The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-09 00:00:00

MEETING OF MIDDLESEX MAGISTRATES.

Yesterday a meeting of the magistracy of this county
was held for the despatch of business. Mr. Pownall
presided, and there was a full attendance. The usual
prison reports were presented and adopted. The number
of prisoners in the House of Correction, Coldbath-fields,
was 1,327, in the Westminster Bridewell 889, and in the
House of Detention 197.
THE CITY COMMISSION AND THE COUNTY.

Mr. WOODWARD said, he wished to put to the chair-
man a question of some little importance in reference to
the credit of the county. In the reports of the proceed-
ings before the commissioners appointed to inquire into
the city corporation in the papers of the 26th November
it appeared that the chairman having asked Captain
Williams, the inspector of prisons, whether there was
any point to which he wished to refer, that gentleman
said—" Yes, I would just mention, as it tends to the
credit of the corporation, that they have applied consi-
derable sums of money from the Orphans' Fund, which
is created out of the coal duties, to the promotion of ob-
jects of public importance in Middlesex. Ten years ago
they voluntarily voted 11,0001. from that fund for the
erection of the Middlesex Sessions-house, and 5,500/. for
the Guildhall at Westminster." Now, he was one of the
members of that court, and conversant with the accounts,
and he read this statement with very great astonishment,
because there was no entry of any such aid having been
received from the city, and he therefore wished to ask
whether there was any statement of such money having
been received in the public accounts of the court ?
The CHAIRMAN said, there was a very great mistake
in the statement referred to. Instead of ten years, the
matter occurred 80 years ago, and the payments were
made under an act of Parliament, 18th of George 111.,
chap. 67. By that act the magistrates were required to
pull down Hicks's-hall, which was given to the county as
a sessions house in the reign of James 1., and which was
situate in the centre of St. John-street, Smithfield, and
the city corporation was directed to pay to the county
11,000/. out of the Orphans' Fund towards the erection
of another house, in consideration of which the county
gave up the site of Hicks's-hall to the public. In the
same year, by another act, chap. 72, the Orphans' Fund
was shown to be more than sufficient for the purposes
provided for under the original act, and the city was
directed to pay out of it the sum of 5,500/. to the trus-
tees for the Guildhall at Westminster. That sum was
paid at the time, but since then no money whatever had
been received from the city for county purposes. It had
been said that the city maintained the prisoners of the
county. The city in bygone days purchased of the Crown
the right of appointing the sheriff of the county, and
the person appointed received the fees of the county
shrievalty ; and, of course, the sheriff receiving those
fees must maintain the prisoners in his jurisdiction.
Mr. Serjeant ADAMS eremarked that these voluntary
votes, then, were compulsory under an act of Parlia-
ment. (A. laugh.) With respect to the maintenance of
the county prisoners by the city, they were only kept
while in Newgate awaiting trial. After conviction they
were sent for punishment to the county prisons, and
were at the county charge.
Mr. WOODWARD expressed his satisfaction that this
explanation had been given.