HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION APPOINTED TO CONSIDER THE QUESTION OF INSUFFICIENT ACCOMMODATION IN VICTORIA GAOL.
Chairman to Acting Colonial Secretary.
145
No. 34.
(C.S.O.
SIR,
1333
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS.
HONGKONG, 1st June, 1886.
I have the honour to forward herewith, for submission to the Officer Administering the Government, the Report of the Commission (Enclosure 1) appointed by His Excel- lency to consider a letter of the Superintendent of the Gaol (Enclosure 2) respecting the overcrowded state thereof.
Annexed to the papers is a letter from Mr. A. P. MACEWEN one of the members of the Commission. (Enclosure 3.)
In the Report it is stated that certain recommendations are made unanimously whilst it appears from Mr. MacEwEN's letter that he objects to some of them.
When the Report was drafted and circulated some time ago, Mr. MACEWEN was absent from the Colony; and when it was discussed and finally settled it was thought that he would not return in time to sign it, it therefore embodied the unanimous recom- mendation of the members of the Commission present in the Colony.
The question of depriving of his queue a Chinaman sentenced to a short term of · imprisonment was mentioned at one of the first meetings, and discussed later on.
It was the opinion of those members of the Commission who are acquainted with the habits and customs of the Chinese that although it would be a very deterrent punishment, yet it was too severe a one to inflict, as they thought that a prisoner coming out of prison without his queue would be a subject of contempt to other Chinese,—would be shunned by them, he consequently would find it very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a livelihood, and would thus be forced to commit some offence in order to seek refuge in Gaol.
From my short residence here I am not able to state whether this result would, or would not follow the cutting of the queue, but if it would, the question is worthy of further consideration whether, although a severe punishment to the individual offender, yet if it kept others from crime it would not be the most merciful measure in the end. The draft Report which, with the exception of a few verbal alterations, was the same as the one finally adopted, was submitted to the Honourable W. KESWICK before his departure and he approved of it.
I have the honour to be,
The Honourable F. STEWART, LL.D.,
Sir.
Your most obedient servant,
EDW. J. ACKROYD, Acting Attorney General, Chairman.
Acting Colonial Secretary.:
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