The National Register.
London, England, 1818-08-23 00:00:00

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OF THE METROPOLL9.

Pullet 9411.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE PRISO.V.;

This important document respecting the state of the
prisons within the City of London and Borough of
Southwark, which was ordered by the House of Com.
mous to bi.; printed, has been just issued from the
The tninut‘s of evidence exten:i to a very great length.
We must content ourselves with giving the result of the
Committee's investigation, with regard to the prin.
eipal prison, Netvgate, as expres.:ed in the following
statement :

" Oa the whole, therefore, it appears to your Com-
mittee, that so far as the construction aril extent 4.;
NelVkite siapermit, the erearaient cf tote prisotZer
generally isMal*as meeta with their approbation. The
prison litre does not appear worse, or more severe, than
is consi. with such an establishment, or injurious
to t 1 h of the prisoners.
tion of a former Committee was directad
ne • dad state of Newgate, which at that time
IN • t e piece of confinement, not only fie criminaie
but also for &eters. The new prison in Whitecross
Street, has relieved Newgate of the debtors ; yet, with
the conviction of the impartanee.pf elassificatiorid6l'
separation, which your Committee cannot too frequently
or too strongly press oft the attention of the House,
they consider the ateommodation of this prison as still
altogether inadequate.
" When the local position of Newgate is consitlerecle
and the great expellee alreely incurred by the 6.lty of
Lianclon,eit cannot be expected that the present gaol
should be pulled down, and a hatter constructed, more
commodious, and. a more extended prison erected in its
place, which could only he effected at a most enormous
expellee. Your Committee, therefore, must confine
their suggestions of improvement to a change in the
appropriation of the present buildings.
" It appears to your Committee, that very material
improvement may be facilitated without nny great or
unreasonable sacrifice. The regular and immediate
removal of convicts after every Seskions would give
scope fur numy important alterations; and provision
ought to be made for that purpose by an establishment,
where, inland ‘f 'liaing in acetate of filth-and idlettees.
the convicts may be usefully employed. And they may.
thriller remark, that if larcenies were tried at the
(garter Sessions, as in other counties, instead of be-
ing tried at the Old Bailey, a considerable. influx of
prisoners would be prevented. But, if your Committee
inigit venture to suggest what appears to them the most
expedient arrangement, they would recommend that
Newgate, as attatched to the Old Bailey, should be
exclusively appropriated to prisoners for trial. On a-
review, then, of the whole evidence concerning New-
gate, as well as from the observatiens they were able
to make while inspecting the prison, your Committee
are decidedly of opinion, that the public interest requires
a speedy alteration in the condition of Newoae te. - They
impute no blame to the present keeper (Mr. Brown),
and the orders and regulations he has adopted under
the sanction of the City Magistrates are a great im-
provement ; but the want of sufficient room to classify
the prisoners—the entire absence, as frr as the men and
boys are concerned, of all employment—the prosnia
cuous assemblage of persons of all deseriptions,- ages,
and characters of crime, have deeply impressed your
Committee with the opinion, that no one can eater the
walls of Nee-gate without going out from thence more
depraved and corrupted than when first committed
thereto. And though the Magistrates of the city of
London have shown a praiseworthy disposition to re-
medy the grievances complained of in forruer Aimee, yet
front the over crowded state of the prison, and the
confined accommodation for its numerous inhabitants,
the main and prominent evils cannot be removed ; and
still less would it be possible so to rgoliate its in-
terior arrangement as to fit it for those purposes of re-
furtnatory punishment wuick the good of soeiety re.