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the other, and, so far as it can be done, old offenders are kept at work away from prisoners convicted for first offences. At meals prisoners mess in the several mess-rooms mentioned in A, and they also exercise in the separate exercise yards denoted in the same answer. All prisoners sentenced to penal servitude or hard labour (except women and boys) attend service—Church of England in the hardlabour mess-room; Roman Catholic in the penal servitude mess-room; and other denominations in the hard-labour mess-room, in the afternoons ; Maoris in the receiving-room. (5.) No communication is permitted between the classes numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, in answer A. 5. Work done by Prisoners. (1.) None. (2.) There is no real distinction between hard labour and industrial labour, except that the former is compulsory. For hard labour, prisoners on taskwork have the task allotted, so that its performance may be an honest long-day's work, and, if they fail to perform it, punishment follows as a matter of course, unless ill-health is found to be a bond fide excuse. The term " industrial labour " may perhaps be applied to the voluntary labour of a prisoner not sentenced to hard labour. Such prisoners are not put on taskwork, but if they fail to perform a good day's work they forfeit the advantages accruing to their voluntary labour. (3.) (a.) All the female prisoners are employed within the prison, and are engaged in making and mending prison clothing, in making clothing for other departments, and in washing the linen, bedding, and clothing, &c. of the Gaol, Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, and Old Men's Refuge. In other parts of the prison prisoners are employed in the cooking of provisions, and in cleaning the Gaol buildings, &c ; and also in the workshops prisoners are employed as follows: Carpenters in making handles for quarry tools, in doing Gaol repairs, and making coffins for Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, &c.; shoemakers in making boots and shoes for Gaol, Lunatic Asylum, and other departments, and repairing same; and blacksmiths in making quarry tools and other work, (b.) No women are employed out of the prison. Other prisoners sentenced to hard labour and to penal servitude are employed in quarrying stone, splitting and stone-dressing, spalling and stone-breaking in the Gaol quarry ; and also hard-labour prisoners, under short sentences, in making and mending roads in the neighbourhood, in cleaning the Supreme Court and grounds, Government House and grounds, and other work from time to time ordered to be done in the neighbourhood of the Gaol, such as work for school-grounds or local improvements, (c.) Prisoners working together are not prevented from speaking to each other so long as it is no hindrance to their work, but no other communication is permitted, (d.) Carpenters, blacksmiths, shoemakers (one or two of each), and stone-cutters. There is no officer who is a practical tradesman, and the progress made is therefore only such as must be made by a new hand following the industry of the workmen, who are always kept employed. The time in which a trade may be learned sufficiently well to earn a livelihood depends entirely upon the aptitude of the learner. (4.) In summer nine hours, and in winter seven hours. Prisoners are employed during the whole of these hours. (5.) These three classes work very much together, and the value of the labour of each class cannot be separately ascertained. Last year, 1877, it was £35 14s. 7d. for each working prisoner (male). (6.) Exertion-money is paid to prisoners for extra work as follows : Stonebreakers, lOd. per cubic yard of road metal broken in excess of task. Spallers, 9d. per heap of metal spalled beyond the task (each heap contains the quantity of metal allotted to one stonebreaker for a week's task) ; shoemakers, lid. for each pair of boots made (or work equal thereto) if six or more pairs made during the week; washerwomen, Is. per week; needlewomen, Id. per hour employed beyond ordinary working hours; carpenters, Is. per week; blacksmiths, Is. per week; storekeeper's assistant, 6d. per week; tailor, &c, for cutting out miscellaneous work, 6d. per week ; clerks, one at Is. per week, and one at 9d. per week. No payment is made on completion of sentence for marks earned. (7.) Industrious habits are formed by prisoners in good health, who see the good effect of such habits upon their fellow-workmen—the best of whom, besides earning exertion-money, take a pride in showing themselves better workmen than their fellows. A man who " adopts" laziness throws off the habit as soon as he finds it does not pay. (8.) If, after a fair trial, an able prisoner is found idling, his ration scale is lowered ; continued idleness is punished by solitary rations and confinement; and, after this, further opportunity is given for him to set to work. If he is again wilfully idle, additional imprisonment is made to his original sentence, and this has always had the desired effect. (9.) This depends entirely upon the locality, &c, of the gaol. (10.) Since Ist January, 1877, as follows: The Borough of Parnell, £67 13s. 4d.; Auckland Harbour Board, £34 Bs. 6d.; Mount Albert Road Board, £27 ; Karangahape Road Board, £13 16s. 9d.; Newmarket Highway Board, £47 lis. 9d.; Grafton Road Board, £219 14s. 7d.; Auckland Steampacket Company, £10 16s. Bd.; Emigration Office, 12s. ; Public Works, £327 lis.; Hospital, £218 7s. 4d.; Lunatic Asylum, £380 35.; Old Men's Refuge, £67 17s. lOd.; Improvement Commissioners, £2 Bs.; Shortland Gaol, £11 17s. Bd.: Total, £1,429 18s. sd. (11.) No. (12.) No. 6. What Difference other than iti Labour made between Penal-servitude and Hard-labour Men ? A different coloured dress for prisoners undergoing penal servitude ; also separate cells for each. Mess-room and exercise-yard apart from hard-labour men. 7. Special Provisions, if any, for Juvenile Offenders and Females and Lunatic Prisoners. Juvenile offenders (males) are kept apart from the adults, both at work and at exercise, &c. There are no special provisions for females or for lunatic prisoners. Lunatics, except when merely suffering from delirium tremens, on receipt, are sent to the Lunatic Asylum.