had I not been restrained by the intimation that a penal code, intended to apply to all the Colonies, was in course of preparation in England.
5. With regard to the Return compiled by the Registrar of the Supreme Criminal Court of cases disposed of by the Supreme Criminal Court, I may observe in explanation of the number of acquittals, that in this island there is no grand jury, and the Attorney-General, as public prosecutor, in filing indictments, is guided entirely by the depositions taken before the stipendiary magistrates. Having the sole responsibility of deciding upon proceeding with the prosecution, I have often thought it advisable, whenever there appeared to be a sufficient primâ fucie case against the accused, to put him upon his trial rather than to have any imputation of partiality cast on the administration of public justice. In the greater number of such acquittals, the evidence adduced at the trial and almost always not given before the committing magistrate, either so preponderated in favour of the accused as to insure his acquittal, or created such a reasonable doubt of his guit as to prevent a conviction. I have no reason to be dissatisfied with the verdicts of the juries of this island in criminal cases. As Acting Attorney-General during six months of the year now under report, I am in a position to state that the number of acquittals during that period is below the average of former years.
6. When I consider that the population of this island is constantly being increased by immigration, I do not think that, on the whole, the criminal statistics of Trinidad contrast unfavourably with other countries, The number of murders is not large, taking into consideration the Asiatice element which we have in the population. five out of six murderers being Indian immigrants and Chinese. The offences against property are of the usual type of larencies in all countries, and present here no particular feature requiring special notice. Offences against the person seem the most prevalent of the crimes which have occupied the attention of the Supreme Civil Court, notwith- standing that an Ordinance was passed in the year 1866—" For rendering the punish- ment of offences against the person more severe."
7. This Report, so far as my views are concerned, is limited to the period of the last six months in the year 1873, during which time I was acting Attorney-General.
I have, &c.
M. MAXWELL PHILIP,
Acting Attorney-General.
(Signed)
Acting Governor Bushe,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Inclosure 2 in No. 6.
Report of the Inspector of Prisons for the Year ending 31st December, 1873.
Office of Inspector of Prisons, April 13, 1874. BY Clause 100 of the New Gaol Regulations, a yearly Report is now required from the Inspector of Prisons, which formerly was furnished by the Superintendent.
Sir,
This Report should be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary in the mouth of January in each year, but partly owing to the changes which have taken place in the Department, and partly to other causes, I have not been able this year to comply with this requirement.
I have also, as a matter of convenience, embodied with this report that which is required from me for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and referred to in your letter of the 17th October last.
I have made allusion to certain changes which have Recently taken place in the Department, and this affords 'me the opportunity of referring to the most important of then the removal of the late Superintendent of Prisons, Mr. Sealy, from the post he held in this Island to take charge of the Convict Settlement of Massaroni, in the neigh- bouring Colony of British Guiana.
The fact that Mr. Sealy was selected for this post, shows the high esteem in which he is held by Her Majesty's Government, and any eulogium on my part may be deemed superfluous, but I should consider that I had failed in my duty were 1 not to express my firm conviction that by the removal of Mr. Sealy to Demerara, this Colony has lost the services of an officer eminently fitted to carry out the duties of the office he
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held, and from whose firmness of character and long experience much good had already ensued, and more was fairly to be expected in the Department of which he had the contról.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary.
LIONEL M. FRASER, Inspector of Prisons.
REPORT..
Discipline Officers.
During the year ending 31st December, 1873, nine turnkeys were dismissed, and three resigned.
Eighty reports in all were made against turnkeys during the same period for neglect of duty or misconduct.
In sixty nines cases fines (mostly of trifling amount) were inflicted; the other eleven cases were met by reprimands.
Two matrons resigned during the year. There were in all six reports against matrons. In four cases fines were inflicted; in the other two cases reprimands were considered sufficient.
Altogether I am able to report that the general conduct of the officers, both male and female has been satisfactory; it appears to me, however, that the turnkeys would be more amenable to discipline if, like the police of the Colony, they were under a special Code of Laws. Under the present system they are too independent, being able to give up their situations when they choose. I would suggest, as a remedy for this state of things, that they should be enrolled into the police force, and thus brought under the provisions of Ordinance No. 7 of 1868.
/
I would also recommend that quarters for at least two-thirds of their number should be provided within the walls of the goal, and that they should be obliged to reside therein.
State of the Buildings.
The whole of the buildings are in good order; all minor repairs, lime washing, painting, &c., are executed (from time to time as they become needed) by prison labour.
During the year a new ration room was built at the Royal Gaol, and most of the cells on the upper floor of the old prison divided so as to make separate cells. A system of lighting has also been introduced, by which the inmates of the different cells can now be kept continually under the supervision of the officers on duty during the night, which is a very great improvement.
At the Chaguanas Convict Depôt, a new ward was completed during the year, containing 26 separate cells, and another ward containing 32 separate cells was nearly ready for use on 31st December.
General Rules and Regulations.
The old rules remained in force up to the 31st December, but as far as practi- cable the discipline of the gaôl was carried out in accordance with the spirit of the new rules which were to come into operation on 1st January, 1874.
Economy and Expenditure.
The expenditure of the gaol has been carefully controlled, and under the very efficient system of check, introduced by the late Superintendent, and which is carried out by his successor, I believe that waste and extravagance have been reduced to a minimum, if not entirely abolished.
The total cost of the establishment during the year (including saluries) was And as a set-off against this, the prisoners carvings amounted to
Balance debt of Onol
..
£
$. d.
7,083 3 0
3,964 0 0
3,069 3 0
The estimated amount of salaries, allowances, &c., for 1873 was 3,2101., so that the prisoners may fairly be considered to have earned their own maintenance.