Star. — London, England, 1818-08-25 00:00:00

REPORT FROM THE COMMI7'TEE ON THI STATE or PRISONS nit Tits METROPOLIS. The Committee appointed to examine into the State of Newgate, ana the other Prisons within the City of London and the Bo rough of Southwark, and to report their Observations, toge ther with the Minutes of the Evidence taken before them from time to time, to the House ; and to whom the Petition of the Prisoners for Debt in Whitecross-street Prison was referred ; and who were instructed to inquire into the state of Dartmoor Prison, and to report whether it is capable of recOving Convicts—have examined the Matters to them re ferred, and agreed upon the following REPORT: Your Committee, in pursuing the investigation of the state of the London Prisons, have considered it their duty to inquire how far the Buildings, in their original size and construction, seemed fitted and ade quate for the purposes to which they are appropria ted; how far those that appear in their present shape unfit and inadequate may be rendered suitable by certain alterations or additions; or if that degree of improvement which would be most desirable should appear likely to lead to an extent of outlay which at present may be deemed inexpedient, to consider what change in the internal arrangements they can venture to - recommend as likely to tend to amelioration. With these views, and with an anxious wish to exa mine minutely the economy of the Establishments, and the treatment of the prisoners, your Committee have visited all the prisons subjected to their inquiry, and.have summoned before them all those persons from whom they hoped to derive practical and use ful information; and the Report which they have now the honour of submitting to the House, is found ed on their best attention to that evidence; or on that conviction,which a personal inspection has authorized. In visiting these receptacles of wretchedness and crime, scenes so painful and repulsive to the feelings, your Committee, while bound to recollect that cer tain hardships are necessary and una7oidnble, were not unmindful of their duty by failing to remark any neglect or abuse, or improper severity. With these views and sentiments, your Committee have proceed ed ; and to render their Report as perspicuous and distinct as possible, they have considered it advisable to give the result of their inquiry on the Prisons scpa nately, and in the order in, which they were visited, and evidence examined. The lirst in order, there fure, is Newgate. 1.--NEWOATE. The Prison of Newgate, according to the present arrangement, is divided into stations, yards, day rooms, and wards. Your Committee are of opinion that the original plan of this prison was defective, and the accommodation inadequate for the purposes to which it is now applied. When it is considered that this prison is destined not only for the reception of a great many persons who are directly committed, but for the reception of a still greater umber who are removed thither for trial, added to which, a con siderable number who are under sentence of impri sonment, and au accumulation of convicts, neither the extent of the accommodation, or the distribution, _ arc such as your Committee can consider adequate or consistent with that 4:sty:cation which your Com mittee deem of vital importance. It may be proper here to introduce certain ebser vations, which, as they apply generally to all the prisons, may, if explained, obviate the necessity of repetition when reporting on others; and may be re ferred to as general principles adopted by the Com mittee; and if they appear self-evident or trite, they will the more readily be granted as axioms. The whole system of enlightened criminal juris prudence is devised for the prevention of crime, not of abstract punishment. Punishment, therefore, as regards society, is not vindictive, but subservient, and instrumental, in reference to prevention. While the hardships of a prison, and the pains of law, may be wisely and justly inflicted, it is our duty to take care that no more is done or suffered than is condu cive to the real object; and still more, that we take cue that the means we employ to check may not contribute to the increase of crime: that persons guilty of petty offences, from the repetition of which they might be deterred by the first detection, and the consequent shade: and alarm, sh ill not by our means be utterly polluted, hardened, and accom plished in depravity, by a forced communication with the most abandoned and irreclaimable. To prevent this obvious danger and unspeakable evil, the attention of your Committee h;ts been peculiarly directed to what they have termed deszkeeati3n, not merely as regarding the separation of the uetticd, from the convicted, but looking to a much more sa lutary and extended system. It is quite unnecessary to urge the numberless shades of depravity amongst the untried prisoners; but even an innocent person may unfortunately be so situated; and what is a case of every day's occurrence, an individual accused of some very. venial offence is doomed to be the com panion, mess-mate, and almost bed-fellow, of the most abandoned miscreant. Even after conviction the evil pro:weds ; for if we can imagine one un happy culprit who is disposed to regret and repent, I.e must have his feelings harrowed up or hardened amidst such a mass of vice and corruption. Claurscatiostt therefore, your Committee consider of the utmost importance ; and for this desirable ob ject Newgate offers few facilities. It is ill constructed, deficient in space, and is now unhappily destined to contain, on the approach of every Sessions, nearly double lse number of prisoners which it ought to contain. Hitherto a large proportion of the prison has been occupied by convicts under sentence of transportation, amounting to I,lu persons at the r:rm , the Committee visited the prison; and all the accused err the male side are necessarily crowded together without distinction or discrimination ; and, under the denomination of fines, all under sentence of imprison stent, whatever the nature of their offence, arc min gled together. The removal of the transpprts, there fore, immediately after every Sessions, seems indis pensably necessary ; such a relief might afford some prospect of a more unobjectionable arrangement of the prisoners, and seems absolutely requisite to afford room for the numbers removed thither for trial, and in the opinion of your Committee, it is a measure which ought to be most strongly pressed on the attention of Government. The House .may judge how far your Committee is justiEed in strongly remonstrating on this point, by adverting to the enumeration of wards, and six:cal cation of the dimers:or.s. It seems sufficient to re mark, that in wards of SS feet by 15, it has very lately been necessary to confine from SO to 40 per sons, and at former periods from 50 to 60. Those prisoners, who in the liatignage of the prison are de nomihatedfines, that is, those who have been sen tenced to imprisontrent for various offences, arc in a worse situation than the convicts. They ale gene rally more crowded together, and eat, sleep, and pass the day in the same ward, having access to an open yard. There are 15 condemned cells, each 9 feet by 7, which open into the press yard, having two day rooms appropriated to the prisoners under sentence of death. Your Committee regret, that, from the construction of the prison, they cannot suggest a satisfactory alteration in this objectionable part of the prison, which seems so unsuitable to the situation of the unhappy men. It has so happened, that from GO to 70 under sentence of death, have been confined in this part of the prison at one time. Under such, circumstances, it has been found necessary that some should sleep in the day-rooms, while in many of the cells three were confined. And although it appears in evidence, that three weN frequently so con fined in one cell at the express request of the priso ners themselves, yet it is a practice which cannot be vindicated. It must be obvious to every mind, that such an accumulation of unhappy wretches, with such a deficiency of room and means of separation. is utterly irreconcilable with the solemn situation of those who are placed there to prepare for death. Your Committee observed with pain, that children of the tenderest years were confined in the cells with persons of mature age and snore confirmed habits of crime. As your Committee have already expressed, in strong terms, their opinion as to the expediency of removing the convicts, they abstain from enlarging on the total want of employment, and other circum stance; so productive of evil. In the crowded state of the prison little could he attempted or effectively enforced with the men. The benevolent exertions of Mrs. Fry and her friends in the female department of the prison, have indeed, by the establishment of a school, by providing work, and encouraging indus trious habits, produced the most gratifying change. But much must be ascribed to unremitting personal attention and influence. On the male side, attempts to give employment have been baffled by the disho nest practices of those on whom the experiment has been made ; and in a prison so constructed as New gate, and where there is so frequent a change of pri soners, it is difficult to propose a rernecly. ,irnong the.fines, however, something might be attempted with a prospect of success, fur some are actually now employed as tradesmen. Boys School.—The youthful effentlers under 16 years of age, untried and convicted, are placed toge- I then in what is called The School. They arc kept apart from the men convicts, and have the use of one . of the yards for two hours a day, at which time the men are locked up. To have a school at all seemed a step towards im provement; but a school so constituted must suggest doubts as to-its moral beneficial effects. At present the school is regulated and taught by a convict. The crime of the individual ro employed (as appears from the evidence) is not of that nature which is likely to affect or encourage the.propensity which these youth ful offenders have indulged ; but if the benefit of im pressive moral instruction is desired, little can be hoped from a convict of any description; even if he is sincere he cannot have influence ; for the boys are aware of the degraded position of their teacher, If a school is to be maintained, a person of unblemished reputation should be appointed ; and there ought to be a separation of the profligate from the less con. , taminated. Cleanliness.—ln adverting to the cleanliness of a great part of this prison, your Committee have a fa vourable Report to offer ; the yards and wards ap peared on their visitation to be remarkably clean, and various Members of the Committee, who have individually visited the prison at other times, give a no less favourable report. The windows of the sle.:p ing wards are large, and are regularly opened, which secures free circulation of air. But there being no fire allowed in these chambers, there is not sufficient ventilation to remove d:uppness from the rooms and bedding, especially in the winter months ; there was not, however, the slightest taint of offensive smell in the sleeping wards of the convicts when your Cern mittee visited these wards. But your Committee could not but remark a great neglect of personal cleanliness amongst the prisoners generally :—.-and they are of opinion that suitable regulations ought to be adopted to enforce attention to what is so essen tial. Th e committee cannot give - the same favourable report of the wards appropriated to the fines ; it is obvious that the same system of cleanliness which is adopted in the sleeping wards of the convicts is there impracticable, and cannot be remedied but by les sening the number confined in the prison, and that by a removal of the convicts, or a change in the ap propriation of this jail to so many various purposes. The Bolding.—The prison allowance of bedding consists of a hempen mat, worked with a portian of tar, to prevent the lodgment of vermin, and to ex clude damp, and two rugs. This allowance seems sparing and inadequate. In winter not less than three rugs should be allowed. Your Committee feel difficulty in venturing to suggest any fur.her im provement, as any hardship experienced from the nature of the mat is, perhaps, compensated by its cleanliness, and the absence of many inconveniences attending bedding of another description. It may, however, be proper that the bedding sho.id be more exposed to the air than at present, or suitable mea , ;!res be taken to remove the damp from the bedding, which, by the evidence of the surgeon, is injurious to the health of the prisoners, removed from the heated day rooms, and subjected to the chill of condensed perspiration ; but this regulation had not been complied with, as your Committee did not find above twenty mats in the whole prison on the male side ;•but each prisoner that has a bed of his own, has permission to bring it into the prison. Your Committee refrain giving any opinion en the fitness of the bedding for the prisoners, as from the crowded state of the prison, the whole subject is one of great , difficulty. (To be continued.) The total number of Sunday Scholars in Great Pritain and Ireland, is about 530,000, attended by about 60,000 Teachers. POLICE. 3fatalcm Houss.—The case of a man and wo man, named Ryan, charged with obtaining a quan tity of tea and other articles, by fraudulent means, from several wholesale dealers in the City, was again investigated yesterday. The principal witness called to fix the charge against them was a man named Isaac Bull, whose appearance and manner were rather outre, and whose conduct was still more ex traordinary. He was the porter who carried the goods to the supposed warehouse of the prisoners, and afterwards retired to a public house to meet and settle with the parties. Being asked to swear to such facts as he knew of the matter, be stammered and hesitated ; shook his head most gravely, and at length assuming the character of a Quaker (whose dress he partly wore) protested against taking an •ath. He was-ready, he said, to affirm any thing ! The LORD Mayon said, that in a criminal case that would not do, and inquired if the witness belonged to the Society of Friends ?—lsaac rep'acd, No ! he had been for years endeavouring to gain admittance amongbody, that but as yet had failed. His father had struggled to do the same, but waitlisowned by " the faithful," in consequence of his marrying his (the witness's) mother, who bad b,!zni previously dis enrolled from the Society. IL was himself, how ever, determined to persevere, and as his acceptance depended solely upon a st...ict and stern obedience to certain rules, he must decline the dangerous risk of swearing upon oath.—The LORD Mayoa remonstra ted with Isaac upon the folly of such conduct, and pointed out the 'difference between: a mere declara tion of the truth upon oath (in order to the attain ment of justice) and the obstinate adherence to a form, for the Test-pose of pleasing a party, who for years, it appeared, refused to recognise him.—lsaac said he considered himself at present " more than half aQu titer." Ile was determiiiid to be one alto ! gether, whenever he could secure admission among " the faithful," and nothing, therefore, not even lite itself, could tempt him to swear !—The LORD M A YOU seeing that all hopes of extracting evidQnce from this extraordinary clemi.gnakrr were vain, ordered the prisoners again to be remanded, in the hope of ob taining better testimony. BOW-STRECT.—Yesterday Mr. William Ford Yes frr, who keeps a boarding and day school in the vil lage of Feltham, was charged with brutal and cruel t‘latment to one of his scholars—William Henry Pritchard, a boy between five and six years of age, the son of John Adam Pritchard, who keeps the Thatched House public house, in Webb's-lane, Ham mersmith. The circumstances of the case, as de tailed by the complainant, are at once so disgustingly filthy, and so frightfully savage, that we spare our Readers the detail ; nay, we hope and believe that the alarm of the parent has exaggerated the case be yond all resemblance to the real truth, as well as beyond all probability.— The prisoner was ordered to find bail, to answer for the offence at the Sessions. Ai~nteoneuGm-srrteer.-The greater part of yes terday was taken up in re-hearing cases of uttering Forged Notes, and most of the Ft isoners were fully committed for trial. W. Mappersley, the hot who was unfortunately shot in the hand a few dayi ago, by some gentlemen who were firing at sparrows in the Target ground near Bagnigge - Wells, is in a fair way of recovery. Mr. arming, of Oxford -street, and Mr. Roam, of Holborn . , two of the gentlemen on the ground at the time the accident happened, have each presented the boy's father with ten pounds, and satisfied the officer for his trouble. In consequence of which all other proceedings have been waived. The Magistrates have taken the proper means to put an end to such dangerous proceedings in future. A few days since, the dwelling house of Mrs. Gil lingham, at Milford, Hants, was discovered to be on fire. An express immediately went to Lymington, for an engine, which arrived in time to save the adjacent buildings, but the whole of the interior of the house was consumed. lebeing strongly suspected that the house was designedly set on fire, Mrs. Gillingham was immediately taken into custody, and on Monday se'naight underwent an examination before the Ma gistrates at Lymington ; when the evidence adduced was so strong as fully to commit her for trial at the next Assizes. Ixutmsr.—Yesterday an Inquest vrai held at the Bridewell, for the City, on the body of A. Fowler, an African youth, 17 years old, who was committed by the Lord Mayor, for a month, on the 24th of July, for acts of varuicy, and who died on Thursday last of a diccrJer in Ms bowels. In the course of the exa mination it turned out, that there was no hospital in the prison, nor any to sit up with the sick, which the Governor remedied by paying one of the prisoners oat of his own pocket. This called for the animad versions of the Jurymen, and the Coroner allowed them to record their sense of the impropriety of such want of regulation being suffered to be continued, by entering the following verdict. " The deceased died of a bowel complaint, in Bridewell Prison, aad the Jurors beg leave to add, that they conceive it to be of the last importance, that a part of the said Pri son should be used as an hospital, and that persons should be immediately appointed to attend upon the sick who are committed to the said Prison. DUBLIN, AUGUST 21.—1 n consequence of the rob bery recently committed at the house of Mr. Lucas, at Woodlands, the Police have been on a sharp look out: early yesterday morning the peace officers Gil bert and Smith, apprehended Patrick Dalian and Michael .111 , 1Ccon, in French-street, and confronted them with the clerk of the pawnbroker, where Mr. Lucas's watch had been pawned, who immediately identified the prisoners as the persons who pawned the watch ; they were in consequence committed.— Mr. Ateormick, silk manufacturer, of Bridge-strict, in the city of Dublin, was summoned before the Ma gistrates of the Head Office of Police, on the com plaint of Sarah Bannin and Anne Ryan, silk winders, for paying them less wages per pound for the wind ing of silk, than what was allowed and settled by the Dttblin Society, agreeatly to the Act of Parliament. After a long andtedious discussion, there being three adjournments, and Counsel being heard on both sides, Mr. M'Cormick was convicted of giving less wages than was aiEred in the Silk-winders Sche dule of prices to these poor women, and judgment passed accordingly that he, M'Cormick, should for feit 50/. agreeable to the flit of Parliament for the bents regulating the Silk Manufacture al in that ca-,e made and provided. . THE MARKET. NZIVGATE AND LE kDENHALL MARKET; Jew (By the Carcase.) Beef Ss od to 4s Od I Veal .........4s Od to se Mutton 4s Cd to. 4$ Sd Pork .........Ss 44 tu 1, 4 Lamb 4s. 4d. to Ss. id. PRICES or HAT axe STRAVITERD ST. J•MEet. Hal , -.51 16s od to 91 Os od . 11ay...411 od 11 m a Straw 21 S. ca to 21 17 s od S traw d 14s W to oi.l Cloverol Os Od to el Os Od Clusw 81 011 to el sew mesas. Kent 0, ht.:l.ex l2l C. w IG 6 Essex --PM oli o 0! I Farnham —2Ol 4is sal GI PRICE ur TALLOW, SOAP, N - z. St. James's . .NlJtket 4s hd I Tans tallow ....... CI. Os Od Yellow ltus.is Whitechapelislarket 4. 104 White ditto ........ I (per stone of Sib) Soap ditt0......... .... Yellow So;,p, 104.--lefottled, 116s—Curd, Candles, per doz. 13$ 6d—Moulds, 1:4 ca. [CB Mfg SACL Kent lOl Os 111 Os Sussex 101 Os to 141 Os Essex --WI Os to 00s Os Foreign GI Os to 101 Os RAW HIDES. -- '—• I &At Haters sod Steers (per Ordi4;arr —f.'s Oil is s i x stone)......es &I to ss lOd Market Calf ars td tot 4 61 Nliddlmes ...9s 4d to es Od Pug. Ilttrse Ua t It. WI ti SLLepskins—Pulkd, Os Od to vs Od—Lk.scr., Vs 4.1 is ts 14 Shestitots, Rs Rd to 2s Bd—lon:bs, :1 6.1 to :I W. --......._..... COAL NIATIKET, Agars.: 24. .Ships at Market. Warps S.!d. Pti:e. ki , Nekreaale e} :!.$ od to 4'. C,,,1 3 Sendertand 3 42.1 to :5 1:.. to 11 Colin I S., tc • GLASGOW MARKETS, ACC.i.IT Cotrox.—Tkeulai of the weak atutoot to a ages. Sea I.land Georgia ;a, at sw Ad. ta Stained 12, at Is. 4d. to 21. ditto, Zo , 210.—New Orleans 178, at fl d. to t o gid.--P4ctx.11... at 08.0 d. to fla. 24.—Maranhain 24, at fg. Id. to Bahia 15, at 26. lad.—Liabloia 10, at a,. Ild.—limere:oll Rabic( 75, at 2a. lid.—St. DothiLzo, 143, at tOld. to Po:l.—Boma 40, at Ili& KZ: T. BIRTHS. Thurclny, in York-place. the Ltdy of Maier.). P. Lear, tf the !Legal Estabiiihntent. of a daughter. At Gibraltar, the Lady of Deputy Canut Mackenzie, of a son. MARRIED. Saturday, at St. Georre's, lianova-square, ittct, Esq. to Lady Pat k.r, N. Aiow of the Lte C.:Ft:dna - 4r Pettr ke r, Bart. R. \. At Glasgow, Aug. 14, Lieut. Ales. Campbell, KM. to Heirs, third daughter of Duncan Turner, Esq. Castles, Glmorc August 17, at Edinburgh, Capt. John 'Slake, to Janet, dew daughter of :he late Mr. \V. Simpson, shipowner, Gr.eigensomL August 17, at Editsburgh, A:r. James Anderson, Pnacherd the Gospel, St. Niziian's, to Miss Jeuy Thomas, of Edisban* August 18, at FAlinlA:rgh, Richard Hide, M.D. Dundee, le hiss Eliza Syme, daughter of the late Mr. A. Syme, merdaa At Kingston, I lants, Lieut. Morey, R.N. of Bury, new Gee port, to Miss Eliz.heth Ganet, of the same place. August 18, at £isworth, Cambridgeshire Robert John Ts. per, Esq. of Norwich, to Emma, eldest dau ghter of the her. 11. Holworthy, of the former place. August 8, at Guernsey, JoLn Maingv, Fsq. of Naples, s Mary, eldest daughter of the very Rev. D. F. Durand, Dem a that island. At Dajorrock, August 4, the Rev. Thos. rhir, Cohnondl,ts Anna Campbell, youngest daughter of thel:.te John .11;cf Esq. L;verpool. Aug. 13, at Glosscp church, Charles T. Wish, ef Out:erca, South Carolina, to Sarah, daughter of the Rev. John Govt.:, of Ilayleld, Dcibyslaire. DIED. Sunday sennight in Carlisle, Mr. Fehnund 3fatcn, tri TS, lan Captain of the 14th Regiment of Foot. Ou the 7th inst. at Kensington-Louse, Sir Wane Altinta. Knt. late of Niark-hall, Flux. On Wednesday, at New Delph, Faddleworth. the Ref. °i marl Bartlatey, of the Methodist Conrection. At Hayfield, on the ltith instant, the Rev. F. Mq.agan, 7C, sister of Melrose. On the 14th instant in the 934 year of her age, eta Deriraf.‘ Lady Biddulph, widen , of the late, and mother at the pro./ Sir Theuphilits Bart. ofßirbury, in Warwickshire. . - On th; I I th inst. Ru . bert Can Brackenbary, V.sq. of Haiti's? near Spilsby, Lincalushirc, who had been upwards die years an itinerant reach er among th:Wesleyan August 13, Si where he had been attending the Cr. ference, in a tit of apoplexy, with which be was scrod is di street, ;Ise Uri. air. Bramwell. Preacher in the 3ltaoJia Coe neetion. _ _ The 22d inst. aged 26, Mrs. Ilaaughlin, wife of &yea WLaugblin, Esq. Surgeon of Greenwich Sunday se'nnight, a poor man of the name of Ridge, a Emma in the employ ut Mr. Bourne, of the Foley, neer Late-end: ,a the preceding evening, while it the act of placing the saggars ia an oven of ware, he fell from the steps w•Lich be Wa awtotLog with one of them in his arms, and sustain:A so rc;:ch MjoriLy the fall as to cause his death as above stated. REMOVATED HEALTH. IT has been too frequently the subject of hut and general reprobation, that men, destitwe of the elements d the medical art, have offered themselves as candidates for piths patronage in the profession of physic. roe the purpolecfdoleyin► nee to the result of our studies and experie.-.ce, and to prercat J from being classed among those empiries, whose impudent pn tensions have, unfct tunately for society, been too (semi:ably rv. ceived, we beg leave to submit, to the libernl and enlightened. faithful statement of oar pursuits and acquirements. Meet hlll , l received a regular medical education, ;a the pupils of Me's's. Grindal and Blizard, whose lectares and practices we cat-al.:4y attended, as Professors and Surgeons of the Lot doe Hers sal, we entered ourselves as students in that justly-eelaretel school for medical acquirements, the Royal College of and were instructed in the different branches of Anatomy, b..- , gery, the theory and practice of Physic, Chernietry, Dlidu icy, Botany, Zee. etc. &c. by those eminent professors, Drs. boars. Gregory, Black, Hamilton, Duncan, and Rutherford. Wean we shall not be deemed presumptuous in saying, that our Frei. ciency and acquirements are not inconsiderable. Havi - if fur a long series of years made certain complaints, and the verielis eases of DEBILITY, the particular object of our studies :A practice, it will, we hope, be allowed, that we have acvired superior knowledge of their treatment and cure. In slight st'a recent cases of infection, a perfect re-establishment is COitirlerii in the short period of two days ; and in those of the tamest .:.- veteracy, where other practitioners have failed of stuns; a proper perseverance in our plan of treatment insures to ac tient a safe and radical cure. Amidst the melancholy variety of disorders which are the ef fects of a habit long and most unhappily pursued by ths)Gath both sears, there are none more alarming or m“re distrimisg than those deficiencj,es and debilities which frequently ;mein; sr kabinet the matrimonial states. To such persons it mast be a consoling reflection to know, that they may now, by a new and infallible mode of treatmeut, be reatored to that greatest dell human blessings--c strong, manly, and vigorous coustitutizn. all cases of debility, from whatever cause arising, as well se every species of a certain infection, we may be consulted by ro dents of either sex, with the greatest secrecy and honour. Relni of consultation at home, from ten to due., and from sir is cba evening till ten at night. ' Patients in the country are requested to state the particularist their case, age, and general habit of living, &c. Sec. earlesiag s remittance for advice and medicines, when the tame will be sista or sent to any part of the kingdom. To insure that seereey is essential ho oar undertaking. the postage of letters may be added t• the account for medicines. CURRIE and CO. Waggons, No. 107, Hastawierdest. HIGH WATER at LONDON DRIDGE TO-MORROW. Morning 2 miuutsa after 9 Afternoon - 9 tO - _ - LQWDON. Printed ad plibbehed by Liva Kat nokli, lace, Tonrl9-13.44 J s • . 11 i~,~ ~1 riiFii t '