REMISSION" OF PENALTIES BY SUPERINTENDENTS OF PROVINCES.

D-No 5

CIVIL SECRETARY TO SUPERINTENDENTS. Civil Secretary's Office, Wellington, sth August, 1853. Sir,— As it is probable that persons, particularly seamen belonging to vessels trading to the Ports of the Province, will be frequently sentenced to short periods of imprisonment, in whose cases there may be many mitigating circumstances, and as it would perhaps frequently be inadvisable to detain those persons, in such cases, in gaol, until an application could be made to the Officer administering the Government of the Colony, to obtain a remission of their sentences ; and, as in like manner, persons will often be sentenced to fines and penalties which it might under peculiar circumstances be desirable to remit at once, without incurring the delay of a reference to the Governor: I am directed by Governor Sir George Grey to acquaintyouthalinall cases of the abovenature, where persons are sentenced to undergo a period of imprisonment not exceeding three months in duration, or to a fine, penalty, or forfeiture, not exceeding twenty pounds, whioh may accrue or become payable to the Crown, His Excellency will confirm the immediate remission by your Honor, of the whole, or of any part of such sentence, provided that no delay occurs in reporting the same for His Excellency's information, accompanied by a detail of the circumstances of the case, together with a statement of the grounds which have led you to take a favorable view of it. But, in delegating such powers to your Honor, His Excellency desires it to be understood that in the event of his differing from the view tnken of any such case by your Honor, His Excellency would not be precluded from remitting the penalty or punishment which your Honor might have refused to do. I have, &c, Alfred Domett, Civil Secretary. His Honor the Superintendent, &c, &c, &c.

(Circular.)

LIST OF PENALTIES REMITTED BY SUPERINTENDENTS OF PROVINCES.

Name of Prisoner. Original Sentence. Punishment Remitted. By Whom Remitted. Date of Remission. One in 1853 by Superintendent of New Plymouth. James Beattie James Macnamara... Josh. McDowell ...'■ Charles Hamilton ... I The letter is not with J records. Supt. Nehon 5th February, 1854 Neri (Native) 3 months' imprisonment 1 month Supt. Taranaki ■ 1st May, 1854 Lewis Emanuel Luna Fine of £7 8s. or imprisonment in default for 2 months and 14 days Fine of £12 6s. 6d. Released on payment of fine £9 Supt. Otago Supt. Taranaki 16th June, 1854 j 27th Sept., 1854 G. Y.Lethbridge ... Samuel Fishlcigh ... ' Fine of £4 16s. 6d. £2 12s. 6d. Supt. Taranaki i 6th October, 1854 Edwin Snow 1 month's imprisonment 20 days 1 week Supt. Nelson Supt. Nelson ! 10th Nov., 1854 j 27th „ 1854 I Thos. Snow 1 month's imprisonment George Snow 1 month's imprisonment 1 week Supt. Nelson 27th „ 1854 James Glorer 3 months' imprisonment The whole Sapt, Otago 1 3rd April, 1855 Charles Price Fine of £10 £8 Supt. Wellington 21st Jnne, 1855 J. E. Duncan Forfeiture of 3 guns The whole Supt. Wellington j 28th August, 1854 B. Hayden Fine of £10 The whole Supt. Wellington 4th January, 1855 Geo. Nichol 2 months' imprisonment with hard labour Imprisonment 1 month and 23 days Supt. Otago 22nd October, 1855 Edwd. Fisher The whole Supt. Otago Supt. Taranaki 4th March, 1856 26th Nov.) 1856 F. N. Gledhill Fine of £5