The native Press of the South'of China has become thoroughly imbued with an aggressive spirit in the matter of prison reform; It seems to us, however; that the obstacles to improvement: and. amolioration, sre not adequately appreciated. Yot they lie directly, across the' pathway: and must seriously: interfere with any. changes for the " prosont, and make fundamental changes dificult. From the Hongkong: prison the prisoners can never. hope to escape, because. of the character of the building. iteolf. Its perfect cells, its-strong walls, its hoon. eyed warders,- make escape impossible. Ttis well known: that Chinese: prisoners are kept within - their loathsome. dens by moans of fotters only. Wore the manacles and- chains knocked: from-the arms and legs of the men; in the evening, and they were shut up: together in the usual wards;-it is'extromely. improbable that they would be found therein-on the following morning. Nor, in order' to escape would they nood to be endued Jonius of Juok Sheppard. Moreover the with the cunning nor- possessed with the
warders need not follow the morcifal course adopted by Im Lo Wong the ruler: of the prisons of Hades, who on the first; fifteen day -and nights of the Chinese seventh month, allows his dyers to stand wi Chinese prisons are so old, so flimsy, sh low, and so ramshackle, that nothing mere would be needed, were the prisoners unshackled, than to make a hole through Uke low roof, and, Indian file, to march straight away. "Therefore before any'solid prison reforni cin be effected, those who advocate this desideratum must; tirely new typo of building, whose' strétigthshall besin itself, guarantee' for the safety of those' who ars incatcetated "therein;: ud' whose dimeitsions shall"be sufftiéatly ample' to'avoid, the shocking herding—together which today is such a serious blot on: Chinese prison life. Can it. be-reas"mably hoped thab the Go lent, which' bedly -needs funds. for the ordinary administration of the country'safiaira, as wells, in particular, to develop the army and to resuscitate the defunct navy, will be induced to set apart:
sums for this purpose or even give serious attention or sympathy to those who ate advocating the change? We do not say that impossible to cherish the hope. But we fear that at present there are flimsy' groutids: for believing that anything' serious will be: atteniptéds yet it i obvious thst in all "prison reforms this niust take-the premier place.
If there is to be'radical-prison- reform, this will necessitate "the 'removal of the prosont: stof of prison' officials, specially warders: Theyaré' without lieatt, without training, and without moral fibre. Indeed from much that one may read, and som thing that one may observe, a considerable amount of misery is inflicted on the unhappy prisoners through the unlicensed impositions of those, who, at little pay, and less fitness, secure the posts of warders in the several prisons.. Cating little for the, sufferings of others in general; and less for the feelings for the hated class of prisoners in particular, but much for the squeezes which they can fleece from those over whom they rule, and more for opportunities of promotion, their chief recommendation forthe positions in whicl they are placed is that, at all hazards, they will keep their prisoners in Without, apparently, being guided-by strict regulations, or supervised by competent superiors, they now enjoy large powers, which they use to further their own ends and fill their own pockets. 'To Femove'ths present' gondra: tion of warders, and supply their place by efficient and humane mon, the necessary prisons provided, séonis at present almost a hopeless task. °Truo, now set of regulations unflinchingly pressed upon the warders, for their, guidance, would do something; but even then it is feared that some of. the unauthorised barbarities would be continued, and consequent misery oxperienced by those who are incarcerated, The present system of hard Labour in vogue in Hongkong has, apparently, been Roticed by the native officials,—at Joaat by those who advocate prison reform, and has called forth much commendation, 'This system was initiated, we believe,. by the Hon. F. H, May, ©..M.G., when, ho hold the post of Captain Superintendent of police in the Colony, It has' been found not only to work well, but also to be remunerative., Something of the kind has been suggested as necessary to the successful conduct of. Chinese prisoners, whereby mon may be employed at work which shall be financially romunorati At present, manacled as they are, some of the prisoners devote their time to the manufacturing of articles of: uso, too often, alas, conducted with: the use of the opium' pipe, These are sold and the money shared betwoon the maker and the warders. It would of course be possible to do something along these linos. The calling of criminals might be ascertained, and mon.skilled in certain trade might be massed together, and condemned to hard labour, where: upon they would not be entirely depen-dont on the State for their keep.
'Onthe whole this aspect of prison reform doos'uot present so many dificuiltion as some others appear to offer. 'The recommendation that fines should be inflicted for minor offences is the last point which we' stall pass under review. It seems Utopian in the present condition of Chindée society, to allow thieves to escape with~a fine. Many breaches of peace which come into the law courts in England, are offences against the person. Those, li China, are generally: settled through the offices of the middleman, after along flow of circumlocution, over a. feast, amidst the racket of Chinese crackers. A largo percentage of prisoners in Chi it Sobers. It would seer fore to allow these to get off with the iniposition of a fine, which would. be jo fally paid by the guild, of which any thief was a member, out of the general booty that falls' to the lot of the entire gang-Nor would the' infliction of a fine be a satisfactory deterrent, in the present cor dition of moral'snd, social. progress... Thi suggestion must "aside a3 impr
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.