The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-19 00:00:00

say that the governor was not without excuse, Ho was
furnished svitt.a•journal, and it was his duty to enter in it
all circumstances that might occur, which was laid before
the committee at their meeting every Monday morning,
when those entries were not passed over in silence but read
aloud, and every circumstance noticed and commented
upon. Consequently, if the governor had experienced any
difficulty in the course of the week, by then bringing it
forward he could easily have removed the responsibility
from his own shoulders and thrown it upon the committee.
While they could not conceal the fact that he had acted in
violation of the rules, it was the decided opinion of the
visiting justices that the governor had not been actuated
by any improper motives. If they had not that opinion
he would not have retained the confidence of the magi-
strates of the county one day longer. Of that he (Mr.
Woodward) was fully persuaded, and believed that Mr.
Hill, as governor of the House of Detention, had allowed
his kindlier l'eelings to get the better of his sense of duty,
which induced him to yield in the way ho had done. He
should conclude by moving a resolution that he thought
would meet the full justice of the case, and would at the
same time satisfy the public, that if hereafter there should
be any difference made in the treatment of prisoners sent
to the House of Detention, it would be found out by the
visiting justices, and the case of the persons in whose fa-
vour the difference was made would be brought before the
court and dealt with accordingly. He concluded by mov-
ing a resolution to the effect that the governor of the House
of Detention be called in and publicly reprimanded, for
the manner in which he had permitted the rules and regu-
lations of the prison to be broken and violated, by himself
personally as well as by the subordinate officers of the prison.
Mr. W. P. BODKIN, in seconding the resolution that had
just been brought before the notice of the court by Mr.
Woodward, said it was not without considerable hesitation
on his part that he had come to the conclusion that the
resolution now proposed was the proper mode to deal with
this matter. The governor, by his example, had shown a
total disregard of all the rules and regulations that should
be set by a superior officer to his subordinates—rules
which it wan his bounden duty to respect and maintain—
and in acceding to the resolution he thought they
were barely discharging their duty to the public, to their
brother magistrates, and to themselves, and instead of fol-
lowing it up by•more serious results, to deal with it by a
public reprimand. As far as he was aware of the indiscretion
of Mr. Hill, they had no reason to complain in any other
instance than the present. If they had, he should not have
voted for a simple reprimand, but that he should at once
be dismissed from his situation. He concluded by second-
ing the resolution that had been submitted to the court.
Mr. Burslem and Mr. Halsey both strongly denied that
they had ever given any instructions as to a violation of
the rules of the prison, either directly or indirectly.
Mr. Williams, M.P., thought the proposition of the
worthy magistrate did not deal sufficiently with the ques-
tion, where there had been a flagrant violation of the rules of
the court, sanctioned by the Secretary of State. They had
that day dismissed seven inferior officers for very venial
crimes. [lt may be necessary here to state that this was
in allusion to a matter referred to in the report of the visit-
ing justices of the House of Correction, Coldbath-fields, in
which it wakrecommended that seven sub-warders should
be dismissed for having employed prisoners to perform
trifling services for them, the gravest part of the charge
being that thO Vfisoners engraved the warders' names on bits
of metal to be attached to coffee-pots to be used in the prison,
which recommendation was confirmed by the court.] But in
this case there was a violation of all rules on the part of the
superior officer of the prison. After such continued viola-
tions of the rules by the governor, as set forth in the speech
of the gentleman who seconded the resolution, he was sur-
prised that he should have come to the conclusions he had
stated. He thought it was a question that ought to receive
their consideration, and that at least in the meantime the
governor should be suspended. It might be that the magic-
irates would be charged with making regulations to which
they obtained the sanction of the Secretary of State, but
which they allowed openly to be violated. They should re-
member the public eye was on them, and they should be
especially careful to deal out even-handed justice. The
governor having taken all the responsibility upon himself,
and having actually allowed one of the visitors to sleep in
Isis house all night, he could not see how the magistrates
could acquit themselves in public opinion by dealing with
the case in the way proposed by the resolution.
Mr. KIRBY, said, as he thought the question was of ex-
treme importance, he was not in favour of its being dis-
posed of in the hasty way now proposed. The public eye
was upon them, and what, was now said would bereported,
and it would go forth to the public to-morrow in the papers
that these three persons while in the prison had lived there
with as much freedom as in their own houses. There could
be no charge of a more serious nature, and he could see
nothing whatever to justify the governor in the course he
had taken on the present occasion. The governor had the
power to appeal to the committee if he wished to make a
relaxation of the rules in favour of any individuals, but
nothing could.jastify him in the course he had taken, or
them in dealing with it in the manner proposed. Their
rules had been set at nought, and it would go forth to•
morrow in the press, and be carried to every house in the
,ountry—and what would be said of the magistrates?
\Would it not be said that the poor man fora trifling offence
was treated with harshness, but to the highly criminal
offenders the giteatest leniency was shown ? He hoped,
therefore, that the matter would be reconsidered, and not
disposed of in the hasty way that was proposed,
Mr. ARMSTRONG said in the early part of the day he was
,'alled upon to confirm a recommendation to discharge
several subordinate officers, and although there was but a
slight charge against two, they felt it to be their duty to
discharge the whole of them ; but what would bO a repri-
mand to an individual under a much graver charge, who
would then walk out of this court unscathed and un-
touched ? If they tolerated this offence, it would soon
spread through the other institutions of the country, and
would prevent them visiting other officers with anything
beyond a reprimand, let their offences bo what they might.
4,s their rules were subject to a higher power in the person
of the Secretary of State, he thought they had no right to
let the matter pass over without getting his sanction to the
course that the court should pursue, as the rules that he
had sanctioned and approved had been violated by their
governor. After that, in common fairness to the minor
culprits, they ought to go something beyond a mere repri-
mand ; but before they came to any decision, he should like
to hear what the governor had to say in his defence. Before
they ridded themselves of the matter, and passed sentence
upon Mr. Hill, he thought that the evidence taken should
he submitted to the Secretary of State.
Mr. E. E. ANTROBUS said he could not forget that he
had that day been a party to the dismissal of seven officers
of the House of Correction, Coldbath fields, and one of the
House of Correction at Westminster for misconduct; and

he could not see how they could pass over one of the graven'

offences that had ever been committed since he had had
the honour of being in the couiraission of the peace. He
moved as an amendment :—" That the Governor of the
Hbuse of Detention bo suspended, and that the evidence
that has been taken be circulated and taken into considera.
tion on a future day."
Mr. GOODHART seconded the amendment.
Mr. W. PAYNE remarked that they should not lose sight
of the fact that the great object of this prison was to secure
prisoners from escape, so that they might be forthcoming
on a future day in a court of justice. By the rules of the

prison persons ;were required to do certain work, such as to
make their own tea and wash the yards and cells of the
prison ; but, by application to two justiceP, he found that
certain privileges could be granted to them in their exemp-
tion from such duties. He found also that by the rules pri-
soners could have a pint of wine per day. (A. laugh
and cries of " Porter.") Gentlemen might laugh at it,
but he would read it to them from their own printed
regulations for the House of Correction, Coldbath-
fields, and House cf Detention. (Mr. Payne here read
from a report that prisoners might be exempted from
having their hair cut, from bathing, &c., but it ap-
peared that it was an old copy of the rules not now
in force.) Mr. Payne said if these rules were obsolete
he could say nothing more upon them, but still be ob-
tained from them this fact, that at that time certain pri-
vileges were granted to certain individuals. It was in this
way that the COIIIII2OII thief or prostitute did not want such
privileges as were granted to parties in a higher stage of
life. He thought the governor aoted from superabundant
kindness, and if he erred it was only on the side of kind.
ness, and not with any intention to do wrong. He believed

_ .
that justice wou, be fully administered by adopting the
course pointed out by the resolution.
Mr. WOODWARb, in reply, said that some gentleman
had remarked that the eyes of the public were upon them
in reference to that question, and such no doubt would be
the case, but the proceedings of that day would show that
it could not be done without coming under the notice of
the court. If the governor, or other officer, violated the
rules of the prison, it would be found out by the visiting
justice, and he believed the justice of the case would be
answered in the way he had proposed. If the governor
was reprimanded it would go forth to this:public, which
would in itself be a great punishment to a person in his
position, and it was by no means necessary to keep the
matter open for further discussion.
The CHAIRMAN then put the question, when there ap-
peared—

For the amendment 24
Against ik....... , • 5
Majoiltflor the amendment —lo
The ansendmelq yf as then declared to be carried, and
Air. Sims, the dquiyagovernor,
.
pm tern. was appointed governor

Some routine business was disposed of, and the court
adjourned,

Thu BISHOPRIC OF LARTYAN.—The Rev. Dr. Francis
Thos. Macdougall, of Oxford University, who ha, been
appointed to the B;shoprie of Labuan, was consecrated
yesterday by the Bishops of Calcutta, Victoria, and
Madras.
LRITH.—RESIGNATION OF PROVOST PHILIP.—We
are happy to be able to state that the town clerk bas
received a letter from the provost, resigning his office,
he, from all that has transpired, having seen it to be his
duty to' take this titep.--Leith Herald.
THE PETERBOROUGH GRAND CHORAL FESTIVAL.—
The Grand Choral Festival was celebrated in the nave ,
of the Cathedral ou Tuesday