, 1872-06-26
No. 40.

By letter o18h instant the Government directed III to forward such calculations as may be
available in replying to an Interpolation which Member the Colonial Council intends to make in
the Council in consequence of an article published in heSG CEx Avis No 25 for 9th March 1872
and sgned a." giving description the manner in which John Richard DarHnShad been
treated in the public jail.
AS PoHcmasT in Cbrsimteds Police District and as such also Chairman of the Prison
Commission, / bear tec chief responsibility trhe treatment given to prisoners mthe Jail; I am
Herebrew well pleased to have an opportunity of reciyng hem misrepresentation gWn in the said
NGnbrOf the mn Commission. cmel The Prisoner Richard Darling as also the ChIman
Assam, another Prisoner who had escaped from Jail in company with Darling to make their deda-
cave owD transmit to Government transcript from teS said rdocol containing their declarations
Unjust beg toobMve that the food given the Prisoners shOud according tothe Pnso-Regua-
tons HnSs of LB Biscuit, 4 LUS Sugar and cp of warn water mte morning before ON
mmcrg work II Quart Conmea (bMed nof umgy) and HERRING, teh half at noon and the other
hafn the afternoon when work is ovn; and on Sundays acp ofmeataupw with lib obedWpmk
it will be noticed htI caused ariun of bscohs to be produced ad weighed ad 1t was found not
to haveth eful weight offs Iods but only y IOs The Prison Inspector hsh Owevetm that re
spt tad, tate every morning he weigh the hscats all under ones forth whole number Of pi
sons to be VcUael and Then ned distributes them mm as many PornS@ mere are prisoners; IN
htw way every prisoner gets about u biscuits each, but thee ne biscuit may sometimes happen to
weigh little more thar te other, a thing that cannot well be avoided unless he weet havet he
trouble of weighing cahr ration which could not very we'll be done That prisoners are no. given
sufficient food, l do not believe at least mott those prisoners that ann the Jail House, for the work
they here have Wpmom consists chiefly in cutting grass ant wedding the gasspem, besides
keeping the Jail clean consequently such work which on thee estates would be considered az 2dc class
the Prison in a more healthy state physically than they were when they entered teP Prison; and
finally, it muslin t be Wnhmkedh that the rigid farce msttut@a part ohe punishment
to Mr. aauw on account of the chain, by which he w8 atWhed to the Prisoner Assam, 1 regret
very much that am unable osae the wcgtofthe chain as has not enf found again sncet the
two prisoners esape;Um the chain cnIdnu havebe BEEN ndGy heavy, since it did not prevent hem
IRON escaping the moment the Driver turned hHl back
Insofar as the Prisoner Darling told Judge Saauw Hth had not been able to seepi a
lying posture, but mac been Obliged to sleep sitting with ms back TO the prison wall, IN consequence
0hS having had antoncolr around his nech-t will boSent from the aforementioned extract
Ofhe Police Jomna, that the Prsonrhimslf acknowledges thh helm tdr respect had hda false
hOdO Mr. Sanw. The Oaro ring which by chance hash been found and which weighs 80
LoS neg leaVet OhWau to Government WITH reference Ome conYeAencS provided for the
prisoners rpMe at nighttime, beg to state that they consist of awoO1n cMn with an Hcinng
headTece Qd abOck, as stated the Newspaper article h the pp0td the head and au~L
len blanket; consequently a couch which in almost all cases better than that, which the prisoners
haeb been accustomed to when on free footing, before they etHedth the Prison
think will be evdentf from the foregoing statements bt tet treatment of the Prsoesm the
Jail is by no means mbunm or such as imputed ohe Prison Authorities 1.-THE abounameda article
but mustneypheess solicit the Government to cause n Investigation of the prisoners treatment
the Prison, am then especially ofny conduct personally towards them.
Ibg eaven concusCnt omakea few remarks in reference to the said Newspaper Article.
A the article bore upon nSetnN evidence fits having originated from Judge SaMuWS On auho
ry, the readeSth thereof might bemcGnd to attach more Importance to it than can generally be
attached toa anonymous Newspaper article Btifso they would be highly mistaken, as Judge
before the article was published informed me that would appear in the next Number of the Avis
adding tsame time, ththe had taken pecmims against having ther responsibility dDarings