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the Visiting Justice and the remainder were whipped by orier of the
Magistrate. It may be that the Medical Officer's report has given
the Secretary of State a wrong impression as to the true state of
the case. In 1995 there was a large increase in the nunter of whip- plag tut Mr. Thonson who was Acting Superintendent during ay absence
on leave informs me that he had grounds for suspecting that there
was a contination among the prisoners to refuse to labour which had
to ce suppressed by extraordinary measures.
From 3 to 12 strokes is a punishment which, unless the
prisoner is quite indifferent, generally produces the required affect
as day te seed from the few occasions on which it has been found
necessary to call in a Visiting Justice for the purpose of awarding
a beavier punishment, and I venture to submit that it is one which
bight well be left within the discretion of the Superintendent to
award.
I can most confidently state that whipping is not
awarded until minor punishments have been tried and failed.
As to paragraph 4 of 0.0.Despatch No. 47/98 I bave
consultei Mr. Thomson as directed.ge informs me that the Stranger
who witnessed the whipping was a reporter on the Staff of the
Daily Press abo was present with His Excellency's permission. The
prisoner who was whipped was convicted of cutting and wounding and
#23 sentenced to 3 years imprisonment Hard Latour and to receive 50
strokes in two whippings. The Reporter's idea fron what he said
to Mr. Thomson appears to have been that it was such a tai case be
thought
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