The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-10 00:00:00

COURT OP ALDERMEN.

A Court of Aldermen was holden yesterday—the Right
Hon. the Lord Mayor presided.

THE CITY GAOLS.

The Sheriffs (Messrs. Nissen and Cave) made a report of
the state of the City gaols, by which it appeared that there
are at present in Newgate 77 prisoners ; in the debtors' pri-
son, 105; and at the City prison, Holloway, 407 prisoners.

THE CONDEMNED PIRATES.
Aldermau SIDNEY, M.P., said he should like to ask a
question which he considered of some importance. It was
their duty, as magistrates of the city of London and vishing
justices of the gaol of Newgate, to receive a report from the
sheriffs of the state and condition of that gaol, and he ob-
served by the one that had just been presented to the Court,
that it contained the very dreadful statement that no less
than seven prisoners were at the present time in that prison
under sentence of death. The point upon which he wished
to be informed war, whether the sheriffs, whose painful duty
it was to carry out the sentence of the law, had made any
communication to the Government with a view to ascertain
whether it was intended that the sentence of death should
be carried out in the heart of London, and whether it would
not be considered desirable that the sentence should be exe-
cuted at some other place. He did so partly in consequence
of a remonstrance that had been made to him by a number
of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, who were pain-
fully sensible of the dreadful scenes that took place even
upon the occasion of a single execution, and who expressed
their opinion that the execution of seven men at one time,
in such a place as the Old Bailey, was calculated to pro-
duce a scene of the most fearful character, and that the
feelings of society generally would be outraged by an exe-
cution of such a description taking place in the city of
London. They were also of opinion, and he concurred
with them, that the immense multitude of persons that
would be collected, a great number of whom would un-
doubtedly be the very scum of society, might be productive
of some serious outrages and excesses ; and he wished to
know whether there was any precedent for the execution of
pirates, as these men were, in the city of London. He had
always understood that it was the practice to execute such
prisoners at the river shore, or at one of the seaport towns ;
and he was desirous of being informed whether the sheriffs
had taken any steps to save the citizens of London from such
a dreadful exhibition, and whether they had made any
communication to the Home Secretary on the subject.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Sheriff NISSEN said he had to state that he and his
colleague had that day addressed a communication to Sir G.
Grey upon the subject referred to by the worthy alderman,
asking whether he did not think it advisable that the sen-
tence should be carried out upon those prisoners in some
other place than the city of London. (Hear, hear.) They
had also called his attention to some observations that had
been made by Sir G. Bowyer, in the House of Commons,
upon the subject, and asked the Secretary of St ate to com-
municate with the law officers of the Crown, with a view to
ascertain whether the sentence might not legally be carried
out at some other place, in order that the metropolis might
be spared the dreadful scenes that must inevitably take place
if the sentence of death is carried out at the Old Bailey.
(Hear, hear.)
after-
wards adjourned.an bject then dropped, mid the Court shortly after-