The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-30 00:00:00

THIRD EDITION

SUN OFFICE, SEVEN O'CLOCK.

Bank of England Return.—This Day.

An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth Victoria
cap. 32, for the week endingon Wednesday, the 29th day
of July, 1863:

ISRUE DEPARTMENT.

Notes issued ......£28.561,C50

Government Debt £11,015,1C0
Other Securities .. 3.634,900
Gold Coin & Bullion 13,9H,050
Silver Bullion

£28,564,050

£28,564,05

BANKING D;
?roprietors' Capi-
tal 414.553,000
Rest
Public Deposits (in-
cluding Exche-
quer, Savings'
Banks, Commis-
missioners of Na-
tional Debt, and
Dividend Ac-

:PARTMENT.
Government Secu-
rities (including

Dead Weight A-
nnuity) £11,005,888
Other Securities 19,374,052
Notes
Gold and Silver 830,185
Coin

counts) 5,629.252
Other Deposits 14,441,872
Seven Day and
other Bills 630,746

£38,576,24.)
M. ]

£38,576,240
[ARSHALL, Chief Cashier.

July 30,1863.

GAOL DISCIPLINE IN ENGLAND.

The report of the select committee of the House
of Lords, together with the minutes of evidence on
gaol discipline, forming a blue book of M 2 pages,
has just been published. The present state of dis-
cipline in the gaols and houses of correction is dis-
cussed at considerable length, and the conclusion
arrived at by the committee is, that it is desirable
to establish without delay a system approaching as
nearly as may be practicable to a uniformity of
labour,diet, and treatment ; and that whilst indus-
trial occupation should in certain stages farm a part
of prison discipline, the more strictly penal element
of that discipline is the chief means of exercising
a deterrent influence, and therefore ought not
be weakened, as it has been in some gaols,
still less to he entirely withdrawn. Association
or a mixed system of association and separa-
tion, prevails in many gaols. Such anomalies, how-
' ever, are, in the opinion of the committee, very ob-
jectionable. They should be removed at the earliest
practicable time; and their present existence can
only be justified by the difficulties of reconstruction,
an d the natural reluctance of the local authorities
to incur a heavy expenditure. Referring to the
course of legislation, now extending over many
years, and to the opinion of the highest authorities,
the committee consider that the system generally
known as the separate system must now be accepted
as the foundation of prison discipline, and that its
rigid maintenance is a vital principle in the efficiency
of county and borough gaols; and they recommend
that legislative measures should be taken to render
the adoption of separation obligatory upon all
gaols and houses of correction in England
and Wales; in short, that it should be made
to pervade the entire system of the prison.
There are also many cases, the committee urge, in
which it would be possible to substitute the shorter
.terms of three and seven days' solitary confinement
on bread and water for the present sentences, rang-
ing from seven to twenty-one days, with hard la-
bour, a term which they consider requires an au-
thoritative definition by Act of Parliament. The
committee further express their opinion that the
treadwheel and crank do not demoralise the pri-
soner, as is commonly asserted ; they recommend
that every prisoner sentenced to hard labour, shall,
unless exempted by medical authority on grounds of
health, be employed at the treadwheel or crank not
less than eight hours per day the first three, and
not less than six hours per day during the next
three months of the first year of imprisonment; and,
as a condition of the receipt of the Treasury allow-
ance, that all gaols and houses of correction shall be
provided with a sufficient supply of hard labour ma-
chinery for the average number of male
prisoners
sentenced to such punishment. With respect to
the question of prison diet,
be modified, they
present scale may with advantagthee
while admitting that the
effect produced
are of opinion that, as regards
by confinement upon prisoners, and the necessity of
further investiga-
tion is needed; and, under
certain ingredients in the food,
these circumstances,
tho committee recommend that a commissicn be
appointed to inquire into these questions with
authority to determine
by experiment the points
referred to them.
Daring short sentences, or the
earlier stages
of a long confinement, the prisoner
should madea to dispense with the use of a mat-
tress,should sleep upon planks, as
and Sho is the ease
in military
prisons. The usual period
of 97; to
10 hours devoted to sleep the
committee think
exceeds the fair allowance due to health, and is ie.
jurious both to the prisoners and to the prison dis-
cipline. They would, therefore, limit the time
which the prisoners are allowed in bed to eight
hours. A portion of the evening,after the labour
of the day, might be devoted to school instruction;
but under no circumstances should the school
become a substitute for labour. In reference to
prison punishments, the committee state that "the
most experienced 'witnesses are unanimous as to
the wholesome influence of corporal punishment ;
some, indeed, have stated that they have never
known it ineffective : and the committee wish
to record their opinion of its great value as
one form of disciplinary correction." In con-
clusion, the committee recommend that power
should be given, in cases where the borough gaol is
too limited to admit of satisfactory arrangements,
to the corporation or governing body, to contract
with the county gaol upon such terms as the Secre-
tary of State shall approve; and, further, that these
borough gaols which are not required for purposes
of present or future utility should be scheduled in a
bill for entire abolition.