The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-02 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY.

An amusing sketch, by Charles Hervey, " A Mes-
meric Soiree," represents a " mesmerised subject "
electrifying a party of the Parisian noblesse by some
strange prophecies, which very shortly afterwards
the recent revolution most strangely verifitd. Emi-
gration seems a favourite topic with the New Monthly
for June. We have no less than three articles re-
ferring to this important subject, namely " estern
Australia," by J. IV. Blundell ; "Hints to Emigrants
to New South Wales," by the Hon. W. IVrothesley ;
and a continuation of "Men and Things in Austra-
lia." The first article in this magazine, " Gore
House," by an American Traveller, is one
of that light gossiping character so agree•
able to magazine readers. It contains
a variety of anecdotes and reminiscences concerning
Lady Btessington and some of her celebrated visitors,
and a description of many of those rare articles which
once adorned Gore House, but which recent mis-
fortunes have scattered far and wide. " Prospects of
the Legitimists in France" is, of course, an article of
that legitimate character to be anticipated from the
New Monthly. It concludes by echoing M. Charles
Didier's sentiments,
when he first addressed the
existing representative of legitimacy—`‘ If France,
exhausted by experiments, and with resources gone,
cannot find in the elective power (` universal suffrage
Ile should have said,' observes the writer of the New
Monthly) the stability she pursues, where can she
seek for it except in the RESTORATION ?" The point
of this sentence, be it observed, rests upon the if. IF
the elective power cannot benefit France, perhaps it
may be advisable to call in the assistance of Nicholas
of Russia—in the meantime let France have the
benefit of the doubt.

MEETING OF MIDDLESEX
MAGISTRATES.
THE PRISON AND OTHER REPORTS.
At the Court held on Thursday the Deputy-Clerk of
the Peace laid before it the reports of the various coin.
Enlaces, and from the report of the committee of Visiting
Justices of the House of Correction at Coldbath-fields, it
will be scen that, with a view to reduce the now increas•
ing number of persons committed to the county prisons
for vagrancy, and for wilfully breaking windows, they
have adopted a new mode of treatment in respect of diet,
and which will be acted uprn in each of the prisons in
the county.
Tho report of the Finance and General Purpose Com-
mittee stated that from the 4th of April to the 14th of
May Mr. Wakley, the coroner, held 126 inquisitions, the
fees, mileage, and disbursements upon which amounted
to 3391. 18s. 3d. From the 7th of April to the 19;1 of
May, Mr. Baker held 112 inquisitions, the like charges
for which were 3911. 11x. lld , and for 72 inquisitions
held by Mr. Bedford the like charges amounted to 2341.
1 ls. 3d. Total inquests, 310; cost, 9661. ls. 3d.
On the motion of Mr. KEDISHEAD, the chairman of the
committee, the county treasurer was directed to pay these
sums.

COLDBATH•FIELDS HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
The number of prisoners in this establishment was
866 males, 243 females, and 15 children—total, 1,144.
. The general health of the prison was good, not a single
patient was in the infirmary, and very few required mt-
dical attention. The report stated that, " the visiting
justices here had under their consideration the present
dietary respecting vagrants and other offenders com-
mitted for periods under and not exceeding twenty-one
days; and, being of opinion that it would be desirable
and expedient to reduce the dietary of such prisoners (in
which opinion the Governor, on consultation, fully con-
curred), they recommend the Court to direct that in
future the dietary for vagrants and prisoners committed
for offences in workhouses, for wilfully breaking win-
dows or assaulting parish constables, or other officers,
shall be as follows :—Ft,r such prisoners, committed for
seven days and under, bread and water only; ditto com-
mitted for from seven to fourteen days, bread and gruel
only; ditto, committed for from fourteen to twenty-one
days, bread and porridge only."
-Mr HECTOR ROSE, the chairman of the committee,
moved the adoption of the report, and hoped that the
court would order the suggestions as to the dietary to
be acted upon. A similar course of treatment had been
tried with success in the Sussex and Surrey prisons, and
he had no doubt that when the metropolitan " cadgers,"
and those who smashed costly windows to get into
prison, knew that this comfortless diet was all they would
get in prison, the committals for those offences would
materially decrease.—(Applause.) The distinction be-
tween " gruel" and " porridge" was, that in the latter
there was boiled a little rice.

The CIIAIRMA.N reminded the court that tho alteration
would have to be sanctioned by the Secretary of State,
and ho considered that the pickpocket—the professional
depredator on the public—ought to be subjected to the
same treatment.

Ater some discussion, the proposed dietary was
agreed upon; and on the motion of Mr. Botch, the
visiting justices of Westminster Bridwell were requested
by the court to adopt a similar scale.
Mr. RUSE hoped that through the medium of the
public press the alteration would be made as extensively
known as possible.
The Westminster Bridewell was reported to contain
618 male and 176 female prisoners, exclusive of seven-
tten children. Tho state of the establishment was
satisfactory.
A satisfactory report from the House of Detention was
read. The prison contained about the average number
of prisoners.
The Court considered the report of a committee ap.
pointed to revise and amend the standing orders of the
Court, and the standing orders as amended were ordered
to be permanent.
Mr. DEVON moved, pursuant to notice, that the fol-
lowing resolution of the Court, passed at the last county
day, be declared a standing order of the Court:—" That
no justice shall be eligible to serve on more than one
committee at the same time."

A long discussion ensued, in the course of which
Mr. W. WaLLIAms observed, that though he was but
a young member of that court, he had seen sufficient to
convince him that by a little combination the powers
and functions of nearly the whole of the committees
could be concentrated in the hands of a select few; and,
though he was far from imputing it to any members of
that court, where such a system existed jobbery could
exist too. If this resolution were passed into a standing
order, it would put an end to such a system, and ho
hoped, therefore, that the motion would be carried.
The motion was carried by a majority of 1, the num-
bers being--for the motion, 12; against it, 11.

PROPOSAL FuR A NEW COUNTY PRISON.
Mr. ROTCLI gave I.l,,tice of his intention to move at
the next Court, " That, with a view to relieve the very
overcrowded state of the Houses of Correction at Cold-
bath-fields and Westminster, and to the more effectual
punishment of juvenile offenders, a committee be ap-
pointed by the Court to consider the expediency of in-
stituting a separate establishment for the confinement of
that class of prisoners in the county of Middlesex, and
to report thereon to the Court."
The Court then adjourned.

MANSION HOUSE.—Yesterday the Lord Mayor
had the honour of receiving at dinner, in the Egyptian
Hall, the Earl of Yarborough, Mr. Yorke, the High
Sheriff of Lincolnshire; Sir John Trollops, Bart, P
• •,
the Hon. F. J. Tollemache, ALP., Mr. Christopher,
M.P., Colonel Sibthorp, M.P., Mr. E. Heneage, M.P.,
Mr. Hobhouse, M.P., Captain the Honourable Dudley
Pelham,.
the Right Hon. C. T. D'Eyneourt, M.P.; the
Hon. Augustus B.) ron, the Hon. William Byron, Sir
Ilenry Dy moke, Bart.; Sir J. G. Sinclair, Bart., Mr.
Smith, Judge of the Lincolnshire County Court ; Mr.
Duncan, M. 1., Mr. Drax, M.P., Mr. G. J. Heathcote,
ALP., General W. A. Johnson, Mr. John Chapman, of
Mottiam; Mr. Chaplin, of Blankney; Colonel Chaplin
(Coldstream Guards), Sir Edward Brackenbury, Mr.
Osborne, M.P., Sheriff Finnis, Major Finnis, Captain C.
Palmer, R.N., Captain F. Brace, R.N., Dr. Miller, R.N.
Mr. G. Nichols, R.N., Mr. J. W. Nichols, R.N., Mr., Hill, the Mayors of Lincoln and Stamford, the Mayor
and Corporation of Boston, the Mayor and Corporation
of Grimsby, and upwards of 100 other gentlemen con-
nected with Boston and the county of Lincoln. Sir
Al. e Bart., was prevent:d from being present
by the death
althothe Duke of St. Alban's.
BOTANICAL SOCIETY of LONDON,--Tho ordinary
meeting was held last evening, at the society's rooms,
00, Bedfore:-street, Covent-garden, George Cooper,
Esq., in the chair. Several new members were elected,
and various donations to the library and herbarium an-
nounced. The continuation of Dr. qty re's paper, "On
the Botany of Thaw, Qxfordshire," was read.