The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-02 00:00:00

PRISON AND OTH/UL IMPOSTS.

MEETING OF MIDDLESEX MAGISTRATES.

At the meeting of the Middlecez magistracy on
Thursday, Mr. Mau4c, the deputy clerk of the peace, laid
before the court the repute from the various committees.
The report of the cthimit,ee for sccoun.c and general
purposes, stated that the committee had examined the sp-
routs for expenses, &c., sent in by the coroners, and u
they appeared satistaetory, they recommended the court to
order payment. From the 4th of April to the 11th of May,
Mr. Wakley held 126 inquisitions, the charges attending
which were intim aggregate 339/. 18s. 3i. From April 7 to
May 19, Mr. B ker held 112 inquisitions, the charges on
which were 3911. lls. 11d. And Mr. Bedfad, the coroner

for the City and Liberties of Weetinin.ter, had held 72 in-
qui,itions, the charges attending which were 2341. lie. 31.
total inquests 310, expenses 9661. is. 3d.
On the motion of Mr. KEN/MEAD, the chairmen of the
committee, the court directed the county treasurer to pay
these sums.

COLD BAIR FIELDS HORSE OF CORIARCTION.—ThE report
of the Committee of Visiting Justices of this prison vetoed that
the number of prisoners within its walls was 1,144, viz. 866
males, 213 females, and 16 children. There was not one patient
in the infirmary, and the number of prisoners requiring the at-
ter lion of the inedical deers was very small. 'fbe commit-
tee stated that they heti " had under their consideration the
present dietary respecting vagrants and ether offenders com-
mitted to prison for periods not exceeding 21 days, and being
of opinion that it would be desirable and expedient to reduce
the dietary of such prisoners, and In which opinion the
governor, on being consulted, fully concurred, they re-
commended the court to direct that in future the dietary for
vagrants, for prisoners committed for offences in workhouses,
for wilfully breaking windows, or assaulting pariah con-
stables or other officers, shall be as follows :
" For those committed for seven days and under, bread and
water only. For those committed for from seven to four-
teen days, bread and gruel only. For those committed for
from fourteen days to twenty-one days, bread and porridge
onle."
Mr. 11. ROSE, the chairman of the committee, in moving
the adoption of the report, hoped that the court would direct
the suggestions regarding the dietary to be acted upon imme-
diately. A similar dietary has been adopted in the Surrey
and the Sure: prisons, for the description of offenders
named in the report, and it had been attended With great
success. lie had no doubt that when the " Cadgers" of the
metropolis, and those who smashed cost: y windows avowedly
to get into prison, knew what they would be fed upon when
in prison the number of committals for those offences would
be materially decreased, and the magistrates were deter-
sniped to make the prison 1111 comfortless as possible for these
worthies, in order to sec whether this spades of crime could
net to some great extent bo repressed. The distinction be-
tween the gruel and the porridge was that the latter wee
boiled with some rice.
The CIiAIRMA.N said that before the dietary could be
altered, the sanction of the Secretary of State to the altera-
tion was required.
The sugoestions in the report were eventually adopted,
and cn the motion of Mr. Retch, the Visiting Justices of the
Westminster Bridewell were requested by the Court US
odors a similar dietary for the like offenders.
IdI.IROSE hoped that through the medium of the public
press the change of diet would be made so extensively known
as pom>ible.
WESTMINSTER BILIDEWELL.—This establishment an.
tamed 618 male and 176 female prisoners, exclusive of 17
Owl tree. The general health was good.
litlrSE or DETENTION.—This rison contained about the
average number of prisoners. The report described the
suite uf the establishment as satisfactory.
Mr. DEVON moved, pursuant to notice, that the follow-
ing resolution of the court, pawed on the last county day, be
declared a standing order of the court, viz.:—" That no
jmtice shall be eligible to servo on more than one of the
prison committees at the same time."
The motion having been seconded, a discussion of some
duration ruined in tho Course of which Mr. WILLIAMS, ad-
dreried the court, and observed that though he was but a
newly-made magistrate, and therefore a young member of
that court, he had seen enough to convince him that by a
little combination the powers and functions of all the im-
portant committees of the county could be concentrated in
the hands of a select few: and, though he was far from in-
sinuating that it was PO at present, where such a combina-
tion could be made and such a system existed, jobbery could
exist too ; and as this resolution, it' nude a standing order,
would entirely put an end to such a system, he Loped very
truly that the motion would be carried.
Toe motion was carried by a majority of 1. The numbers
were : For, 12; against, 11.
PROPOSED ADDITIONAL PRISON. Mr. Rot& gave
notice that, at the next county day, he should move :—" That
with a view to relieve tho very overcrowded state of the
Mouses of Correction at Coldbatb-fields and Westminster,
and to the more effectual punishment of juvenile offenders,
a committee be appointed by the court to consider the expe-
diency of instituting a separate establishment for tho con-
finement of that class of prisoners in the county of Middle-
sex, and to report thereon to the court."