CO129-091 - Acting Governor Mercer - 1863 [1-3] — Page 441

3.

426

M's Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court

of Peking.

In addition to your presence in the Colony I have another cause, immediately

pressing, that induces me to write to

you,

the expediency, I should

the ne

say

necessity of

a Military Guard

over the Prisoners about to be

placed in the Convict Hulk off Stone Cutters'

Island.

Colonial

On this subject the Acting Secretary has already addressed the Commandant of the Garrison under date 84 January last.

I would beg your reference to that

letter and it's

reply from

Lieutenant Colonel. I Meoody in which the numerical weakness.'

of

the

Garrison is admitted, and I would add

that recent occurrences within the

Gurl

have

Convinced me

of the necessity of a Military

Guard (Says a Sergeant and Twelve) over

the Prisoners it is proposed to delach - most

of

them desperate men convicted of the

gravest offences and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment.

But

ow

the

a

general question I would In 1848 fers facts:

aw attention to

Call

your

directed to enquire

Sir George Bonham was directed to into the Military wants of the Colony, he

I placed there at the lowest posible amount

to which he thought they comes be then reduced, 1128 men; the major General then Commanding, having also in view the reduction of the force

the population of

put: this number at 1.

the Colony

Avas

14.00;

was then 21,500 and our attention.

confined strictly and solely to the Island

ti