341
16. In drawing this comparisou it must be borne in mind that as yet the Sikhs have notølad the same local experience as other members of the Indian force, and little opportunity has yet occurred for weeding out the worst men, as in the case of the Bombay and Madras Constables, who have been selected from the large number of men brought on at different times from India. The worst men of cach batch having been discharged on the expiration of their first terin of service.
17. From Appendix E will be seen the punishments inflicted on the force during the past year.. No similar return was submitted last year, but I believe the conduct and discipline of the force to have considerably improved.
18. The Sikhs, than whom there are no braver or more reliable men in a critical emergency, are becoming better acquainted with their work, and many have already acquired a slight colloquial knowledge of Chinese, and are making good progress in English; being regular attendants of the evening class established by His Excellency the Governor.
19. Before suggesting any improvement in our present l'olice system, or deciding as to the class of men best qualified to perform the work, it is necessary to consider what the nature of the duty really is; a point which does not appear to have received sufficient attention from some who have advanced opinions on the subject. For the efficient performance of Municipal Police duty in the town of Victoria, we undoubtedly require many more Europeans than we now possess; but I fear little advantage would be derived from increasing the number unless the pay was also enhanced, as that now offered is insufficient to induce many good men to join.
20. For duty at out-stations, patrolling hill roads at night, and guarding Gaols and other Government buildings, an armed Police is necessary; and for these and similar duties, I think it will always be found expedient to retain a large Indian element in the force.
21. I consider Natives of the North of India more desirable, for work of this kind, than Europeans,, they are equal in physical courage, much less expensive, and better able to endure the severity of this climate when night work in the hot weather is involved.
22. In the stable we have had many casualties, four of the eleven Australian horses brought from Calcutta in March, 1867, have either died or been destroyed, and one or two of the survivors have already shown symptoms of the apparently incurable rheumatism which seems peculiar to China, and which is frequently accompanied by a honeycombed exostosis on the posterior maxillary bones.
23. A large mess-room having been given up for the use of the school, the deficient accommodation, both for officers and men in the Barracks, which was noticed in last annual report, is now felt still more severely. No stables have yet been built at Stanley, Aberdeen, or Shau'-ki-wan, and those in the Barracks are badly situated and incommodious.
24. I am indebted to Mr. Willcocks for the attached report on the Police School.
Police Barracks, 25th March, 1870.
Not
DECREASE.
C. VANDELEUR CREAGH,
Acting Captain Sujierintendent.
BSTRACT.
CASES.
DECREASE.
DECHEASE.
DATE.
SERIOUS OFFENCES.
MINOR OFFENCES,
ALL
Number. Pel Cent.)
Number, Per Cent.
OFFENCES Number. Per Cent
Latter half of 1805, Latter half of 1869,
920 452
470
$1.0
1220 604
556
45.6
9142 1116
1026
47.9
No. 41.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Return of Revenue and Expenditure for 1869, including Receipts and Disburse- ments on account of the Colony by the Crown Agents in England, is published for general information -with the Comparative Statement for the Years 1868 and 1869.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 12th April, 1870.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.
PERSONS.
SERIOUS OFFENCES.
MINOR OFFENCES.
CONVICTED.
DATE.
ARRESTED. {Discn'ben.]
ARRESTED. DISCH'GED.)
Number. Per Cont
CONVICTED.
Number, Per Cent
Latter half of 1865,
1020
307
653
64.0
2491
583
Latter half of 1869,
304
98
296
75.1
1187
225
1908 962
76.6
81.9
C. VANDELEUR CREACH,
Acting Captain Superintendent.
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