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C.O.885

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

252

Legislative Council.—Singapore, July 11, 1872.

Present:

His Excellency the Governor.

The Honourable the Officer commanding Her Majesty's Troops. The Honourable the Colonial Secretary.

The Honourable the Treasurer.

The Honourable the Acting Colonial Engineer.

The Honourable J. J. Greenshields.

The Honourable R. Little, M.D.

The Honourable T. Shelford.

The Minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

The Governor-Gentlemen, at the last meeting of the Council, when we were on the subject of the alterations necessary to introduce the new system of Penal Discipline, I mentioned to you that there was a point in the Report of the Committee which had an important bearing on the question, and which I begged to call to your notice, since I thought it would involve some further expenditure than was contemplated in the Memo- randum which 1 laid before you and in the Report of the Colonial Engineer. The point was the doing away with the cooking of the prisoners' food by themselves. I think we all concurred in the view expressed by the Committee, that it was very desirable to abolish that practice. The Committee thought it could be done with very slight expendi- ture. but on looking into it here it was found that the expenditure was likely to be more considerable, and after bringing it to your notice, in order that it might be venti- lated, I decided to allow it to stand over for further inquiry. The result of the further inquiry is, that we find that we can manage the cooking of the prisoners' food in the prison without employing prisoners in it, except in the way of supplying wood and water, and that sort of thing, but not in any to interfere with penal treatment, or to leave room for that favouring of one over another, which is one of the strongest objections to the prescut arrangement ;- we find we can do this with the assistance of a few free cooks, and some alterations. The alterations will come to about 1007., and the cost of the establish- ment is about 1007. a-year more. 1 do not propose to ask you for any vote for this, because, with the liberal vote which you have already granted, I think we can work it for this year.

I do not, therefore, intend to ask for anything further, but I mention it that you may know that we are going to carry out that part of the arrangement in the way indicated, and at a small expenditure.

Mr. Greenshields.—I think, your Excellency, the statement put forward by you is eminently satisfactory, inasmuch as we were all agreed that the cooking as at present was not legitimate, and the only objection to a change was the expense.

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

Papers laid before the Legislative Council by command of his Excellency the Governor. October 10, 1872.

Further Papers respecting the Management and Discipline of the Prisons of the Colony, in continuation of those laid before Council on the 13th of June, 1872.

Sir,

Office of Colonial Engineer and Controller of Convicts,

Straits Settlements, Singapore, September 28, 1872. I HAVE the honour to submit, herewith, in continuation of former correspondence (see my Report on Singapore Prison, No. 234, of 14th May, 1872, his Excellency's Memoraudum of 13th June, 1872, and other papers laid before Council), the inclosed Report on the prisons at Penang and Malacca, and a further Report on that at Singapore drawn up in conformity with verbal instructions given me by his Excellency. Tracings showing the proposed alterations are also inclosed. As the details of discipline have been already very fully discussed, and a code of Rules, diet scale, and Memorandum of necessary modifications of the law were submitted with my former Report, I have not thought it necessary to touch on any of these points.

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Owing to the shortness of the time available and the deficiency in my staff, noted in my letter No. 360 of 18th July, 1872 (forwarding establishment estimates), the estimates are necessarily approximate only, but I fully believe that they will be found sufficient.

I have, &c.

(Signed) W. INNES, Captain, R.E.,

The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements.

Acting Colonial Engineer aud Comptroller of Convicts, Straits Settlements.

Report on the Prisons of the Straits Settlements, to accompany Acting Colonial Engineer's Letter to Colonial Secretary, dated September 28, 1872.

The existing establishments here consist of the Sheriff's Gaol at Pearl's Hill, and the Singapore. Criminal Prison, comprising the Convict Lines and House of Correction in the town. It has been already decided to keep up both these, reserving one for prisoners waiting trial or detained for debt or want of security, the other for convicted criminals; also to bring up from Penang and Malacca and place in the Singapore Criminal Prison all convicted criminals sentenced to terms of more than six months' imprisonment (see Report of Special Commission and subsequent correspondence).

2. As regards the Sheriff''s Gaol (which is not under my charge), it has been most favourably reported on by the Special Commission, and does not, I presume, need any change; I would only suggest that all sentences to simple imprisonment be carried out here. The accommodation is, I believe, sufficient for the very few cases of this kind.

3. As regards the Criminal Gaol, provision has to be made for housing, and applying an improved system of discipline to the whole of the Singapore ponvicted criminals and those under long sentences from Penang and Malacca. The Special Committee estimated the probable number at from 600 to 650. The average from Singapore for the last twelve months is 545, and the long-sentence men from Penang and Malacca, amounting to about 150 and 30 respectively, would bring the number up to upwards of 700 at present, but the Commission reckoned on a considerable reduction in the number of convictions, as a more stringent discipline was introduced.

4. A prison staff on the subjoined scale has been already sanctioned, and is now in process of formation, in order to replace the petty officers hitherto drawn from amongst the Transmarine convicts, and enable the proposed modifications of discipline to be carried out. The assistance of from 15 to 25 police being reckoned on in addition:

1 Superintendent

7 Warders ..

1 Matron

Name of Office.

3 Native Assistant Warders

36 Native Sub-Warders

20 Native Guards

1 Assistant ditto

1 Clerk and Interpreter

1 Foreman of Artificers

Salaries,

From

To.

Dols.

Dols.

1.200

1,500

360

600

240

860

120

240

84

108

K4

96

360

480

2.10

860

180

600

There is every reason to suppose that this will be found sufficient, save that a storeman will be necessary in addition at 240 to 360 dols,, to replace a local life convict lately pardoned.

5. Certain structural alterations necessary to the gradual introduction of the separate system and other improvements, and to increased security with a diminished staff were recommended in a former Report (dated 14th May, 1872), and a sum of 9,000 dols, was taken on account for commencing some of the more pressing services; an approximate estimate (see Appendix) amounting to 98,600 dols., inclusive of the above, is now submitted to the total cost of adapting the existing establishment for the accommodating something over 600 prisoners, as explained in the Report above mentioned, viz., 424 in separation, and 180, might be increased to 200, in association. This is all that can be provided on the present site, and if the number of convictions does not diminish, as anticipated by the Commission, or if it be considered necessary to keep the whole in separation, prisoners

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