The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-04 00:00:00

FRANCE.

BOURSE, Jan. 2.—The market has been firm,
but still only a limited amoun. of business doing
Threes, for the Account, are now at 66fr. 55c.
Mobiler shows a slight improvement, being at
1,050 fr. Railway Market quiet, but former
prices well maintained. Prises again receded
towards the close, and left
41 per Cents. 94 90
Do. end month
3 per Cents
Do. end month 66 35
Credit Mobilier 1035
no. end month —
Bank Shares 3290
Credit koncier
Roman
RAIL'

off as follows:—
Italian Loan 7l GO
Do. end month 7l 45
Sew ditto
Do. end month —
Russian
Austrian
Spanish Threes.,,, s2*
Rome Debt .. 5l 50
Deferred

rAlfB.
Cash. Account.
977 50 .. 971 25
970 .. 972 50

Orleans ...
Northern
New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 930 .. 930
New ditto ...... ~ 888 75 .. _.
680 682 50

Southern - ..
Western ........ 506 25 .. 506 25
Lantern .............• 477 50 .. 476 25
Sardinian .............. 397 50 .. 395
Austrian ........ 403 75 .. 402 50
Lowbard , ............. 518 75 .. 520
North of Spain ........ 520 .. 518 76
Saragossa .. 617 50 .. 615
Ditto to Barcelona .... .. 300 ---

PRISON DISCIPLINE•

The annual report of Mr. Herbert Voules, inspec-
tor of prisons in the northern district of Great
Britain, has been issued. It brings to the notice of
the Government the difference between England
and Scotland in regard to the punishment of prison
offences. In England there are definite rules, which
limit the authority of the v:siting justices and the
governor ; in Scotland there may be said to be none,
except that the use of handcuffs and fetters is limited
as it England. The rules framed by the late General
Board of Directors of Scotch prisons content them-
selves with stating generally that punishment for
misconduct in prison "must not be more severe
than is considered necessary to, produce the
desired effect." Flogging is, indeed, prohibited
in England; it may be ordered by the visiting jus-
tices in the case of prisoners convicted of felony or
sentenced to hard labour, and the inspector is con-
vinced that the power is much required for the main-
tenance of discipline in Scotch prisons. The account
given of severalof the Scotch prisons is unsatisfactory,
Ventilation is often defective, and the atmosphere();
the cells is sometimes found very offensive. The
prison staff is in many cases deficient in strength, and
sometimes in other particulars. In Dumbarton prison
the matron set a female prisoner to work by herself
in the kitchen with the key of the inner door of the
prison lying on the table, the cuter door being left
open for the admission of workmen ; the prisoner,
of course, was soon outside the gaol. The report in-
cludes the northern and north- midland parts of Eng
land, as well as Scotland. It is stated that much
mischief is still allowed to be caused by intercourse
of the prisoners with one another, the hardened with
the fresh ; and the helpless conditi)n of discharged
prisoners still almost drives them to their old haunts
and associates. In Newcastle Gaol there was a
young man of 23 who had been convicted 36 times,
and a woman of 35 who had been in that same pri-
son 50 times before. They seem to belong to the
class of whom the Ordinary of Newgate said before
the Commission on Transportation that mercy to
such persons is nonsense. A rather curious state-
ment is made respecting Carlisle County Gaol, that
the visiting justices have authorised the governor to
give employment (other than hard labour) to all
prisoners committed from the county court, and that
may account for the small number of debtors in this
gaol,