The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-09-11 00:00:00

''''''''LOOD4ll4, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1818.

CONTRACT FOR COALS TO BE DELIVERED AT
GIBRALTAR.
COMMIRRARIAT DEPARTS/ENT.
1,1 ,er 'AA SCPTIMICIL S.

SUCH. pprichim as. "go; flesireav of Cwie&Meting
with the Agent for Oemalikaiariat Supplies, to DELI-
VER THREE HUNDRED CHAI.DnONS OF COALS
at GIBRALTAR, nay receive Particulars of the Colman'
et thin Office betweeu the hones of Elevea sad Five, mid
deliver their Tenders sealed ap and directed to the Aral
tale Cummisseruit Sappho., alerting themes " Tender far
C 0.1.," on or before TUESDAY, the rid invhatt, but same
will he received after Twelve o'Clock os that day; lift win
any Propomot be noticed antral mule ore or amazed to a
printed Pertirsiler, and the Prices inserted he Wollis ret
lee lb ; lour realms • letter be subjoined to such Proposal,
signed by two persons of known properly, egMliting to be.
orate Wood with the party teadering, in lbs Ism commend
in the Particulars, for the dote performance of the Contract.

FIFTH NIGHT OF THE SEA SERPENT.

LAST WEEK OF MRS. ORGER'S AND MIL GAT TIES
. ENGAGEMENT.
ROYAL CIRCUS AND SURREY TIITATICE.
/THIS PRESENT FRIDAY, September 11.
IRIS, will he presented (sth time) s New Commie
Harkqat made, eialenlated to exhibit some splendid American
Local Secorry, sander the Ole of
SEA SERPENT:
OR, II A RLEQUINI YANKEE.

Onsariago (a• Araerican Chief, afterwards Harlequin), Mr.
Ridcway; Draconetto (a Yaakee Sorcerer, afterwrrds Clown),
Mr. Kirby; Irish Showiness (with a chasm), Mr. M'Ca•a.
Squseiairoosta (afterwards Columbine), alias Sirepsuu Show.
aisles 'Wife (wit► a Song), Miss Bence.
After which will he reviver' (for two nich►a only) the grand
Mrlo•4kansatie Barletta Spectacle, called
TEIE TIIREE TALISMANS.
le the course of the ',ruin, two favourite Songs visSl be
sting by • Geutlensan (being his fourth apprentice oa any
Stage).

To cow-lode with (nth time), an entirely new Grand
Comic &Alta Spectacle (founded on a Piece now ailing
at the Theatre de la Porte St. Martin, in Paris, with
unprecedented eclat, ander the title of" Lt Petit Chaperon
ItiingeTh called,
RED RIDING HOOD.

Prime Alidur (ur, the wow). Mr. Hartley; Barou Fire-
men., Mr. Genie • Simple, Mr. Filswilliam; lirlso, Mr.
Lennon!. Fairy of the Huse, Miss Taylor; Simpirtie (nr
Reel Riding Hood), Mrs. Urger, who will eatredsce tbt ark-
bested Air of " No Flown that blues."

Buses as —Pit Is.—Half Price at Half-past

Places for she Boxes to be taken of Mr. Roraner, at the
Box•011ice is the Treasury of she Theatre, where Free Ad.
missies, fur the Season may be percbased, and a Private
Box engaged nightly; and, for the accommodation of Fami-
lies at that end of She Town, at the Bureau de Spectacle,
Western Exchange, Bond.street.
flours open at Half past Five, to begin at Half-past Six.
To-morrow (fur that uieht only) the populist Romance of
The Three Talismans (being the last night of Mn. Orger and
Mr. Genie performiog this erasoc).
On Nuaday neat ss new Tragic alelo-drama, coder the
title of The Murdered Guest.

This day is published, la Oise large Volume, smelly printed,
price lie. fich in hoards, Second Edition, correcolasd,
enlarged, -
l; TH ENTIC MEMOIRS, Biographical,
CR Critical, and Literary, of the most (minimal Physicians
and Someone of Great Britain of the persist time, with
• choice Collection of the Prescriptions, and Specification of
the Ifiseases fur which they were Riven; forming a rompkte
wooden, extemporaneous Pharmacopoeia. To which is added,
au Aeeo•ot of the differeist Medical leimitutitros of the Me-
tropolo, both Scieutific and Charitable.
" from she contents of this Volume, we venture to eased
that it will prove a source of much amusement to the posh.
he, as well as of the moot wariest iwfurntation to Medical
Men io detteral."—Awlijaeubite Neview„Janwery Ibl6.
Sold by Sherwood, Neely, end Junes, P•arrao.ter-row, and
all Booksellers.

POLICE OF TIM METROPOLIS.

EXTRACT !NON TUE EVIDENCE TAKEN ■SPORE
THE COMMITTEE ON TUB POLICE OP THE
UETROPOLUI.

HRS. ELIZABETH FRY called in, and examined.
It is unnecessary to ask yon, what is known to all the
. world, the atteutiou you have paid to the female prisoners
its Reargue_e • , but She Committee wish to learn from yogi,
inure you have paid that eiteistion, what have been the oh.
ermatioos you have been enabled to make epos the effect
of the capital ronishrneets en the female side of the pr.
win?-11 as a question that requires some deliberation I but
certainly say °Were-onus has proved, in a very striking man-
nor, to myself, bow very bail an *feet they have, soot only
upon those who suffer, but upon those who remain. As to
the effect they have spew thaw who suffer, we have had, oe-
easionelly, some reason trchope that them is repentance pre-
vious to death; but I am momineed it leads to sense very
great errors is those peuple who are near death; for in.
stance, the way iu which they continue to tell an untruth,
and the way in which they will continue to the very last to
11u it, has beets very sirtittnit ; and they try lu fortify them-
selves rename tie their death, some by unbelief, others by
saying that it., was fated; many of them shelter themselves
under this apprehension ; and to these who remain, instead
of wiftening their hearts in the saaniter I should have de.
tired,l have Mien observed such a feeling of irritation, nut
only against the laws, bat those who pet them into crime.
non, that se far from deterring diem from the rewowin.
awn of crime, I believe they are often brought lulu that
state. that they are hardened farther to go on in their evil
tonere,.

There is a phrase, which you mast be aware of, which if
celled dying game ; have )its ever foetid that (reline to exist
nrwng the femaii • whom you have known antler
sever have; but I hare observed that spirit is ilnus• that
'entail', that le.ole them to %peak ve►y lightly of sufferiug
death, amid of hoasiiug what they *wild ; fur instance,
there was ■ girl the other tl•y whom the Bulk allowed to
plead to the minor offence, who said she was very stony fur
it; she haul tuib. rgo through her Inal, and go Through the
proper evostiustion, that she might have escaped, and if
sod, alit shookl wily hare to dance fur as hour.
You *tat. in your former answer, that you had rotted,
geurnily, a disposition to go Dot of the world with as em.
truth in their mouths; the Committee armee you mean
that it is all Nixie', to preserve their character whirls in-
dite,* them so deny the justice of their conviction'—Partly
as to their character, tool partly from a lingeriag hope that
at last they sway he spared in cusisequeuce of their denial.
Do you. think 11,11 the few people who really stiffer in
commie horn with Masse aho are mistessessi to execut' pro.
duns, by the vorertainty of the law, auy evil effects!—Very
bail ,heels noisd.

Cos you instv. to 11w Committee any imminent that neriir
to yow, in which such bait effrets have brim vi4tble ?—II is
.coy visible 11/ show p.... pri.p's atm macs. !orange or the
ing.itialily (no it arenas to thrills) of the law, sod of its tojo..
lire, as it rrr r sirs !heir *suds *howl to the last ; sod I am
Lunirltul it Daa a ;Try bad 1.1.011 Ibo.e NllO 11.184

burrow they belie slimy* a seen hope they shell be sparest,
aul mute bow or other that they obeli escape. I believe
that frowners may to go oo in their course of vice; aid
the wooers bare indeed actually said to us, in the Bulk
ewe particularly, slot they fully believe they shill be of
that number who escape. They ell Satter Ihemetvel.

Yon thick, then, that the conduct of the law, by keeping
alive in the breast of the persons who offend against the
law, the chance of escape from iis sentence, has • tendency
to increase and multi* OK coMmiesion of crime have
no Ambit of it; though I canoe! doubt, let our laws be
ever so good, there weight be occasion of • very rare nature
*her the laws should mud be put imp eitreatiuu: yet I base
no doubt. as now *tied on, it tends very greatly to the in-
crease rof crime" There is another thing I may she gams_
time, that the prisoners outsider the pastislienrut of death as
an stunentent fur all their crimes.

When yes stale that the primates so consider the puoish-
mat of death. do you mean ',dependently of penitewee at
the time, at at least • mikado* of fbeir crime?—They
think that it doss of itself Mme, ad that is pasishmeist
.-
• Do they eneceive that by persisting in on untruth to the
last, that they are-then cotistailtiug au additional crinte?—
If the punishment of death *tones fee all their sins, es they
think, it dons sot semis molter bow they added to them.
Have you ever observed any differeeeein the impressions
on the minds of those who are executed for one crime or
another!--I have sees some difference; some of the Bank
cases, and some other ease, I thiek. have hers felt very un-
just by the intfortnnale sufferers themselves, and by the
other prisoners; one case. in particular, excited a great
deal of feeling, and a strong ewe of injustice thrutighout
the prison; and yet here and there, I think, there are in-
stances whre they feel it very differently in very anoint in-
Names. like au attempt at meeder.
Yon Ibiuk. then, that even among the prisoners them.
selves there is a dispositinu to acknowledge the justice of
the law, when uffroret are capitally punished that are of a
serious and heinous aateret—Certaiely, in a veil different
degree In what it is in some of the instances I have first
mentioned; in general, I believe Ibe opinion of the pri.
loners themselves is. that it should, in cases of murder es-
pecially, be followed by death.
Are you at all aware of the impremion which is treated
nut of doom by the selectiois of capital punishment% and
by the comparatively few persons that Duffer, to the number
of persons no sentenced 3—l should say from sty observatim,
that it is very generally felt in the large circle of my ac-
quaintance, as a wrong thing, nod unjust.
It is cuasiiirred by you, and by these whom you have
heard converse upon the subject, as ;Hectically leading to
theasottipliration of offences?—lt is moat generally rent so.
Can you furnish the Committee with any instances to
demonstrate the fact, that capital putaahnieuts do not deter
from the commission of MEM believe a great many
might be proved; but one particularly strikes me now; a
little while ago there were three brothers hung at Newest,.
the one the year before the other two; they were of the
same of Rawlinson.
Were they executed for Ike same *game, Meths, upon
the river?—They were.
Do you know say thing of this family, and hew they were
brought up, or whether the father was honest and indus-
trious !--1 have never heard any thing ageism their father,
but I have against their mother.

Ilime you ever had in the female side 4 the prison nay
females in the 111,11041 situation you have just uow named?—
No, we have out.
Do you think that the opsratios of the law, inflicting the
name punishment fir so meal diffsewiga&w,,wat teem the
highest tame that eau he coraiiiitted, namely, murder,
dew, to the lowest to which lie sentence of death is at-
tached, has a tendency to create au indiffereuce to life, and
to lower its value in the estimation of the people that are in
that situating?--Of that, I am quite sure from observation ;
that the law holds up this to the people, that property is
more valuable than life; this they act upon in their own
way, and they therefore scruple kis to commit murder to
obtain pelptrli.
So it is your opinion, that by inflicting the same punish-
ment for murder, theft, and burglary, those fitter Crimes
are Oersted to the mriguituik of the first ?—Certainly ; I
have sot the slightest doubt that one of the 1,111801111 of the
frequent cummissiou of murder, is the public executions
fur matters of property erring so frequent, thereby putting
life sod property on a level at lemt.
Are you aware, that the public emerstiema throughout the
country have very much diminished within these few years,
in the proportion of the capital convictions to what they
were formerly ?--Yes; lam quite aware of it. It in a clear
ease, that hanging in au degree diminishes the member of
such convictions; it reminds us of the Hydra's head, that
when one is cut off another rises.

As you have objected to the infliction of capital punish-
ments, from seeing the little effect produced by them upon
the public mind, what would yule sweat in their room ?
A moderate degree of solitary confinement, imprisonment
with eamte7usent, instruction, classification, regularity, and
order, I believe would very soon materially lessen the Toni-
lily f crime committed in Ibis kingdom. As an illus-
tration of the effects produced amongst the prisoner. Arm_
selves by the capital pumishmeuts, I wish to read a note,
which was taken in the prison of ?frugal?, soon after the
execution of a woman of the name of Elisabeth Fricke, who
was executed for admitting a man to rob her mistreas,:od a
few days Ow the (Mille Association was first formed. " I
visited Newgate two days after the execution of E. Fricker ;
Instead of ending. as I expected, the whole of the criminals
awfully affected with what had passed, I found a spirit of pity
and lanseutation over the sufferers, with such an impression,
that the punishment exceeded the clime, that it elicited • feel-
ing of great displeasure, and even bitterness,not only towards
our laws, bet in those who put them into execution ; cud so
far from softening the heart, or leacher it from evil, it ap-
peared to harden them, and make them endeavour to justify
their own evimisal conduct, as well as that of theme who
suffered, and eves to fortify themselves through unbelief of
the truthauf religion, or to justify theniselres and those who
aeffered. by feeling they were not what they considered justly
slime by."
Having stated to the Committee your opinions as to the
effect of capitol punishment, can you give them any infiw-
motion as to the effect of transportation upon the women
you have seen in Newgate?—Certainly, from what we have
aerie, the effect appears le be bad ; I think that partly arises
front the want of the whole of the system beiug better acted
upon.
Do you not led it operatinz as a punishment most un-
equally ; some single women most anxious to go, end other
is with children. miserable at the thought of leaving
them behind ?-11init unequally. undoubtedly.
. .

From your experiewceis NewEste, is there any difference
made betweeu persons with females, soil persons without ?
—I have almost always found, that the Secretary of state
bas beau kiudly-stteniiire, as far IN be could be, to those
eases.
And yet, is fact, some people have tone who have left
their children bt bind ?—Undunbtedly, many.
Pis you ever bear of periods, husbands, in anxiety to fel-
low their wives. committing crimes to be sent after them;
anti women doing the same thin to be sent after their hits.
lands?—Yea; one of the WOWS •he suffered death lately,
Charlotte Newman, I believe, was iadoceil to commit the
crime she did from the great desire the had to follow her
husband to Botany Bay, sho had renumitted the same of.
fence, but it war thought proper to make an exstuple of be r,
awl she was executed.

Ilime you *ay Jerbtlr shut if a prison wee cunslraele•l, in
whirls the (mimics rural be employe.' in 'shone muted tis
receiving therein moral and minimum iiii,trtietenw, that
OH re .fistel,l be no in Aniline that tabour; and that
the result of that confinement mold be the Improvement of
the per out se csufiut4l2—Nu duubl of it; float ow cape•