The Express.
London, England, 1860-02-27 00:00:00

t
-FE. MAURY 27) 1860.

; ZISTINO OP MIDDLIM 11.10.18TLIT18.

The Ordinary meeting date Middlesex magistrates
=al of basin...relating to the county wu held
ma y at the Guildhall, Westminster, Mr. Poeull,
obskusea of the court, presiding. The usual reports from she
visiting justices of the three prisons of the county warn
brought up and taken into ausidaration, as also was the
report of the committee for accounts and general pure. es,
which contained a special report with teferenos to the ap-
pointment of gee inspectors ander the recent menu, and
the regulations by which the duties woe to be carried out.
They were ordered to be printed. A discussion of some con-
isiderabbe length took plus upon a proposed reclusiflostion of
the prisms at Westminster and Coldbath-fields, with cis
view of all male pris4ners being sent to the latter, meted of,
ILI at present, only adults, boys under 17 being rent to this
former, as well as all female prisoners. Mr. Yesoahead
brought the matter forward, and stated that the
change would be very beneficial, end would sue
the county 2,000/. a year at least, and proposed that
orders should be shade mew theme 4 Geo. IV., e. 64, a. 4,
to that affect. Mr. Laurie moved as an amendment that It be
referred to a special committee to consider and report to the
court, as nothing definite had bean lusted or brought to the
knowledge of the court as to the future administration of the
Westminster Prison, whether it was to be by mats or female
officers. The amendment was carried. Mr. Mends, the
deputy clerk of the pesos, laid before the court a return from
the House of Detention of the number of ;grams c omitted
to that prima in 1869 for want of sureties. The Assistant
Judge oast attention to this subject, and moved that It be
referred to a committee of visiting justices, to consider
and report to the court, and to suggest what she's-
lion of the present state of the law was desirable. Tbs
learned judge said the average number of persons so cal-
, witted was 400, and without in the slighteit degree impugn-
ing the judgment or discretion of the cpromittiog jeasticsa—
his remarks applying to the state of the hew only—be
thought that to many instances the exercise of the power
given by the law to commit parsons to gaol for went of sureties,
persons not ouvicted of °flumes, was a cruel op;rel-
iriol3, and fraught with very cemaidersbla danger
to the liberty of the subject. He gave revere] instances
which the return tarnished of parsons haring been committed
for want of sureties simply on the complaint of wives who
were living in adoltery, and whose paramours in all probe-
Witty suggested the complaint. The terms varied from six
menthe to two years. Was it not fearful that a man uncon-
victed of crime should be liable to be sent to prison for such
• period only because he was unable to find a surety on what
might be merely a capricious complaint? He thought a ma-
gistrate should only have power to commit for want
of sureties for three, months, and when • longer term
was thought requisite the circumstances should be inquired
Into afresh, or • power of appeal given, which at present the
law did not IwovW. After • discussion in which Mr. Port-
man, Lord Sbury, Mr. N. Lurie, Mr. H. W. Cox, lko, took
parr, it was referred to a committee to consider and report,
the Amistut-Judge being specially requested to be one of its
members. The usual formal business having been disposed
of ;he court adjourned.