1841-1886
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PAST AND PRESENT
Brought forward
Increase, exclusive of establishments:- £ s d Police and gaols 5,035 19 13 - 2,101 19 8 Works and buildings, roads, streets, &c. - 8,410 11 7 Purchase of buildings + 1,971 14 8 Special expenses 8,448 9 5 15,932 15 4 21,568 14 6 243I shall explain in another place the causes which have led to so considerable an increase in the departments of the Registrar General, the police and gaol, and works and buildings.
Purchase of buildings 1,971l. 14s. 8d.
The re-arrangement of the market system rendered it necessary to buy the remainder of the term of years of one of the market lessees, and it was expenditure on this account that has added so materially to this item of outlay.
Special expenses 3,797l. 10s. 6d.
The items which create this total are :-
Emptying dust bins £ s d - 182 18 4 Lighting street lamps 862 3 - Charter of the "Phoebe Dunbar" to deport certain Chinese 1,130 4 2 Ditto of the steamer "Eaglet" to protect the harbour 10 10 Passage money from Singapore to the Peninsular and Oriental Steamer for officer and men of the 59th Regiment who were sent as guard in the "Phoebe Dunbar" 891 4 Other incidental special expenses 506 17 7 424 3 2 3,797 10 6Whereas the sum expended under the head of special expenses in the preceding year, 1856, a period unmarked by any unusual contingencies, only amounted to 349l. 1s. 1d.
8. Police and Gaols.
The excess of expenditure on Police and Gaols in 1857, as compared with 1856, has been 5,986l. 14s. 11d. of which only 381l. 0s. 7d. is on account of the gaol, and the remainder, 5,605l. 14s. 11d., on account of the police.
As the police and the gaol have no connexion with each other in this colony it will be better that I should treat of them separately.
The unusual precautions which it was found necessary to take during the first six months of 1857 necessitated a large temporary increase to the police force, and its consequence was a considerable additional expenditure, but when the emergency passed off reductions were at once made, and by the close of the year the force had returned to its old strength, except as regards the water police, consisting principally of Chinese, and whose services cannot well be dispensed with. The general pay of subordinate members has been slightly increased, and I am inclined to hope with beneficial results, as a better class of men seem willing to enter the service now than at any previous period.
I cannot, however, refrain from putting on record my opinion that the police force is still in a most unsatisfactory condition; and although the materials which compose it preclude the possibility of its ever attaining a high state of efficiency, yet a close and constant attention paid by myself personally convinces me that were greater activity made use of by the Superintendent of Police the force could be considerably improved.
The Gaol,
The excess of expenditure here in 1857 over 1856 has been 381l. 0s. 7d., and this is to be attributed to an alteration in the establishment of the appointment of a governor, slight additions to the salaries, and a vast increase in the number of prisoners, who have averaged 821 each week throughout the year.
But had this increase been thrice its present amount it would, I think, have been cheaply purchased, considering the wonderful improvement which has resulted from
1841-1886
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PAST AND PRESENT
Brought forward
Increase, exclusive of establishments:-
Police and gaols
£5,035 19 13
- 2,101 19 8
Works and buildings, roads, streets, &c. - 8,410 11 7
Purchase of buildings
Special expenses
+
1,971 14 8
40
8,448 9 5
15,932 15 4
21,568 14 6
243
I shall explain in another place the causes which have led to so considerable an increase in the departments of the Registrar General, the police and gaol, and works and buildings.
Purchase of buildings 1,9712. 14s. Sď.
The re-arrangement of the market system rendered it necessary to buy the remainder of the term of years of one of the market lessees, and it was expenditure on this account that has added so materially to this item of outlay.
Special expenses 3,7971. 10s. 6d.
The items which create this total are :-
Emptying dust bins
Lighting street lamps
Charter of the "Plicebe Dunbar" to deport certain Chinese Ditto of the steamer "Eaglet" to protect the harbour Passage money from Singapore to the Peninsular and Oriental Steamer for officer and men of the 59th Regiment who were sent as guard in the "Phoebe Dunbar
Other incidental special expenses
S. d. - 182 18 4 862 3 -1,130 4 2
10.10
891 4
S06 17 7 424 3 2
3,797 10 6
Whereas the sum expended under the head of special expenses in the preceding year, 1856, a period unmarked by any unusual contingencies, only amounted to 3494. 1s. Id.
8. Police and Gaols.
The excess of expenditure on Police and Gaols in 1857, as compared with 1856, has been 5,986/. 14s. 11d. of which only 3811. Os. 7d. is on account of the gaol, and the remainder, 5,605l. 14s. 11d., on account of the police.
As the police and the gaol have no connexion with each other in this colony it will be better that I should treat of them separately.
The unusual precautions which it was found necessary to take during the first six months of 1857 necessitated a large temporary increase to the police force, and its consequence was a considerable additional expenditure, but when the emergency passed off reductions were at once made, and by the close of the year the force had returned to its old strength, except as regards the water police, consisting principally of Chinese, and whose services cannot well be dispensed with. The general pay of subordinate members has been slightly increased, and I am inclined to hope with beneficial results, as a better class of men seem willing to enter the service now than at any previous period.
I cannot, however, refrain from putting on record my opinion that the police force is still in a most unsatisfactory condition; and although the materials which compose it preclude the possibility of its ever attaining a high state of efficiency, yet a close and constant attention paid by myself personally convinces me that were greater activity made use of by the Superintendent of Police the force could be considerably improved.
The Gaol,
The excess of expenditure here in 1857 over 1856 has been 3811. 7d., and this is to be attributed to an alteration in the establishment of the appointment of a governor, slight additions to the salaries, and a vast increase in the number of prisoners, who have averaged 821 each week throughout the year.
But had this increase been thrice its present amount it would, I think, have been cheaply purchased, considering the wonderful improvement which has resulted from
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