The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-11-05 00:00:00

EXETER NAW RR/DEIrELL.

Saturday last,being the day appnired. by public
advertisement, for raying the fnundAtion-stone of
the New Bridewell, to be built adjoining the Devon
County Gaol, the Committee of Magistrates, to
whose care the whole arrangement of crating this
spacious edifice has been committed. assembled at
the castle of Exeter, about one o'clock, and pre-
cisely at two o'clock walked from thence in pro-
cession to the mite of ground allotted for the build-
ing, when Mr. S. F. Milford, the Chairman of the
Committee, addressed the assembly in the following
words

_,...ter
-~

" My Friends and Fellow-Magistrates !—Most of I
us bare had too much experience of the world to
Natter ourselves with the expedition of deriving
any high degree of happiness from it. As far as
my sphere of experience and observation has ex-
tended, it appears to me, that the only pure and
permanent source of enjoyment on earth arises from
the aaive and vigorous employment of those talents
with which Providence may have entrusted us, in
the pursuit of some laudable objea, and in accom-
plishing all the good within the reach of our abili-
ties. One of the most illustrious men. and probably
the most enlightened moralist, amongst the ancients,
says, that all virtue consists in action ; and, I am
inclined to add, almost all happiness. In this print
of view, I know not of any object mere calculated
to interest the best feelings of our hearts, and to call
forth every energy we may possess. both as Magis-
trates and as men, than the contemplation cf the in-
creasing profaneness and profligacy, and the conse-
quent misery, of the lower orders of the people. At
no very distant period, there were frequently in the
Eridewell of this county not more than six or seven
prisoners of every description, and sometimes there
were not any. Of late we have seen upwards of a
hundred there together. What a mslincholy and
dreadful change is here ! and to what serious re-
flettions is it not calculated to give rise in every
thoughtful mind ? For investigating the cause, this
is not the place ; but the fad is incontrovertible.—
Happily, it has been ascertained, that much may be
elleaed towards enumerating this portentous rate
of society, by brirging into opts:lion and anivity
those remedies which wise and good men have re-
cently pointed out and stronoly recommen.!ed, alter
the most laborious investigation and profound re-
fl.aima. To have continued to complain of the
idleness and perverseness of our apprentices, of the
dishonesty of our servants, and of the general ditto-
lutenen of the inferior classes of society, would have
been the grossest inconsistency. had we any long. r
desisted from adopting those means for arresting
and diminishing the evil, which have proved in
other places so eminently successful. is, fortu-
nately, will soon cease to be our case. For, owing
to our united exertions, made under these im-
pressions, countenanced and supported as we have
been by the wise and liberal policy of the rest ir f
our Magistrates, we are this day enaoled to meet
together to lay the foundation-stone of a new
Muse of Correthon for tt is extensive and po-
pulous county, and to ihrea the construction of
an Hinpital, for the common use of the prisoners
in our gaol, and of such as may be confined in this
intended prison. It will be built after the pion
which I now hold in my hand, and, in its con-
sti udion, undeviating attention will be paid to the
grand principle of adaptation to employment, in
separation of classes of oaf/mins, and also to in-
dividual separation. Men will be kept apart from
women, idle apprentices and servants from the
pr..fligate vagrant, those sentenced to imprisssn-
mins with labour from those without, and the con-
vided offender from the unconvicted and possibly
innocent prisoner. There is reason, theiefore,
humbly to hope, that this building will coirribote
to she promotion of the best interests of saciety,long
after we shall have ceased to have any conc.rn in
the affairs of this nether world for ever. We know
that Urnieily prisoners were promiscuously confined
in dungeons, with hole regard to their possible
innocence or ascertained guilts to their health or to
their lives, and much less to their reformation and
moral imp-oven:ern. In dose times the most
callous insensibility, as well as the grossest impolicY.
universally prevailed in these respeas. Thanks to
the graduailyoncreasing influence of the benign
spirit of our holy religion, and to the progressive
advances of humanising philosophy throughout the
educated and enlightened classes of society, that
night of slat k ignorance has, in a considerable de-
gree, disappeared from this happy island. All
houses of cotreaion should be calculated rather for
reform than punishment. /Sat I fe:l much regret
in stating, that I have observed some of our b: ide-
lovas, soil in existence (which were otiginally and
sully designed for the coneaion of lighter
offences, and for the prevention of greater crimes)
that are now disgraceful to, the counties to which
they belong. and merely hot-'reds for the grimes of
vice to ni.frild themselves in, and nurseries for our
gaols; insomuch, that an invaluable correspondent
of mine. who was lately Sheriff of an inland county.
and who has devoted thirty-five years of his life to
the laborious investigation of these sultjato in dif-
ferent parts of the world, feelingly laments. in Isis hot
letter to me, how frequently he recognises in our gaols
those faces with which he first became acquainted in
our brideweils. This, I apprehend. results, in a great
degree, from their defeCtive construftiun, from the
promiscuous association of the different classes of
prisoners, hut, above all, from a want of employ-
ment for them ; and, as they are sometimes con-
fined for two years, at the end of that period it is
almost always too obvious that habits of industry
being once lost are not easily regained ; conse-
quently, vagrancy, profligacy, and rapine, ensue.
11 hen the antidote which we have now in con-
templation shall be eroded, according to the plan
which etas been adopted. after the most extensive
inquiries and patient investigation. I trust it will be
looked upon as a monument of the wisdom and
humanity of tha county of Devon ; and, under the
blessing of Divine Providence, that it will eventu-
ally prove a School of Refortn, in which habits of
labour sad industry will be maintained in those who
possess them, and generated whet. they do out exist;
and in which also the health will In preserved,
the vices corroded, • and the murals improved.
of those whom tits laws of their country may sand
hither. In that case it will not be too much to
'maga, that the county will WAD experience a de-
crease of crimes as well as (*expenses. bet this
will in a great degree depend en a willing surrender

of a portion of the time and attention of the Magis-
trates in general, to this superintealmee of the em-
ployment of the prisoners, and of the regulations
and dsciplins of the house. Without that, I shall
have done a very imperfea good in bringing forward,
and the rest of the Magistrates in assenting to the
measure we are this day carrying into execution.
From the known charaaer of our enlightenod and
re.peaable Magistracy, there is every thing to hope,
there is nothing to fear. At all events, my fellow-la-
bnurers in the great cause of humanity, you of the
Committee willeverhave the genuine pleasure of con-
sidering, that thus far at least you have disinterest.
edly ald faithfully discharged your duty to the pub-
lic. As to myself individually, I shall never regret
the time and attention I have bestowed and may
stiU bestow on this objea, honoured and abundantly
compensated as 1 have been by the unanimous and
repeated approbation, and also by the thanks of my
felloa.magistrates, assembled at their quarter ses-
sions. Moreover it will be to me a copious source
of heart-felt satisfaaion to refledt, that it the spit its
of great and good men departed, who, by their vir-
tues, ennobled their species, have now any conscious-
ness
of what is passing in this sublunat y state, the
spirit of a Howard has been looking down with mild
complacency and smiles of approbation on our COM.
paratively trivial and humble labours, in that field
of charity and mercy, in which he reaped for him-
self unfading honours in this world, and eternal
bliss in an infinitely better. Lastly, my friends,
may the great Architta of the Universe, without
whose concurrence all human efforts are ft aides* and
vain, deign to favour this intended building with
his blessing, and under the divine auspices of his
Providence, may all the benevolent and important
purposes which the promoters of this undertaking
have so much at heart, be finally and felicitously
accomplished."
It may appear superfluous to add, that this speech
mct with the warmest approbation, not only of 'hada-
' gistrates who were present. but also of a large con-
course of pi:ople assembled to witness this interest-
ing scene. that we should not do justice to the Chair-
man, were we not to express how much the I.ublic
ruu.t feel indebted to him, for his very great and
continued exertions in the cause of humanity, on
this, and on other occasion.
The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone then
took place, and a plate was laid underneath, on
which was engraven the following inscription
The Fotinsartion-Stone of this House of Coneetion was
la,d oy Sainfried. !Winutel, Esq. Chairman of 'Committee of
Montle:nal the caueity et Unreal i in the presence of the
sa.d Commit.e, on •he twenty -scroed day of August, in the
year sem to:coetaieri elms hoodt:11 and .sues....-Grotge Muney.
teem, Architect "
The business being concluded, the Cominhee of
Magistrates retarued to Hotel, to partake of au
excelleut dustier provided on the occasion.

Toeseny ninnies: being appointed to be observed as
the aniliversior, i.t 11311,4'1,101cm if the Devon and
Eteter Hospital, a itrge number of the Governors
ot that noble ins:itution assembled in the board-
room, at' eleven o'clock in the forenoon, whim,
agreeably to a previous and public novice, • general
Court was held, " to consider the propriety of
atuhorisiog the medical gentlemen of this institution
to vaccinate any pout person, gratis, at this hos-
pital."
Mr. S. F. MI t roan,Vice-President, having open-
ed we business, entered into some interesting obser-
►atioas on the great blessings which bad accrued to
society from the discovety of vaccination. He
said, that although the variolous inoculation had
rendered the small-pox considerably milder than
when taken in the ria•ural way, yet that it was ad-
♦attageous to a comparatively small number ot in-
dividuals, as it had been ascertained that many
more died of that disease since the introduaion of
inoculation, than before ; as, by means ot the pes-
tiferous lancet, the murderous venom was :dill kept
alive, and thus contsgion and mortality were pro-
pagated through the land. At Worcester and se-
veral other places, the medical professors had nna-
nimously resolved to pra,ttise no other inoculation
than that for the cow-pox ; and he was happy to
' add, that the Medical Gentlemen of this Institution
had very handsomely and cordially entered into the
measure now proposed, and agreed to do every
thing in their power to promote its success. That
some objeflions having been made on a former occa-
sion, on account of the additional expense which
would accrue to the hospital, from the adoption of
this plan, he was confident that it would be so in-
considerable, that he would most willingly defray
the whole of it himself ; and this, from the fullest
convidlion that it would be so trifling as not to de-
serve notice. He therefore ationgly recommended
the resolution. " That any poor person might in
future be vaccinated in this hospital, gratis."
"the Rev. J.. AS DMINIS seconded the motion; he
stated, to the honour of this country, that the first
discovery of vaccination was made about 40 years
ago, by a Mr. Binge. of Axminster. who ASCOT.
tAIIICLI that the cow-pux was not only a preventive of
the small-pus, but also that it might be communi-
cated by means of inoculation. He did not how-
ever mean by this to detract from the merit of Dr.
Jenner, since he had been the happy instrument of
extending i•s praitice, but it proved that vaccination
was not so novel as time bad imagined ; yet as
nothing was more difficult to remove than the pre-
judices of the lower order of society, when they
found that this pradice had been sanAioned by so
large a number of Governors as were now present,
highly respetled, both as men of understanding and
of independence, he doubted not, but they would
m,st willingly acquiesce in the measure proposed.
A few words more passed as to some tnvial re-
gulation', which, however, were referred to the
Committee, and the resolution then passed, with
scarcely a dissenting voice. The general Court be-
ing dins dived, the Governors walked from the Hos-
pital in procession to the cathedral, where a most
excellent sermon was preached on the occasion by
the Rev. Archdeacon Short. Service being ended,
the gentlemen proceeded to the Hotel, where an
elegant dinner was provided, thus concluding the
day wish harmony and conviviality.

Two stone shot, which were fired from the batte-
ries of the Dardanelles dining she passage of our
fieet, and tell into one of our ships. were sent home
by her Commander, and were on Friday landed at
Portsmouth. having, however, been previously
c!targed ten &haling. custom duty.