The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-22 00:00:00

T/IE NATIONAL REGISTER.

directed my printer to alter them in any future edition of
my book. Hut I will contest to you that I have given
thie order at the itninineset peril of spoiling my paragraph;
fur it is in vain that I barest-etched for other terms equally
descriptive of the tooth. West: I milled upon to define
the expression, " Sink tit idlestees," 1 should say that it
" a place lato which warms f idle habits haw a
toulen,l to he gathered. tad in which, Weer they ore once ga-
there 1, their kaheta of irtknass are continued and roisflitured."
Certainly no description can be more accurately aoplir ü-
ble to any prison, in which criminal* are pruvided with no
kind of ocenpaiion.
It is wills pleasure, Gentlemen, and %holly witatint
irritation, that lonia quit the subject of um grave debates
in order to notice a mach mare its portent 1.06141,00 which
it appetite that we are fully agreed.
In one part of your addle.. to the pnblic, you state, that
" the Mag est rate. have never discouraged the employmeut
of the pi isoners again, yun say that "the Mc garrotes
would lie glad to see the pii•oscla employed;" and I hese
now lying lief .cc me a document r Melt goes still further
—which proves that yui. nut only Ai nut discourage the em
ply) went oily prisoner:. ; that you nor only wish ford r
but that you actually intend to pursue that imp°, tont ohjer t.
The &remitted to witch I ethnic is a resolution mooed at
the General Quarter Sessions. lucid by adjournment oil
the gad at lest month, hel'ute B. Leman, &op Mayor, Holt'.
Alderson, Esq. Ste a arc% Cu Krowne. John Pain:-
son, Esq. and others their fellows. It is as follows :
" Itettolt. ea, that the thanks of this cool be given la J. J.
ney, Esq. fur hi• c • :dam it...pectin: the Jnil;
anti that he tie tiefitiniired that it is the intention of the
31egisti ale/. in pm sue some Wet) tar the employment of
prre••trs (.n101114.11 in the pri•on• of this city."
In the pursuit of this object. however, you appear to labour
under *time hole daculty, which I will now shortly endeavour
to remove. "It is well known." you say, " they (the prisoners)
cannot be compelled to wurk, nor have tic Magistrates the power
to provide materials for them."
A large proportion of the piesoners now in Norwich have been
senteeced to a term of imprisonment in a House of Correction.
These can, of course, and ought to be " compelled re voraa."—
%Stith untried prisoners, to ahem you probably intend to allude,
compulsion is certainly hap:wart but it is also needl.a, : for
such persons are generally Sound to embrace with eagerness the
opportunity of employment. To fill the vacancy of ',tea,' a
tedious hour, and to accumulate for future &cartons, a small
sum of meney, are the nataral objects of their de.ire; and no-
thing surely can be aline worthy than such a desire, of encourage-
ment; because it is by putting these very motives into action that
we are mast likely to produce reformation. Of the three criminals
in. your jail, now employed in shoe-making, two are limited
prisoners.
Front your other supposed impediment respecting material..
it is in my power entirely to relieve you, tor there is an Act of
Parliament on that specific subject. leis the lath of Charles 11.
chap. 4. and runs in the following terms Wilma, there is
not yet any sufficient prtr.ision made for the relief and setting on
work of poor and needy persons committed to the common gaol
for felony and other mitalemeanors, who many times petislt
before their trial, and the poor there living and arreotyloy..l
bacon dehurelred and come forth instructed in the practise of
thievery and lewdness; for remedy whereof be it enaet:d, fee.
that the Justices of the Peace of the respective counties at any
of their General Sessions, or the major pats of them Owen there
assembled, if they shall find it needful so to do, 110.11 providr a
stock ry' such vorteri3l2 us they find corroerrieut lear the selling poor
prisoners on :cork, in such manner and by such ways as otoer
county charges by the laws and stances of the realm toe and may
be levied and raised." The provisions of this Act (altich I pre-
! some by construction to be available for cities as well as for
counties, and which is el, :day available fur the "county and city"
of Norwich,) arc confirmed and enlarged by 31 Geo. 111. c. 46.
You ate, therefore, furnished with full authority to provide your
prisoners with materials for work ; but were it otherwise, it could
of no importance, because a system of labor in prisons, if
judiciously conducted, may always be made to pay its own ex-
pence..
I am confident, Gentlemen, that all your difficulties in pro-
mining so excellent an object will presently subside; and I ant
equally confident (I say it with real sincerity) that your deter-
mination, it' vigorously acted on, will not only plate you beyond
the reach of minnire, but will call forth in your behalf, the cor-
dial gratitude and commendation of the community over which
you prc.i le. That regular and constant employment is a most
important means of producing amendment in those ta.praved and
ills...ohne persons, who mostly inhabit our prisons, is a fact not
to be contradicted. It is probable on theory and aseertaimal by
practice.
I have only to ;tad, on this subject, that my humble Mints in
the promotion of so aood a cause, continue to be much at your
service; but you arc well aware, that nothing material can be
effected in it, without the full countenance and support of ma-
gisterial authority.
Before Pconclude, I will take the liberty once more publicly
to declare my °Onion, that the evils and defects existing in our
present .tail and Hndewell, are, from the nature of the build-
mgs,
_quite incapable of being completely remedied. lam con-
vinced that a new prison might be erected at Norwich, Ho serve
the purpose's boat of a Jail and a Penitentiary) which. if eon-
dttet,sl on tie excellent principles adojaed at Bury, Ileltester,
Philadelphia, Ghent, and other places, would not only he of the
greatest advantage to ourselves, but would abut a beneficial
example to the whole country.
I heartily desire that you and year brother Magi trans! may
be induced maturely to weigh this important subject, before you
finally discard it. Should you institute any proceedings towards
tile accomplishment °fro great an object. I folly lrelli,:tec you will
meet with the cordial and liberal co.operation of your fellow-
'citizens; mony of whom are thorougnly convinced. that no
measurer. are so worthy of support—that none are so truly vont).
Inical—as those which are calculated to improve rid inanave
the morals of the people.•
1 have now only to apologize to you and moor common hind
" the Testae," for the length of my letter, and to saber:ram
myself, (as I can with the greatest Vault)
Your rineaellictel red atom ea II wisher,
JOSEPH JOHN GURNEY.
Earlhorn. 7.1 Month 16'h, 1519. . .

• 1Voo1;1 Oat anionget such measures, could be numbered
our Wo:•1 ; than which, as they me now condcted.
fear by bout parties) there cannot study de...ised. a more
open scheme of scandalous bribery and corruption; a more I•ro-
th;tate oaste of money ; a more conceniunt occa.sim tor loos...and
blr.sphcn ous ribaldry; a mere fruitful esoturre ul nil cry. drunk-
tameas, and crime ; a more °main Ince"l of sr.ri,ing the in,:c•
r.ldcncc, and .1 -umying C c mtrals of the corn:: timty ,
p,'rpo.;f;;lly • ertruiai,iyAr for. ~,, am, 1;1,,,,,„ a and fh • j.flf.'s! A;:o
for t' at sirtnott, a d !,,,matmbh• Ealii,;; in al , 1.. of so; i• y.
w. de,;e:alitti; and )e;
pest. ;ed.

; " , •
I 1.1•1 ii.e I:, ' •
',lima 1., the N,

a:i , Si.a ,

.91 .

A most humorous publication, from the rya of
the Author of Lelia Rookh, bus just made its ap-
pearance, under the title of, " Tom Crib's Memorial
to Congtme: with a Preface, Notes, and Appendix.
By One of the Fumy." We make the &Bowing
extracts front the Appendix a‘ a sample, and may,
perhaps, be tempted to continue thaw next week.

TA-HIP. MY HEARTIES!
Sung br Jaen Ileum. the Coachman, at a late Masepiende
in St. Giles's. in the Character of Lord C-rt-..5--onh.

I first was hir'd to pelt a Hark
They call " The Erin," sometime back.
Where soon I leorn'd to patterjksh.
To curb the tits and tip the 144
Which pleaed the Mister of TOE CROSS
So anvil. be had me up to town.
And gave me lots of paid, a year.
To tool " The Constitution" hers
So, ya.hip, Hearties ! here am
That drive the Constitution Fly.

Some wonder how the Fly hold► out,
So cones 'tis within, without ;
So loaded, toe, through thick and thin,
And with such henry creturs Iw.
But, Lord, 'twill last our time—or it
The wheels should, now and then, get stiC
01! of Pulm's the thing that, flowing,
Sets the ;caws and fences going!
So, ya-hip, Hearties 1 da.

Some wonder, too, the tits that pull
This raw ro,:rern along, so full.
Should never bark, or bolt, or kick
The loel and driver to Old Nick.
But, never fear—the breed, though British.
is now no longer game or skittish
Except, sometimes, about their cons.
Tauter Ilamyhahmas never were born.
So, ri-hip. Howie& to.

And then so sociably we tiAtt!..—
W bile sane have plates. mug. bseida,
Some, hoping to be there anon.
Through many a dirty road ha"g on.
And when we reach a filthy spot.
(Plenty of which there are, God not)
You'd laugh to see with what an air
We take the spatter—each his share!
So. ya-hip. Hearties! die.

The other song of Mr. Gregson, which I have
been lucky enough to lay hold of. was sung by
Old Prosy, the Jew, who went in the character a
Major C-. RTW-..-61-Ir, and who having been, at one
time of his life, apprentice to a mountebank doctor,
was able to enumerate, with much volubility, the
virtues of a certain hitallib7e nostrum, which he
called his ANNUAL PILL. The pronunciation of
the Jew added considerably to the effect.

TILE ANNUAL PILL.
Sung by OLD PROSY, the Jew. in the Character of 114 cir

C-HT W-lIT.

"ill nobodies try my nice Annual Pill.
Dais to purify every ting nashty awl?
ma heart, ideas ma ileum let ma say vat I yin.

Not a Christitian or filientleman minds vat I say !
'Ti,. so pretty a bolus !—just down Ict it go,
And, at vonce, such a radical shange you vill see,
Dat I'd not be surptibled, like (le horse in ee show,
If our head, all vcrc found, vete our Nash ought to be l
nobodies try my nice Aam.sal Pill, &t.

'Twill cure a:1 Electors, and purge away clear
hat mighty Ira] itching dey're'ffut in their hands—
'Twill cure, too, 6111 Statesman, of dulneis, ma tear,

Though the eitse vas as desftrate as poor Mr. VAN'S.
Dere is noting all vat dis Pill vill not reach—
Give the Sinecure Shentlenian von little grain,
l'laaa ma heart, it 'sill act, like tle salt on tic leach,
And hell throw de pounds, shillings, and pence up again
N'ill uchotlits try my nice Annual Pill. de.c.

'1 smith: be tedious, ma tear, all its pautizs to paint—.
Dat, anu.r.:; oder Mtgs./and WTMV,
It viii cure thC Pro d low-3 co.tunon complaint
Among l'.'s and weavers—from sittivic too long.
Should cymptoms of Speer/tire imeak tau en a aunties
(Vat is ntt, a de caw) it vill stop de disease.
And pring tivay all de long sileeelics at
Dat else v.•uitlt 1.7:e tape-worm!, s• ••, :.•
VIP rothodio tr. it 3,i •