The Sun. — London, England, 1825-01-12 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE. The following extracts are taken from the Sierra Leone Royal Gazelle of the2Oth of Nov., 1824 We regret never having before inspected the numerous slave-ships which have arrived here, in order to ascertain -whether they answered the description set fort h in their papers. The following particulars relative to three vessels taken by our squadron for being engaged in this horrible commerce, and )ately brought into our harbour for adjudicahon inthe British and Portuguese ('o u r' Of Mixed Commission, will, we feel enured, astonish even our readers, who have unhappily had we many opportunities of witnessing the misery which this traffic imposes upon its defenceless and unfortunate victims. " Tfr DIANA.—This vessel is stated, in the Royal pass port, to be .120 tons burden ; and permitted, by this pass port, in accordance with the Alvara of his Most Faithful itlajeity, under date of the 24th of November, 1813, to carry three hundred slaves, being at the rate of five to every two tens. On being inspected, she is found to admeasure only 66 tons 52 . -94tlis English measurement, and therefore authorized to talcs at the rate of five to each ton. The surface of the Dwell slave-room is only 480 feet, and two feet seven inches in Height; and that of the women, 103 feet surface, and three feet eleven inches high ; yet on board this vessel there were aetvally shipped, at Badagry, for the passage to the Brazils, IDO human victims, besides her crew, 18 in number. " Tint Two BRAZILIAN FRIENDS.—This vessel is also stated, by a like document, to be 146 tons, and being similarly licensed, might carry 365 slaves. On inspection, she is found 10 be only 95 tons 54-94ths, and consequently, in like manner, authorized to carry at the rate of four to each ton. The surface of the' platform for the men is 615 feet, anti the height two feet sax inches ; that of the women, 148 feet eight inches surface, and three feet ten inches in height. On board this vessel there was actually shipped at Badagry, for passage to the Brazils, 280 unfortunate Africans, besides her crew, 18 in number. " THE Avizo.—This vessel is, by a similar document. as serted to be 231 tons, and by her license might carry 580 slaves. On examining her, it is ascertained that she is only 165 tons 28.94th5, and therefore might carry at the rate of more than five to a ton. The surface of the men's room is 861 feet, height of ditto three feet two inches; that of the women is 215 feet sur face, and the same height as the men's. Four hundred . and sixty-tive wretched beings were stowed on board this vessel, at the same port, for passage to the Brazils, besides her crew, 33 in number. " We have here 32.8 tons of shipping, licensed to carry 1,245, and actually conveying from the coast 881 slaves, being (in .hale three vessels) at the rate of 11 to every 4 tons, besides the mien navigating them, and the water and provisions necessary tor so great a number of people for the voyage, together with their boats and ship's stores. As the men and women thus embarked were 712 in number, and supposing the children, bo,h boys and girls, to be either always kiln on deck, or con ailed to the long-boat (as is the practice), still only a little more than 3 square feet was allowed for each adult African thus shipped--a space which, we should suppose, no human being coUittiong exist in ; and, indeed, the number of deaths, and the emaciated state of thesurvivors,too fully prove this to be the case. From the crowded state of these vessels, we do not hesitate to say, that it would be impossible to cram the number on board which the authorities of the Brazils (by sanctioning these false descriptions of the vessels) gave the-masters permission to take; it is, therefore, to a certain extent, uselrss, although proving to the Mr.orld that the Government, not content with allowing their subjects to carry on the odious traffic, sanction such means (Wooing so, as aggravate the misery of the unfortunate victims thus forced away from their families and country. We shall make no further remarks on this painful subject, satisfied that such cruel deception as is clearly shown to be sanctioned by this Power, which is thus adding further horrors to the already detestable slave-trade, will not be overlooked by our Govern ment, who are, no doubt, in possession of the facts from our gallant Commodore and his officers. The French slave-trade has lately most considerably in creased in the Rivers Bonny and Old Calabar. Several new vessels have arrived, and many laden with full cargoes of human victims have left under the white flag, and manned by French men, although the capital embarked is ostensibly Spanish. In or der that our readers may judge of the barbarity and want of f . seiing evinced by these subjects of an enlightened nation, which publicly disavows such horrible and infausous conduct, we desire to make known, that Le Lwris, commanded by one Oiseau, on completing her cargo of slaves in the Old Calabar, a tew weeks since, without the slightest spark of humanity in him, thrust the whole of these unfortunate beings between decks (a height of only three feet), and closed the hatches for 0 , 2 night 1 When morning made its appearance fifty of the ponr sufferers had paid the debt of nature, owing to the con . tined, diseased, and putrid atmosphere they were condemned to respire ! ! The wretch coolly ordered the bodies of these miserable victims of his total want of human feeling, to be - thrown into the river, and immediately proceeded on shore to complete his execrable cargo by fresh purchases of his fel low-creatures. To detail all the informations we have re ceived relative to the enormities committed by these dealers In human flesh, who feel they are protected by the nation they claim, and the flag they hoist, would horrify any but slave-dealers, who -seem naturally callous to every feeling whirl ennobles mankind ; suffice it to say, they are heart rending, and would disgrace the most unenlightened &stage." [From the Royal Gazette of Nov. 20.1 PROCLAMATION. By his Honour DANIEL. MOLLOY HAltrurox., Acting General and Governor-in-Chiefof the Colony of Sierra Leone, • of the Forts and Settlements in the River Gambia, of Cape Coast Castle and the Forts on the Gold Coast. of the Islands - de Loss, and the Islands, Territories, and Factories to his • MAJESTY belonging, on the Western Coast of Africa ; • Gltancellor, Vice-Admiral and Ordinary of the sante, &c. &c. D. M. HAMILTON. Whereas, by a Convention entered into and concluded be tween myself, on the part of his Majesty, his heirs and sue crasors, and Ba Mauro, King , of the North Bulloms, on be half of himself and his Headmen, bearing date the 2d day of August, 1824, the said King, on behalf .of h irnself and his Head met, did freely, as well for themselves as for their successors, fer good, salttable, and sufficient consideration, specified in the said Convention, cede, transfer, and set over unto, and to the use of his said Majesty, the King of Great Britain and Ireland, his heirs and successors, the full entire, free, sod unlimited right, .possession, and sovereignty of the islands of Bence, Tasso, Tombo, Bobs, Caffoo, Yetway, Koopillar, Yearns, Pappel, Marabump, Callum Bay, Batt, Pentilla, and all the other islands and islets lying, situate, and being on the northern side of the river Sierra Leone, be tween Tagreen Point, on the west, and the Creek Ka Cupper above Nlafartee (which divides the territories of the said Ba Mauro front those of Ali Karlie, King of Port Logo), on the east, by whatever name or names the sante may be known, and also the northern bank of the said river on the Mainland, for one mile inland from the rarer Contra Bay on the west, to the said Creek above Mafarree on the east, together with all and ever . y right and title to the navigation, anchorage, waterage, -Mang, and other revenue and maritime claims in and over the said River Sierra Leone, and all the bays, creeks, inlets, and wtaers of the same. _ Be it, therefore, !mown to all persons whom it may con -cern, that in virtue of the aforesaid Convention, possession of the said islands, together with the northern bank of the said river, on the mainland as aforesaid, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, has been duly had and taken : and that the said Islands, together with the northern bank of the said 'River on the mainland as aforesaid, in pursuance of his Ma jesty's most gracious Charter, dated at NVestminster, en the • ilth of October, 1821, and proclaimed in the Colony of Sierra Leone on the 28th Feb. 1822, are now annexed to, and made -dependencies on, the said Colony of Sierra Leon, and are here by and from henceforth, declared subject to the Navigation Laws, and further, to all such laws, statutes, and ordnances, as are now in force, in the said Colony, or as shall at any time hereafter be made, enacted, or ordained by the Governor and ,'Council of the same. Given at Government-House, Freetown, in the said Colony, this Eleventh day of October, in the Year of our • Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, and of his Majesty's Reign the Fifth. By his Honour's command, J. REFFEI,I4, Colonial secretary. GOD SAYE Tai KING. In 1574, ANDILEW MELVILLE left Geneva, iii oompany with POLWART, and his pupil, ALEXANDER CAMP BELL, then Bishop of Brechin, on their return to Scotland. As the civil war,was raging in many parts of France, a vigi. lant eye was kept on,such•strangers as came to Orleans. When . our travellers approached that city, the soldier on guard al lowed the Bishop and Polwart, who were on foot, to pass with out Interruption, but stopped Melville, who, having sprained his foot, was on horseback. To the question, " Whence are you ?" M. replied, " From Scotla nd. " " 0 you Scots are ail Hugonots." " Hugonots ! what's that? we do not know a_t‘A people in Scotland." " You have uo Mass," said the 11 2'!'_",er---" icons ,n'avez par la Nesse." "No mess, man, re . viten Di. merrily • " everywhy, our children in Scotla nd g o to mess di, d ay." Ron cornpaiznon, allez Tons," replied the sol, 7. i;Smilingss and beckoning to him to proceed.--(MTrae; LITFRARY NOTICE. AUSTRALIA ; with other 'Poems... fly THOMAS K. HER YET, Trinity College, Cambridge. Second Edition, with additional Poems. It is creditable to the taste of the Public that this Work has so soon reached a second edi tion. If we might judge from the style of mo dern poetry in general, it must be supposed that the country of SILAM.PEARE, SPENSMI., MILTON, and GIZAY had taken farewell of that great spirit who was the worship and inspiration of those high masters of the lyre. Not only have our Poets , forworn the fountain of Cast aly, as a stream too thin and meagre to nourish their substantial in spirations, but there have not been wanting learned prosers (a cha , acter sometimes assumed by these same Poets) to show, by arguments, physical and metaphysical, that the said stream can never produce adequate poetical intoxication. The Muses have, in consequence, been plied with drains and cordials, till they knew not what they said : and their unfettered votaries have spurned the ambition of a seat oa the pinnacle of the biforked hill, and sailed in crescent boats be tween the belts of Saturn. Mr. IIeaVEY is one of the very few Poets of this day who prefer inspiration to ebriety ; he and Mr. CAMPBELL, are, perhaps, the only mo dern Poets of eminence who have followed, sys tematically and successfully, the lights that guided the greatest names which brighten our Parnassus. His Australia is a Poem which would have received the highest praise in the noblest periods of our poetical annals : not in the last century, when rule was every thing, as it now is nothing, but in those purer times, when Poets waited for the inspiration, refined it by judgment, and while they subjected the excursions of their fancy to this rigid tribunal, left on the creations of their imagination, the polish, but not the impress, of Art. His lines are bold and ner vous, glowing and harmonious : imagination fills the sail which sweeps him along the ocean of poetry, but judgment sits for ever at the helm. lle keeps iu view the points of his voyage ; his course is laid down, and he gives his canvas to the wind with confidence and decision. Iliitoopulatity is an auspicious sign on all accounts. It is a proof of a reviving taste on the part of the Public, and it may be the beginning of a reformation to ex tend through ages of Poets. The Australia is so well known and has been so often reviewed that it would be superfluous to make extracts from it here. Rut the Minor Poems which accompany it have been less fre quently selected, and many of them are of the most exquisite beauty. We shall subjoin three. The first of these is, in our opinion, the most beauti ful Poem of its class we ever read ; and we think every Reader will agree with us that the other two are productions of very high merit indeed. The simile of the young bird venturing from its nest too soon, and returning to die in its native vale, is beautifully applied. STANZAS rolt MUSIC. If to-morrow may dawn on a stormy day, If the smile-in pleasure's eyes By the cloud of despair may be chased away, Like the visions of summer skies ; If joy be a vanishing dream at best, Like the lights o'er northern seas ; Ohl where is the heart that would coldly waste The sunshine of moments like these ? Then fill, fill high the sparkling glass, And crown the moments as they pass I If bliss be a frail and perishing flower, Born only to decay, Oh ! who—when it blooms but a single hour Would fling its sweets away ? liThen storms are abroad and the world is dark, And wrecks strew lire's abyss, Oh ! who would not anchor his weary bark In the calm of a port like this ? Then though round about us life's tempests roll, We'll cling to our moorings—the bottle and bowl ! When lovers are false and friends unkiad, And the lights of life are flown ; Remember that here we still can find A bright little world of our own ; Whose-sun is a sun that beams all night, In the hearts that round us shine ; And its. stars arc the eyes that fling their light O'er waves of rosy wine ! Be our's the sun that shines all night, And the blushing wave that reflects its light. If hope, when she spreads her gossamer sail Along life's billowy waste, Is sure to 74e tossed by misfortune's gale, And to perish at length in the blast ; Let us launch her at once on this purple tide, Where her vessel can always float; While mirth's gay streamers flow far and wide Around her gilded boat ! O'er seas of wine when hope is afloat, Our's are the spirits to ballast the boat! Fill high the social this night is our's ; The dew of social feeling Falls on each heart, its brightest flowers And warmest hues revealing. Then weave them into a chaplet bright, Our happy brows to shade ; And live on its perfumed wreath to-night,-- Oh ! think how soon 'twill fade ! To-night, to-night, the garland twine, Asd mingle there the laughing vine. TO MYRA. I leave thee now, my spirit's lore ! All bright in youth's unbounded light ; With sunshine round, and hope above, Thou scarce host learned to dream of night. Yet night will come—thy bounding heart Must watch its idols melt away; . And, Oh ! thy soul must learn to part With much that made thy childhood gay. But should we meet In darker years, When clouds have gather'd round thy brow, How far more precious in thy tears, Than in thy glow of gladness now ! Then:come to me—thy wounded heart Shall find it has a haven still ; One bosom—faithless as thou art— All, all thine own, 'mid good and ill! Thou lovest me for the world—then gol Thou art too young to feel it yet, B•Atthue may teach the breast to know The worth of those who ne'er forget. And.should that world look dark and cold, Then turn to him whose silent truth Will still love on, when worn and old, The iqin it lov'd so well in youth. Like that young bird that left its nest, Lur'd by the warm and sunny sky, From flower to flower,—but found no rest, And sought its native vale to die. , Go, leave my soul to pine alone, But should the flopealhat w o o thee wither, Return, my own beloved one! And let,—Oh„, let us die together ! TO A LOCK OF FLAIL Beloved pledge of happier years, When life was in its bursting spring, Ere Love had learnt to speak in tears. Or Hope to stoop her eagle wing ! Though dark and &ear thy story no* ; In sorrow shred—in sadness braided--- And cold the eye, and dim the brow That once thy silken ringlet shaded,— / turn from brighter things to bless Thee, in thine utter loneliness ! The world may have a healing power O'er gentle hearts—when hearts are breaking ; And twice may rear some beauteous flower, To soothe away the spirit's aching ; And kindly tones and smiling eyes May deck the corning hours with gladness, And other hopes and friends arise ; Like sunlight in the bosom's sadness ; Yes, age may chase each burning tear, But not one thought which made thee dear ! And oft shall memory turn to weep, As visions of the buried past, Like dreams that hunt the mourner's sleep, Along my soul their beauty cast ; Oft shall the form we lov'd in vain, Twined with that soft and silken tress,. Come gently stealing hack again, In youth's unclouded loveliness; With ail the thoughts of other days That mingle in the mystic maze As that lone heart which loves to tell Its sorrows to the passing wind, Though sad its murmurs sink and swell, Still leaves a nameless joy behind ; So thou shalt waken many a string That in the heart has long been broken, Yet peace shall in the spirit spring, Before thy touch, thou lonely token ! And thou shalt shed a holy rest, A fast of feeling through the breast. When life and love grow dark and dim, And friends are cold, and youth is past, v soul shall turn to thee, and him Whose heart was changeless to the last ; Years had not shed their withering blight Upon the freshness of his truth, Nor sorrow put one ray to flight, That scattered gladness o'er his youth ; Hope in his web her garlands wove ! And still surviv'd unalter'd love. Time was each breeze that wandered by Could wave thee on thy native brow; The rudest storm that sweeps the sky On thee, and him, is powerless now. He ne'er shall'know the bitter smart Of nursing dreams—to weep in waking, Nor feel that loneliness of heart For which there is no cure—but breaking ; There had net been one cloud to stain That sun which ne'er can shine again. Lie near my heart thou lonely thing Thou, all that love had power to save And thou shalt rear the hopes that spring, The flowers that blossom from the grave : Bound thee shall dwell no thoughts of gloom, But fancy learn in thee to read A message from the spirit's home, A token from the silent dead. She cold may frown - she kind depart— Lie thou for ever neer my heart ! SURREY SESSIONS. [Further Proceedings of Yesterday.l Yesterday the General Quarter Sessions for the County of Surrey were held at Newington, for the consideration of a va riety of business, of which notice had been previously given.— The principal was the election of a Chairman in the room of the late .T. Harrison, Esq., the alteration of certain prison regula tions in consequence of the case of Mr. O'Callaghan, and Mr. Briscoe's motion to exempt female prisoners frprn the punish ment of the tread-wheel. There was a large assemblage of Magistrates at the Sessions house as early as 11 o'clock; they shortly afterwards met in their private chamber, and proceeded to the election of a Chair man, when their choice fell upon J. SCRIVEN, who was de clared duly elected. The CIIAIRMAN, in charging the Grand Jury, lamented that if they should have to solicit his assistance in any difficult case which might arise in the course of their inquiry, he could not hope to have it in his power to afford them the able assist ance which Gentlemen in their situation had been in the habit of receiving from his late lamented predecessor. He was, how ever, happy on the present occasion to inform them, that the calendar ( which he had only seen within the last few minutes) was comparatively light, and that their duties would be short and easy of. performance. REVISION OW TU GAOL-REGULATIONS. Sir Tuomas TunTo:sr, in the absence of Mr. Denison, one of their worthy County Members, who was unfortunately pre vented from being present by a family calamity, (we believe the death of his nephew, Lord Mountcharles) wished to post pone until a future Sessions, his motion for a revision of the rules and regulations of their County Gaol. At the same time, according to his (Sir T. Turton's) opinion, it would be as well to see whether they could not, in their other county prisons, afford more time from hours of labour, for the purpose of edu cation. How could it be expected that prisoners, worked as they were front morning to night, could be in a condition to receive any kind of education ? Mr. RANDLE JACKSON said, that it had occurred to him to suggest the propriety, in the Brixton !louse of Correction, of recommending that two hours of labour should be diminished, to enable prisoners under lti years of age to acquire a knowledge of reading and writing. Mr. DRUMMOND concurred in the propriety of such a re commendation, and remarked, that under the existing regula tions for work, any attempt at education was completely checked. - Sir Taos. TURTON said, it was absurd to see one of their regulations ordering prisoners to be instructed, and the next directing their being kept on the tread-wheel from morning till night. There ought to be a general inquiry into the whole system in this respect. Mr. TROWER would prefer a more limited motion, like that suggested by Mr. Jackson. Mr. IL JACKSON. said, that during the last three months there were committed to Brixton Prison 44 fektiales - of these 14 could read, and 17 could read and write; still there were 10 or a dozen totally ignorant. Out of 170 male prisoners, there were 20 who could read, and 78 who could read and write. Out of 100 females, there only aver ag ed four under 16 years of age.; 18 was the average out of every 100 males ' of persons under 16 years of age. He thought the subject of the education of prisoners of great importance paticularly the younger classes. Mr. DENISON'S motion was then postponed until the next Quarter Sessions. EDUCATION OP PRISONERS. Mr. TROTTER wished to know from Mr. Green, the Go yemor of Brixton House of Concction, whether the Visiting Magistrates were in the habit of allowing sufficient time for the education of prisoners. Otherwise, he should make a mo tion, recommending that particular subject to their special on sideration. He would first ask, how many hours in the day were prisoners worked at the tread-wheel ? Mr. Green.—From six :nntil six in summer, except at meal times, which were, half an hour fcr breakfast, an hour for din. ner, and half an hour twice a week for chapel. - . _ Have you any power to dispense with these hours of work 3 —Certainly not. Mr. H. Su 3rNTE n—ls it tope expected, I wish to know, that we are to find ach9ol:mas . ters r and rnistrese.t. ? Mr. Tx OWEIL thought the means of instruction ought to be provided first for the younger prisoners, and then, as an .expe riment, carried as far as might be convenietft. He pointed out the efficacy of instruction in all the reformatory institutions. Mr. H. nc. remarked, that in the two Acts of Par liainent for the regulation of gaols, there were several contra dictory and irreconcileable provisions. One Act enjoined, that the prisoners should be kept to hard labour for ten hours each day, and the other Act authorized a certain religious and moral instruction. The provisions of the two Acts were in this re spect incompatible. He freely admitted that nothing could exceed the value of education, when conducted with moral and religious principle, but he disliked this hurried plan of educa tion, of mere reading and writing, which, carried on in a loose manner, would only give greater facilities to offenders to com mit forgery and other crimes. Keeping prisoners at work; he thought, a far more preferable plan thin giving them this hur ried sort of education. Mr. DUST mmown differed to ccelo from the Hon. Member, ' and thought that even the knowledge of mere reading and writing was calc u l a t e d to do g o o d ra ther than harm.—(Hear, hear !)—lt was, he thought, quite open to doubt, to say that to coerce a man by corporal labour, in the hope of promoting his moral reformation, was a good system. He thought it both idle and visionary, and that to flog a man into better morals was a notion both bad and utterly hopeless.—( Hear !) Mr. R. JACKSON explained the provisions of the two Acts of Parliament, which he thought could be reconciled by the visiting liitystrates. r. Buiscoa had no doubt that they had the power to en force instruction of a moral and religious nature. Mr. H. Su MITER denied that he was hostile to moral and re ligious instruction where it could be properly administered. Mr. BRISCOE wished to kqow how it was possible to give suitable moral and religious instruction, by appropriating only a fart of Sunday for that purpose. It was universally ad. nutted that ignorance was the parent of crime. He could not help recalling their attention to the recorded opinion of Mr. Harrison, their late Chairman, who said in the Committee of the House of Lords, that it harrowed up his very soul to have to try boys of nine or ten years of age so frequently, whose pro fligacy arose from their total want of any kind of education.— (Hear!) Mr. HoLstE Su:vomit was still of opinion that more benefit was to be derived from working the prisoners throughout the week, than from merely teaching them reading and writing, for the short space of time they were under their prison controul. That was his opinion, and he had exercised his discretion ac cordingly. Sir THOMAS TURTON said, that the Visiting Magistrates had the power of reconciling the contradictory import of the two Acts of Parliament. Let those who thought with the worthy Member (Mr. H. Sumner) express their assent, and then let the Court decide what course they should recommend upon the subject. He trusted they would exercise a very different dis cretion in the recommendation which they adopted. Mr. H. SUMNER.—" But the law, as it stands, will not allow this." Mr. TROTTER.—" I say the law will allow it, and the business is at the option of the Visiting Magistrate." Mr. H. So IINER.--" Indeed, it is not the law ; and we say that it is better to keep them six days in the week at labour, leav ing them the Sunday for their religions instruction, which the Chaplain is always ready to furnish." Mr. DIM mmoND--'‘ If the honourable member means to include all the visiting magistrates, when he says we' do so and so, I beg to differ from him. I should much rather we mitigated the clause respecting the quantum of labour, to admit an extension of the clause for suitable instruction." —(Hear!) Mr. BRISCOE suggested that the motion should be amended by the insertion of the words " daily instruction." After some further conversation, the motion was amended by Sir Thom AS Tu ItT ow, and ultimately put as follows : " That it be recommended to the several visiting magistrates of the llouv-s of Correction in this county, to carry into effect the rules and regulations for the instruction of prisoners, as far as may be deemed by them expedient, and to report thereupon at the next quarter sessions." General TnoulgTox said that the act of Parliament gave full power to the visiting magistrates to act, as they thought proper on this subject. Mr. PAl.Lsltia highly approved of the diffusion of moral and religious education amongst the prisoners ; for they must at last come to the consideration of the real question at issue, which was—whether it was by corporal punishment, or by religious and moral instruction, that they should haie the best chance of ultimately undermining crime. —(Hear, hear !) The motion was then put, and carried unanimously. STIPENDIARY CHAIRMAN. Mr. DRUidstown gave notice of a -resolution for the next quarter sessions, to apply to Parliament for a bill to enable them to appoint a stipendiary chairman, who was to be of a certain standing at the bar, witi: a salary of 8001. a year, and who was only to sit at the Newington sessions and the adjournment days. They were, as usual, to hare the Chairman for the general county business taken from among the body of their local ma gistracy. He was proceeding to urge his reasons in support of his proposition, when he was called to order by Mr. Maberly, for creating a debate upon a mere notice, and supported by Mr. Holme Sumner. He then concluded by giving his notice. Sir THOMAS TURTOY could not even, allow the notice to stand, without recording his protest against it. He would not delay raising his voice against this attempt to bring disgrace upon the county. They had able and competent Magistrates enough, who were willing to discharge the duties of the Chair— why, then, bring in upon them the thraldom of a stipendiary Chairman ? Sir Thomas was here calle4 to order for irregu larity, and the notice of motion was then entered without fur. ther discussion. STATE OV THE COUNTY cAor.. Mr. MADER LY submitted his motion for the better heating the cells in their county gaol. He said that at the time of Mr. O'Callaghan's case, his attention had been called to the state of the cells for the confinement of persons on charges of felony and misdemeanour, which he found, from the nature of the brick-walls and stone floor, and the constant operation of wash ing for cleanliness, very liable to damps, which could not fail to be injurious to the health of the prisoners. His only desire was to institute an inquiry into the expediency of introducing steam heat, which could easily be done, into these cells, for the pur pose of keeping them in a dry and healthy state. He had no objection to have the subject referred to the consideration of the visiting Magistrates. Mr. TROWER objected to the motion, unless the Hon. Ma gistrate could show the existence of any evils under the present system. If the object were to introduce comforts into a prison, he must at once protest against it. A prison must, for the purposes of law, be a place of severity. If health were in jured, the case would be different, but comforts must not be sought for in prisons. Sir T. T 1: RTON was quite astonished to hear his Worthy Friend's remark about " comforts." Were there not innocent persons as well as guilty confined in gaols ? And were they to be absolutely excluded from all comforts, like those who were condemned ? The idea was intolerable.—( Hear !) Mr. Ho r.stE SIIKNER dissented front the motion alto gether. The Hon. Mover ought first to show that ill health had been inflicted by the present mode of confinement ; then he would not hesitate to send the inquiry into a Committee. But this motion had no real foundation, for all the returns from their prison-surgeons showed a clear and indeed surprising state of improved health, considering the previous habits of the ge nerality of the prisoners, which was owing to the care and at tention of the officers, the cleanliness, ventilation, and whole some exercise of their prison discipline. He never concurred in the sympathy of some persons for Mr. O'Callaghan ; on the contrary, he ;Approved of his sentence, and thought it a whole some thing for him. The prisoners, in fact, were all improved from being high fed. Sir 'nib TURTOX.—.i 6 High fed 1 upon bread and water !" Mr. H. SUMNER'—." I mean compared to their previous diet." Mr. PAL LME tt said, that they ought not to wait until the disease arrived before they applied the remedy. He warmly supported the motion, because he thought the improvement necessary, knowing the humidity which was occasioned by the constant washing of these cells to keep the prisoners clean. Mr. MABEttLY hoped that his motion would be carried, notwithstanding the opposition of the Hon. Member. Mr. H. Su mNER appealed to the surgeon's report of the pre sent health of the prisoners in the jail, as an answer to this motion. The cells, he thought, had at present sufficient heat, and the prisoners had; in general more comfort within than they usually enjoyed without. Mr. liarscoE thought the jail being built in a morass was a sufficient reason why this inquiry should go on. It certainly was not required in the House of Correction. Mr. MARERLY had no objection to limit the operation of the motion to the jail only. Mr. SPEER opposed the motion, from a persuasion that no inconvenience had been sustained by prisoners from either cold or damp. Mr. RANDLT: JACKSON was anxious, by possibility, to avoid the contagion of malady. He was for inquiry at all events. Mr. WILLIAMS and Mr. CRAWFORD opposed the motion, as unnecessary. Mr. LET'f concurred in the same opinion. If there had been ground of complaint a year ago, the improved system of drain age would now remove - it. The question was then put, when there appeared— For Mr. Maberly's motion, 10 I Against it, 14 Majority, 4. In presenting the report rom the Brixton H ouse of Correc tion,-allusion was made to an inquiry - instituted by Mr. Secre tary Peel, in consequence of an unfounded report that a better diet was ordered for the prisoners, in consequence of the sur geon's opinion that they had decreased in strength by the tread.. wheel exercise. . THE TREAD-WHEEL FOR FEMALES. Mr. BRISCOE rose to bring forward the motion of which be had given notice at the late sessions at Kingston, to exempt female prisonersfrom the punishment of the tread-wheel. He said, that if on former occasions he had felt no small degree of reluctance in requesting the attention of the Court to a sub ject on which he had the misfortune to differ from most of his brother Magistrates of the county, he had now the satis faction of rising with different feelings, as he ventured to hope, nay, with confidence to anticipate, that from the limited nature of his present motion, he should receive the cordial sup port of those who would still have persevered in opposing his views upon the more general question. In submitting the present motion, he begged to assure his brother magistrates, that he would strictly adhere to the intimation he had given, of confin ing his remarks to the very peculiar unfitness and obvious im propriety of the tread-wheel labour when applied to the cha racter and constitution of the female sex ; and more particu larly its inadequacy and ill-adaptation for conveying to that class of society any useful acquirement of whi c h th e y m i g ht af terwards avail themselves by their industry in the progress of moral improvement. It was almost unnecessary for him to re mark in the present day, and before any enlightened assembly of Englishmen, that in every civilized community in the ex isting state of the svorld, and more especially i n ever y country in which Christianity prevailed, a more mild treatment of wo men was practised, and a comparative r e l axa ti on o f t h e l aw , an d mitigation of its severity, was o bseyvable in their case, con trasted with the full measure of infliction which was dealt out to the male offender. Not only did the character of the sex point out this distinction, but the class of society from which the prisons were filled—these poor people were more fit often for a penitentiary than a gaol, although from their want of proper employment they became over and over again the successive in mates of a gaol. There were examples enough to show that fe males always resorted to a place of refuge where they could find one, to seek that employment the want of which so often drove them to prisons. Of this he had an example ; for, as he had been informed, the first person who had been discharged, in a state of retermation, by the excellent Society established last year, under the auspices of the principal personages of the county of Surrey, " for the employment and reformation of offenders discharged from the county gaol, and from the House of Correction at Brixton," was a female named Lydia Jones, who had previously been sent nine successive times to the punishment of the tread-wheel ; and whose name stood the first in the printed letter which he had addressed to the Seers= tary of State for the Home Department. The Prison Disci pline Society had also published these words on the subject— " But the general employment of women at the tread-wheel is liable to serious objections ; and as there are, even in the ab- . sence of prison trades, other kinds of labour to be found for wo men in a gaol, that are congenial to the habits of their sex, the practice of thus employing this class of offenders is not justified by necessity." The report on Irish prisons also contained a • similar observation, and pointed out the very beneficial results which had attended the efibrts of Ladies' Committees, in Ire land, improviding suitable work for female prisoners. They had also the authority of Mr. Harrison—and here he would quote the words of their late excellent and lamented Chairman, taken from his printed examination before the Committee of the House of Lords in the year 1819, who, after stating to their Lordships it was the intention of his brother Magistrates, that in the new House of Correction the male prisoners were " to ;rind their own flour, and do e ve r y thing they possibly could do of real manual labour," afterwards said —." With re tweet to females, the plan which originated with Mrs. Fry, a Newgate, we mean to put into execution as far as possible, co .. - ceiving great advantages will result from it." What were. these advantages ? He would read them from the third Report of the Prison Discipline Society, and they were described to bs . . -" the progressive decrease in the number of female ) - r!s noels.; • recommitted, which has diminished, since the plan of Mrs. Fry, no less 40 per cent." So much for the effect of so excellent ,: an experiment, and why not adopt it in this county ? . Although it would be easy to multiply facts to shew the • necessity of this motion, yet that this degrading and inju rious punishment was not thought necessary for females by it very large body of the magistracy of the country, he was pre- • pared to shew by enumerating the houses of correction and gaols where women were prohibited from working at the tread wheel ; and he had copied this list from the table of tread wheels in the last report of the Prison Discipline Society.— No female prisoners were worked at the mills in the old and new houses of correction at Bedford. Reading, Cambridge, Knutsford, Bodmin, Durham, Chelmsford, Glocester, Win chester, Newport, [fatten!, Lancaster, Kirton, Louth, SssatTs ham,Wymondliam, Southwell, Stafford, Bury, Ipswich, Lewes, Warwick, and Wakefield, in all twenty-four places, in support of his proposition. With respect to the constitutions of female prisoners, he would ask, were they not generally of that class which had unfortunately become debilitated from vagrancy. and misery, or from the effects of a vicious course of life ? Were they not in general the least likely to bear excessive labour from their previous debilitated habits ? Moreover it ought to be remembered that in numerous instances, perhaps in the far larger number, these wretched sufferers had been guilty of no legal crime, but were the victims of neachery and misfortune. Was it not, then, most unjust to cast them upon the swine wheel with those convicted of outrageous of fences? He had much more to say on this subject, but he was reluctant to trespass longer on their time at that hour of the day. lie entreated the Court to adopt the on rim which he submitted for their consideration. He had already pointed, out to them that those members who were still of opinion the tread-wheel was a useful and beneficial punishment for mall offenders, might still most conscientiously, and in the avowed spirit of distinction recognized both by mann:?rs and the law, concede the exemption which he claimed in behalf of female pri soners. He appealed in this motion both to their reason and their feelings ; policy and justice alike celled for the exemption ; the tread-wheel was to females a punishment without object ; It could harden anti destroy, but it could neither instruct nor re form. He knew he was liable to the presumption of instruct ing those who felt as men, as husbands. ard as parents—who must feel consideration and compassion for the !alien and un fortunate class of the other sex who were laid :ow in misery and distress. He implored of them, then, by what they owed to themselves, to recognize, in the administr aim of their pu nishments, the principle by which they would govern their per sonal actions in all the private relations of life, :nd ,•Emindsti them of the sound opinion of their late lamented Chairman (Mr. Harrison)—an opinion unequivocally expressed, and Kn. lemnly recorded—in f.vour of listening to the voice of hurnas nity and mercy in b h,ll of that most helpless class of society of which he (Mr. B isco-) was now so feeble an advocate—of that sex to whom m n ow , d from his cradle to his gave an inn delible obligat on. He concluded by imploring the Court to give effect to an improved system of discipline towards female prisoners, and by moving " that female prisoners be exempted from working at the tread-wheel in the county of Surrey." Sir THomAs Tt: RTON seconded :he motion. Mr. WHITAKER declared, that Mr. Harrison was, up 0 0 the hour of Ifs death, an advocate fur the application of the tread-wheel to females._( 'lsar !) Mr. H. Straimrat. said, th t whatever reluctance the Hen. Member (Mr. B scoe) had : vowed for bringing forward trio , tions of thi, kind, he could not altogether give him credit for, repeating the same mo ti on t i me a f ter t i me to t h e same b o d y of Magistrates by wi ich his proposition had been resisted on one occasion by a m, jo ty um 't9 to 1. If the diminution of re, commitments uneer Mrs. F,y's system was 40 per cent., the tread-wheel di& ipline had cau:s•d a diminution of 200 per cent. ; so that in the , o , •palsci the tread-wheel had worked far better. The: efore, e en if they could get so benevo7e It and effective a lady as .Nlr.. E•y n thei co Enty—ton r. re an in , stance of abilities and philantlin.py to expect eve y day—tits 9 was no necessity of their resorting to the system of which stso was the great authoress ; for the physiciens had positively des monstrated that the females enjoy better health than the males while employed in this manner—(hear).—and he had heard a lady's physician say, that he had a number of patients on hil hands who would not require medical aid to recruit they health, if their husbands would set up small domestic treads wheels in their private houses.--(Loud laughter.)—The coma' deration of Mr. Briscoe's former motion involves that of tits present, which, he repeated, was wholly unnecessary ; he shoul of course oppose it. Sir THOMAS TURTOR thought this motion was quits air tinct from former motions made by the Hon. Magistrate. Th a former applied to the principle of tread-wheel labour generallY+ of which he (Sir Thomas) most highly approved ; for in th i s case of men, it sent them to prison to work harder than th , -:9 had ever worked before, instead of plotting fresh crimes; bu t diffisrent was the case of females, who ought to he employed 0 a way more consonant to the habits and constitution of thi?lf sex. The mixing of the merely unfortunate but not abandoned+ with the profiigate,.females was a great grievance. He though the punishment ought to be exclusively confined to men, and h ° had no doubt that its a pplic a tio n i n this manner was most jurious in every respect to women. Why not submit the motiol l for the inquiry of a Committee ? Mr. BurscoE had no objection. Mr. COURTENAY said that Mr. Briscoo had, during tb / whole of his opposition to the tread-wheel, failed in establish' ing a single case of injury arising from its action. He oughtn' t , to persevere in a course in w hi c h h e was mos t certa i n l y naislco' Mr. CuamnEtts allud e d to th e d e f ec t s i n t h e report o f the Gaol Committee, a nd hi g hly pra i se d t h e mora l di sc i p li ne of ID" tread-wheel for feMales, which he hoped would be continued the county. He further bore testimony, on the authority medical officers, to the healthful effect of thiS species of punisbi meat, and the terror with which it had inspired offenders every class. He certainly should have no objection to secitlc d the time of work for females, to enable any Ladies' Comm itg 4 to give them useful instruction, which would prevent their ';''; turning, for want of any other occupation, to their fore:' : vicious course. Mr. BARCHARD highly approved of the discipline of o' 4 tread-wheel for females. As to the reform of Lydia Jonl whose case was mentioned by Mr. Briscoe, she had been, afV her discharge from the Reformatory Institution, about di e weeks ago, fined ss. f. 07 being drunk in the public streets.--1 laugh.) Mr. BRISCOE inquired how long 'agohad that happmed ? Mr. CHAMBERS said that about five weeks ago that incorrigible Lydia Jones had been brought before him 1 , 3 ,1 Union-hall for being drunk, and an elderly man came forwss, and paid the fine, p.omising that she should not repeat IP. offence. After some explanations from the Magistrates who 0(1 spoken, the que:ti.m was put upon Mr. Briscoe's motion, wile. the number were— For it, 4 I Against it, 12 1 Majority against it, 8. . . A motion of thanks to Mr. Iledg►er for his services while pe / : forming the &Lies of Chairman on late occasions was then Al' animously past. d. Some other routine business was then disposed of, and t h° Court adjourned at 7 o'clock in the evening. On Thursday last, a poor woman, residing 6/ Ferdwich, while standing at the washing-tut': burst a blood-vessel in her leg, which occa•iouto her death in a few hours. Her leg had been di f ; eased some time ; she has l e ft a f am il y o f fo° small children. Utz trail !bin, :01031 ar e t i kleti ,Piertp A 1 L)k Ito aff th,