The National Register. — London, England, 1819-03-22 00:00:00

MARCH 2A, STATE OF PRISONS. Mr. J. J. Gurney. the brother of the philanthropic Mn. Fry. and the author of a recent pork upon t llbOVe 'object. addre-scrl the following Letter to the Ma‘istr ate& of the County and Cit. of Non% icb. REIITriCTrD I shim d be warning both in jiestice to myself and in respect towards yor, were l to take no wilier of sour address to the public, contained in the Norfolk ..hro nicle and Norwich Mercury of lost week. 1 will, there fore, now trouble you with u few observations. 1 beg leave, in the Brat place, distinctly to assure you, that when 1 wrote the pa graph is; my little work on prisons, re specting the Jail at Norwich, 1 bad not the most remote in tention of casting uny rettesion on the Mrrtbtrates of this Lily. In a country like England, where public opinion, hap pily for us, is so much the regulator of public condor t. 1 du endeed deem it to he iif great importance, that the real state of the prisons should lie openly and generally known. W heist 1 base en leavoured to m ike It known, 1 have been particularly careful, in every part of my wort.. avoid im puting blame to the MiListracs ; bemuse 1 art persuaded that very few p niuns have until pact. liven aware, how wally evil , may' be avoided, and how 1111.1 e la go,el may he ef fectid, by a correct arid enlightened sssteiu of prison disci pline • by that system which is now so genera 3" &wormed, but a Inch (moray was little adverted to and title nab's- IRMO. . ...... In the particular paragraph to which }nu and of which you nave been pleased to rite so very in detmate an ettinct, my only objrt•t w:111 to Mill/PIA all important argu ment by utlJuvinz; a particular fart. This may easily b.• per ceived by any tine a Ito a ill do me the favour so peruse the pa-suge. It is as follow II :—" Amongst the male pri soners, brusit-ion king, slio--mak tit • tread-is heel, ea rpm,- tertur, and other handicraft (rad s, may easily be iatroduced„ allele these is no opportunity for conducting a regular Ina iz,ctury. In the I. my Jail of Norwich the Imioling ram& no ,uch opportunity, and Its long been a scene of total add corrupting idleness. About three stimuli. ;Igo, it nos übsc•rved that one sir the five pr.soners then in the Jail had let act•u-nnm•d to make shuns. Ile readily undertook to tei,rli hu, com,taaions. Toils and leather were pu twitted. A ahoy salo dealer undertook to famish work The wheel a a- easily set a-going : and this sink of idleurxs soon av•mned the pleasin6 aspect of comparathe happiness and constant industry." Permit me, Gentlemen, to enquire of you, whether it wag quite fair towards nis, and (if your rep:nation can really be affected by any words of mine) whether it war quite prudent sip your• wen ace and, to throw before the public the espies slims which yOU deem " seve, e," and wholly to ttttt it the no tice of another clause , n the same belliClK e, w loch could not fail In pi-mince a totally opposite unprer•inn.—Ce when 1 wrote that scn►core, I had no intention eithei to Id 11110 111 to ;pale : but •hould any of my rend. 9 s fed rt dis it to censure ymuu, b •caug., under your ati-ptcest, the Jul: wa, a sink of ; smirch such a di-position must be instantly removed by the c mstileratimi, that nark's- the Lone totspices it had " imitated the pleasing awed of conapa ratios happiarvg and conNtun! industry." It is evident, therefore, that this paragraph was not cat %S -lated (as assuredly it was not intended) to disparage your magisterial character. And now having endeav9ured to prove that l have brought 1111 charge against yuti, you must allow ate to say a few words in answer to the cliari;es which you nave thought proper to prefer against me. no alit IhUte to me—if 1 rightly understand your lan guyge—a teats! of cuud•rur and a want of truth. As I, mull, beli••ve that you intended no personal incivility, 1 shall make ao comment upon the "severity" of these charges; limit shall proceed at once to establish my very cooscieutious plea of " Nut Guilty." . - With re.prt•t to my " want of candor," y ou have inform. ed the public, that previously too the p Wishing of mt hook. (cositait.ing the pasmge supposed to he so oflrnsive) I visited the Jail in company w ith Alder man John Brno toe to td Itackhani, and that on this occasion, 1 e.rpresved m.i satisfo, ton at the present an probable future state of the Jail. This ft:tit:meat is not perfectly correct. Io is true that I vis led the Jail in company a ith douse gentlemen, that I was grate foil to them for the•.r pulitene-•, :old that I was pleased to obse•rte the of the wo tidy A dennan, to pronoot-, bt imprny mesas iu the louililing, a better classification of the : hat, that I e••er espreso:d the elishte•t approloa. toot o this prison, is itt (7 igi , at slit•, I lie.: leave most dis tinctly to &my After I hail devoted towel, attention to the subject, and had fo 'lied the opinions, a hich are stated at Lugo in my 1 1., it was quite impossililo. that I could feel otislio•ti tt ith touch a Jail ; a Jail o hod, /ins ben proved to he tosecure ; io which the priov.rs are heavily fetterrod; which adonis no. oppool funky of inspection; in which Ifs- petty doled' mod desper ite offender, the untried and convicted pri ....noir, ;Lie herded together wit Mott any distinction; iu ii hich dolly, instil very lowly the illiterate ainangst were not isistructed, and none of them were employed. It most, indeed, be confc•scil, that our jail was at Ilial lime wanting in almost all the principal requisites of a wool poison. IVitliont inspection, einssificattan. bistro. lion. e'old imp/ ninvint, a pr sou cannot produce reform ; hut on ton, e.e. ir,s.), a ill ever be found the prolific ►ource of set loth depl irahle evil. but 1•• pHocreil to your yet heavier charge—you state it as our (pinion that the expressions, to v• Melt you Object, in lily areomat of the Norwich Jail, are •• isoluundede' in mdse r war.l., that they have "oo f.uodation. IN what bask charge is grotitstleil,l NM wholly at a loss to dis rover. 1' ou '2 I'l ft'Cily will aware that for many years the erimilials in this Jail wet e totally destitute 4.1 employ uicat. 11.11;itmtily as yon have ti•ilcd the Jail, you moist Ictvr he•. n aequa rated with floc fret, I too, iloroongli the• kiadtoess r Shia have fieq•.ruily impecto d your l.li•an; and I have %ilia...soil within its mall the listless sawn, the gaup• at marble., the loud lath, the stole and impotent. conversation, hot the coil lay swint of its Ilinfof lone. though guilty inmates. null iatto!y I hose wryer Noo, I oho eve, That A 1114141 1.0111. eiders' absrnec of o or• it , " So be ”I". rat tams; at any rate they roo•1.a111M:f. It is Mills: palolo., thi n Imo, that the Nom. Jail has .ii •c. n•• of tonal idoenrs•;•' awl it the% I. be any limb iu do' t.o . •.I lia ..t• ic.fiqodiy for in the owl dos•oon of daily 4 ..04 It is ..t...toiy i:'•li•pn ail.•, Coat loj JioN La. •• a 0., it co. sc. o.r ul I. f.oi en, •• ‘1 tilt c!:ioo ihr 'lOOl , lll, •. Ili id I t."-s," I hate lia.o Lic:c ).1111. T/IE NATIONAL REGISTER. directed my printer to alter them in any future edition of my book. Hut I will contest to you that I have given thie order at the itninineset peril of spoiling my paragraph; fur it is in vain that I barest-etched for other terms equally descriptive of the tooth. West: I milled upon to define the expression, " Sink tit idlestees," 1 should say that it " a place lato which warms f idle habits haw a toulen,l to he gathered. tad in which, Weer they ore once ga there 1 , their kaheta of irtknass are continued and roisflitured." Certainly no description can be more accurately aoplir ü ble to any prison, in which criminal* are pruvided with no kind of ocenpaiion. It is wills pleasure, Gentlemen, and %holly witatint irritation, that lonia quit the subject of um grave debates in order to notice a mach mare its portent 1.06141,00 which it appetite that we are fully agreed. In one part of your addle.. to the pnblic, you state, that " the Mag est rate. have never discouraged the employmeut of the pi isoners again, yun say that "the Mc garrotes would lie glad to see the pii•oscla employed ;" and I hese now lying lief . cc me a document r Melt goes still further —which proves that yui. nut o n ly Ai nut discourage the em ply) went oily prisoner:. ; that you nor only wish ford r but that you actually intend to pursue that imp°, tont ohjer t. The &remitted to witch I ethnic is a resolution mooed at the General Quarter Sessions. lucid by adjournment oil the gad at lest month, hel'ute B. Leman, &op Mayor , Holt'. Alderson, Esq. Ste a arc% Cu Krowne. John Pain:- son, Esq. and others their fellows. It is as follows : " Itettolt. ea, that the thanks of this cool be given la J. J. ney, Esq. fur hi• c • :dam it...pectin: the Jnil; anti that he tie tiefitiniired that it is the intention of the 31egisti ale/. in pm sue some Wet) tar the employment of prre••trs (.n101114.11 in the pri•on• of this city." In the pursuit of this object. however, you appear to labour under *time hole daculty, which I will now shortly endeavour to remove. "It is well known." you say, " they (the prisoners) cannot be compelled to wurk, nor have tic Magistrates the power to provide materials for them." A large proportion of the piesoners now in Norwich have been senteeced to a term of imprisonment in a House of Correction. These can, of course, and ought to be " compelled re voraa."— %Stith untried prisoners, to ahem you probably intend to allude, compulsion is certainly hap:wart but it is also needl.a , : for such persons are generally Sound to embrace with eagerness the opportunity of employment. To fill the vacancy of ',tea,' a tedious hour, and to accumulate for future &cartons, a small sum of meney, are the nataral objects of their de.ire; and no thing surely can be aline worthy than such a desire, of encourage ment; because it is by putting these very motives into action that we are mast likely to produce reformation. Of the three criminals in . your jail, now employed in shoe-making, two are limited prisoners. Front your other supposed impediment respecting material.. it is in my power entirely to relieve you, tor there is an Act of Parliament on that specific subject. leis the lath of Charles 11. chap. 4. and runs in the following terms Wilma, there is not yet any sufficient prtr.ision made for the relief and setting on work of poor and needy persons committed to the common gaol for felony and other mitalemeanors, who many times petislt before their trial, and the poor there living and arreotyloy..l bacon dehurelred and come forth instructed in the practise of thievery and lewdness; for remedy whereof be it enaet:d, fee. that the Justices of the Peace of the respective counties at any of their General Sessions, or the major pats of them Owen there assembled, if they shall find it needful so to do, 110.11 providr a stock ry' such vorteri3l2 us they find corroerrieut lear the selling poor prisoners on :cork, in such manner and by such ways as otoer county charges by the laws and stances of the realm toe and may be levied and raised." The provisions of this Act (altich I pre ! some by construction to be available for cities as well as for counties, and which is el, :day available fur the "county and city" of Norwich,) arc confirmed and enlarged by 31 Geo. 111. c. 46. You ate, therefore, furnished with full authority to provide your prisoners with materials for work ; but were it otherwise, it could of no importance, because a system of labor in prisons, if judiciously conducted, may always be made to pay its own ex pence.. I am confident, Gentlemen, that all your difficulties in pro mining so excellent an object will presently subside; and I ant equally confident (I say it with real sincerity) that your deter mination, it' vigorously acted on, will not only plate you beyond the reach of minnire, but will call forth in your behalf, the cor dial gratitude and commendation of the community over which you prc.i le. That regular and constant employment is a most important means of producing amendment in those ta.praved and ills...ohne persons, who mostly inhabit our prisons, is a fact not to be contradicted. It is probable on theory and aseertaimal by practice. I have only to ;tad, on this subject, that my humble Mints in the promotion of so aood a cause, continue to be much at your service; but you arc well aware, that nothing material can be effected in it, without the full countenance and support of ma gisterial authority. Before Pconclude, I will take the liberty once more publicly to declare my °Onion, that the evils and defects existing in our present .tail and Hndewell, are, from the nature of the build mgs, _quite incapable of being completely remedied. lam con vinced that a new prison might be erected at Norwich, Ho serve the purpose's boat of a Jail and a Penitentiary) which. if eon dttet,sl on tie excellent principles adojaed at Bury, Ileltester, Philadelphia, Ghent, and other places, would not only he of the greatest advantage to ourselves, but would abut a beneficial example to the whole country. I heartily desire that you and year brother Magi trans! may be induced maturely to weigh this important subject, before you finally discard it. Should you institute any proceedings towards tile accomplishment °fro great an object. I folly lrelli , :tec you will meet with the cordial and liberal co.operation of your fellow 'citizens; mony of whom are thorougnly convinced. that no measurer. are so worthy of support—that none are so truly vont). Inical—as those which are calculated to improve rid inanave the morals of the people. • 1 have now only to apologize to you and moor common hind " the Testae, " for the length of my letter, and to saber:ram myself, (as I can with the greatest Vault) Your rineaellictel red atom ea II wisher, JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY. Earlhorn. 7.1 Month 16'h, 1 5 19. . . • 1Voo1;1 Oat anionget such measures, could be numbered our Wo:•1 ; than which, as they me now condcted. fear by bout parties) there cannot study de...ised. a more open scheme of scandalous bribery and corruption; a more I•ro th;tate oaste of money ; a more conceniunt occa.sim tor loos...and blr.sphcn ous ribaldry; a mere fruitful esoturre ul nil cry. drunk tameas, and crime ; a more °main Ince"l of sr.ri , ing the in , :c• r.ldcncc, and .1 -umying C c mtrals of the corn:: timty , p,'rpo.;f;;lly • ertruiai,iy A r for. ~,, am , 1;1,,,,,„ a an d fh • j . flf.'s! A;:o for t' at sirtnott, a d !, ,, matmbh• Ealii, ; ; in al , 1.. of so; i• y. w. de,;e:alitti; and )e; pest. ;ed. ; " , • I 1.1•1 ii.e I: , ' • ',lima 1., the N, a:i , Si.a , .91 . A most humorous publication, from the rya of the Author of Lelia Rookh, bus just made its ap pearance, under the title of, " Tom Crib's Memorial to Congtme: with a Preface, Notes, and Appendix. By One of the Fumy." We make the &Bowing extracts front the Appendix a‘ a sample, and may, perhaps, be tempted to continue thaw next week. TA-HIP. MY HEARTIES! Sung br Jaen Ileum. the Coachman, at a late Masepiende in St. Giles's. in the Character of Lord C-rt-..5--onh. I first was hir'd to pelt a Hark They call " The Erin," sometime back. Where soon I leorn'd to patterjksh. To curb the tits and tip the 144 Which pleaed the Mister of TOE CROSS So anvil. be had me up to town. And gave me lots of paid, a year. To tool " The Constitution" hers So, ya.hip, Hearties ! here am That drive the Constitution Fly. Some wonder how the Fly hold► out, So cones 'tis within, without ; So loaded, toe, through thick and thin, And with such henry creturs Iw. But, Lord, 'twill last our time—or it The wheels should, now and then, get stiC 01! of Pulm's the thing that, flowing, Sets the ;caws and fences going! So, ya-hip, Hearties 1 da. Some wonder, too, the tits that pull This raw ro,:rern along, so full. Should never bark, or bolt, or kick The loel and driver to Old Nick. But, never fear—the breed, though British. is now no longer game or skittish Except, sometimes, about their cons. Tauter Ilamyhahmas never were born. So, ri-hip. Howie& to. And then so sociably we tiAtt!..— W bile sane have plates. mug. bseida, Some, hoping to be there anon. Through many a dirty road ha"g on. And when we reach a filthy spot. (Plenty of which there are, God not) You'd laugh to see with what an air We take the spatter—each his share! So. ya-hip. Hearties! die. The other song of Mr. Gregson, which I have been lucky enough to lay hold of. was sung by Old Prosy, the Jew, who went in the character a Major C-. RTW-..-61-Ir, and who having been, at one time of his life, apprentice to a mountebank doctor, was able to enumerate, with much volubility, the virtues of a certain hitallib7e nostrum, which he called his ANNUAL PILL. The pronunciation of the Jew added considerably to the effect. TILE ANNUAL PILL. Sung by OLD PROSY, the Jew. in the Character of 114 cir C-HT W-lIT. "ill nobodies try my nice Annual Pill. Dais to purify every ting nashty awl? ma heart, ideas ma ileum let ma say vat I yin. Not a Christitian or filientleman minds vat I say ! 'Ti,. so pretty a bolus !—just down Ict it go, And, at vonce, such a radical shange you vill see, Dat I'd not be surptibled, like ( l e h o r s e i n e e show, If our head, all vcrc found, vete our Nash ought to be l nobodies try my nice Aam.sal Pill, &t. 'Twill cure a:1 Electors, and purge away clear hat mighty Ira] itching dey're'ffut in their hands— 'Twill cure, too, 6111 Statesman, of dulneis, ma tear, Though the eitse vas as desftrate as poor Mr. VAN'S. Dere is noting all vat dis Pill vill not reach— Give the Sinecure Shentlenian von little grain, l'laaa ma heart, it 'sill act, like tle salt on tic leach, And hell throw de pounds, shillings, and pence up again N'ill uchotlits try my nice Annual Pill. de.c. '1 smith: be tedious, ma tear, all its pautizs to paint—. Dat, anu.r.:; oder Mtgs . /and WTMV, It viii cure thC Pro d low-3 co.tunon complaint Among l'.'s and weavers—from sittivic too long. Should cymptoms of Speer/tire imeak tau en a aunties (Vat is ntt, a de caw) it vill stop de disease. And pring tivay all de long sileeelics at Dat else v.•uitl t 1.7:e tape-worm!, s• ••, :.• VIP rothodio tr. it 3 , i • - 1 ~, .w ~~~ • ' ~.