CO129-357 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [7-9] — Page 356

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very limited, and as Your Lordship is aware occasions have

arisen in the past when prisoners have had to be released

because there was no room for them in the Gaol, and until

recently a building bequeathed for a charitable purpose

was (as I think improperly) used as an overflow or branch

prison. so long, however, as the number of prisoners sent

from the Consular Jurisdictions in Siam and China is not

large the Colony is willing and ready to render all

assistance in its power, and no charge has been or will be

preferred on account of prison accommodation or cost of

prison Staff &c. The bare charge for money actually

expended on maintenance is all that has been asked. It

appears to me, however, only reasonable that this Govern-

-ment should make its consent conditional on the removal

from Hongkong at the cost of the Consular Jurisdiction of

time-expired prisoners (unless the prisoner is domiciled

in the Colony) in order that Hongkong may not become the

dumping ground for criminals (whether they be British

subjects or aliens) from neighbouring Consular Jurisdict-

-ions. The Government on its part would be ready to carry

out the instructions of the Consular Jurisdiction as to the

destination to which the time-expired prisoner should not

be sent. The cost of such removal should be borne by the

Jurisdiction