PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference
TTIC.O. 882
لسلة سيلتا
4PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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average of these 25 cells, containing on the whole 129 prisoners, was 260 cubic feet space for each prisoner.
11. In reply to a question on the subject, the Superintendent informed me that some In November 1876, when there months ago these cells had been still more crowded. were 574 prisoners in the Hong Kong gaol, nine prisoners were then put into each of the four largest cells of ward A 2 and seven into the smaller ones.
This allowed only 190 cubic feet for those confined in cells Nos. 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23'; only 170 cubic feet for each of the seven prisoners in cell No. 1; and 165 cubic feet for the nine prisoners in cell No. 25.
12. As I had visited the gaol about 4 o'clock on Saturday, the Chinese prisoners were then confined in these cells, and had been for about half an hour before my visit. Usually they are in the yards at shot drill or other hard labor for 8 hours each day, and then they are confined 12 hours in the cells till next day. They never work outside the prison.
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13. In the Ward immediately over Ward A 2 I found a few cells in which there were only 243 cubic feet of space for the prisoners then in confineinent. I enclose for Your Lordship's information a copy of the Acting Superintendent's Memorandum on this Ward,
Ward A 3.
14. Many of the prisoners, especially in Ward A 2 where there were 68 old offenders out of a total of 129 in that Ward, looked sullen, and some of them presented an appear- ance of desperation. They looked like men subjected to the constant strain of punish- ment, without experiencing any attempt at reformation.
15. On looking through the gaol returns for the last three years I found that the number of previously convicted prisoners was steadily increasing. On the general question of the increase of crime of late years in this Colony I shall address Your Lordship in another despatch, but meanwhile I cannot conceal my impression that the mode of dealing with the Chinese prisoners has in some respects tended to perpetuate a criminal class instead of to diminish it.
16. Undoubtedly a serious experiment has been tried in the Hong Kong gaol. Your Lordship and Your Lordship's predecessors have over and over again laid down the doctrine that the repression of crime depends on two things, each of which is essential— that is, measures of mixed reformation and due severity." In Hong Kong, however, one of these elements of prison treatment has alone been adopted. No attempt whatever is made to reform a Chinese prisoner or improve his moral condition. And this exists with all the evils of the associated system.
17. In Sir Arthur Kennedy's despatch, No. 40, of the 28th February, 1877, he en- closed the report of the gaol committee dated 21st April, 1876. The reasons set forth by that committee for the exceptional system established in Hong Kong are as follows:
"Owing to the peculiar circumstances of this Colony, and the fact that by far the "larger proportion of the criminals confined in the gaol are Chinese, whose language is " but little known to those who have charge of them, whose characters and dispositions "are imperfectly understood, and of whose previous history and lives it is almost im possible to obtain any knowledge, any attempt to cultivate their higher faculties and "to improve their moral condition seems hopeless."
18. Though I cannot agree with the Gaol Committee that any attempt to improve the moral condition of the Chinese prisoners seems hopeless, yet it must be admitted they are correct in saying that the language of these prisoners is but little known to those who have charge of them, and that their character and dispositions are imperfectly understood by the gaol officials. Indeed, so far as I could see, the prison staff seemed to be totally ignorant of any mode of influencing the Chinese prisoners, except by mechanical restraint and the infliction of bodily pain. But in spite of these difficulties I do not despair of yet getting some little element of reformation mixed with the due severity of the prison life.
19. The questions of prison dietary, prison labour, and the use of the lash (which seems to be excessive in this Colony) are all referred to in the report of the Gaol Com- mittee which Sir Arthur Kennedy laid before Your Lordship. As I do not concur in all the views of that committee I shall take an early opportunity of submitting for Your Lordship's approval some modifications in the system they recommend.
I have, &c. (Signed) J. POPE HENNESSY,
The Right Hon. The Earl of Carnarvon,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Governor.
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Memo. of the prisoners confined in Ward A 3 on Saturday the 19th instant, also of the cubic contents of the cells.
Names or No. of the Occupants of the Cell
No. 1 Cell.
-
Kwok a Ping Fung & Pat Chun & Tuck Wong a Cheung Ip & Hin
No. 2 Cell.
Yin a Ng Mok a Fo China Wong Lana Wai
Li & Sin Pun & Sin Wong a Hoi
Bentance.
1,215 fost.
1,800 feet.
1,786 feet.
1,760 feet.
1,295 feet.
1,955 feet.
1,255 feet.
1,255 feet.
958 feet.
1,898 feet.
Cahie Mesurement.
Name or Nos. of the Occupants of the Call.
Benten.os.
Cable Measurement.
No. 11 Cell
-
8 years P.S.
*
1,810 feet.
Five Chinese
8
8
No. 12 Cell.
#
6 months HL
Five Chinese
6
"
#
No. 18 Cell
Three Chinese
6 months H.L 1,411 feet.
No. 14 Cell.
Five Chinese
"
H
No. 15 Cell.
19
"
Five Chinese
·
"
Cheng Sing
"
"
No. 16 Cell.
No. 8 Cell,
Three Chinese
12 months H.L. 1,860 feet.
No. 17 Cell.
6 蹭
"
4
Five Chinese
"
D
-
"
No. 18 Cell.
#
Five Chinese
•
No. 19 Cell.
1,851 feet.
Three Chinese
No. 20 Cell.
1,851 feet.
Five Chinese
No. 21 Cell.
1,351 foot.
One Indian
No. 22 Cell.
1,360 feet.
Three Chinese
No. 28 Cell,
889 feet.
Three Chinese
No. 24 Cell.
1,810 feet.
Three Chinese
No. 25 Cell.
1,216 feet.
Vacant
Cheung Sing Yuk
Leong & Ho
·
No. 4 Cell
Five Chinese
·
No. 5 Cell.
-
Five Chinees
No. 6 Cell
Five Chinese
No. 7 Cell.
No. 8 Cell.
Five Chinese
Three Chinese
No. 9 Cell,
Five Chinese
•
No. 10 Cell.
Five Chinese
Memo.
-
8 months H.L, &c. and under.
Prisoners sentenced to
Prisoners sentenced to 8 months H.I, &c, and under.
1,898 feet.
1,898 feet.
1,898 feet.
1,408 feet.
1,410 feet.
The number of Chinese lodged in "Ward A 3" varies every night according to the committals or discharges that have taken place during the day.
The number of prisoners confined in "Ward A 3" is fixed at 129.
In November 1876, owing to the very large number of prisoners confined in gaol, 574, it became necessary to increase the number of prisoners in each cell. Nine prisoners were then put into each of the four large cells, and seven in the smaller ones. This had also to be done in the early part of this year, while the roof of the Ward C was under repair.
GEO. L. TOMLIN,
Acting Superintendent.
Victoria Gaol, 23 May 1877.
(Signed)
True Copy.
J. Gardiner Austin,
Colonial Secretary.
Memo. of the prisoners confined in Ward A 2 on Saturday the 19th instant, also of the cubic contents of the cells,
No. of Cell mad Names of Occupants.
No. 1 Call. Lama Kwai Fung & Fuk Lam Yau Shun
Chan Fuk Sum • Hung a Chan
Cable Contents
of Call
Boutones.
| Cable Content
of Cell.
No. of Cell and Names of Costpants.
No. 2 Call.
6 months II.L. | 1,188 foot.
H.L
6
Fung a Fat
·
6/8 months
1,886 feet.
"
200, J.
B
"
Chan a Tran
6
H
H.L.
8 years P.8,
Leung a 86
6
か
6 months H.I.
19 "
"
Wong Hop Ming
$ yours
#
A 2
Chus & On
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