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opinion that statistics demonstrated the deterrent effect of flogging.
mittee's
recommen-
The possibility of repressing prædial larceny Grenada by legislative action, was considered by local Com- committees in Grenada and Dominica. The Grenada committee was not in favour of dations. increased severity of punishment, but recom- 29056,02. mended a number of minor amendments in the Cocoa and Nutmegs Ordinance, 1896 (No. 21 of 1896), designed to increase the facilities for detection and to reduce the cost of proceedings under the Ordinance. No action seems to have been taken upon this report.
In Dominica a committee, consisting mainly Dominica
Committee. of planters, was appointed in 1902, and pro- ceeded to hear evidence and consider recom- mendations. "It soon became apparent that Adminis- "there was a great divergence of views respect- trator "ing the repressive measures which should be Bell to
adopted. There were many advocates of strong of State. "methods, and public opinion seemed much No. 8. "divided as regards the use of the 'cat' for the February 46 punishment of habitual thieves. Differences 19th, 1904.
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45 arose among the members of the Committee; "the matter began to lose interest; and finally, after several ineffectual attempts to secure a definite expression of opinion from "members, the Chairman'was obliged to inform me that he despaired of being able to present " a practical report. The notes of evidence and reports of meetings were placed in my hands "and the Committee virtually ceased to exist." The Administrator then took the matter up, and finally induced the members of the Committee to agree unanimously to the following recom- mendations :—
Secretary
8692 04.
(1) That the provisions of the Cocoa, Coffee, Recom- Lime, and Spice Growers' Protection Act menda-
(No. 6 of 1887), should be more stringently tions. enforced.
(2) That the legal machinery for dealing with prædial larceny should be made more expeditious.
(3) That compromises with thieves by the owners of stolen produce should be for- bidden and penalized. (The Administra-
tor laid especial stress on this practice of
compromising, "which, I am inclined to
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think, lies at the root of the whole trouble.")
(4) That after a third conviction, an offender should be sent on for trial before the Supreme Court.
(5) That the law against trespass should be
made more stringent.
(6) That the official supervision over cocoa
dealing should be more complete.
The Secretary of State approved these recom mendations, but there has been, as yet, no fresh legislation on the subject.
West India Committee suggests a
Con- ference. 19681/04.
5
In June, 1904, the West India Committee suggested that a local West Indian Conference (on the lines of the successful Quarantine Conference), should be summoned to consider the question. "It would appear" they wrote, "that there has "been no abatement of this praedial larceny, "and that in many Colonies this form of crime "is on the increase. Mr. Lyttelton, in reply, promised to "bear this suggestion in mind in case a suitable opportunity should arise for taking action upon it hereafter."
26
It was at one time proposed that the subject should be discussed at the West Indian Agri- cultural Conference held at Port of Spain in January, 1905, but the project fell through.
The references to enactments affecting praedial larceny given in Miscellaneous No: 135 require supplementing, and in one instance correcting.
JAMAICA.
See references above to the Produce Protection Law (No. 15 of 1901), and Vagrancy Law (No. 12 of 1902).
TRINIDAD.
The provisions relating to corporal punishment have been amended by Ordinances 12 and 35 of 1902. Persons under 16 are, in future, when sentenced to corporal punishment, to be whipped (the previous limit of age was 18); the maxi- mum number of strokes is 12, or for offenders under 12 years of age, six. No offender may be whipped more than once for the same offence. When a Magistrate sentences an offender to be flogged he must send his notes of evidence to the Governor, who remit the sentence, or order it to be reduced to whipping, though the offender is above 16 years of age.
may
BRITISH GUIANA,
Ordinance No. 40 of 1902 amends the law as to corporal punishment, making the maximum for adults 24 strokes, and for juveniles 12 strokes, whether for a single offence or for combined offences of which an offender is convicted at one trial.
LEEWARDS.
The Dominica Act No. 6 of 1887, establishes a system of licensing dealers in agricultural produce in that Presidency. This enactment is similar to those in force in Jamaica and Trinidad.
CEYLON.
The law as to corporal punishment has been amended by Ordinance No. 3 of 1904, which makes the maximum, for persons above sixteen,