The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-01 00:00:00

COLD I3ATII FIELDS PRISON.

The want of means to employ the prisoners
this prison in hard labour, which, to many, constitutes the
most severe part of their punishment, has at length been obvi-
ated by the completion of a series of revolving wheels, in each
yard, upon which the prisoners are placed at stated periods,
and the motion of which depends upon their constant
exertion. On Tuesday last the plan was brought into
complete activity, and all the prisoners in the Gaol, both
male and female, were set to work. At the first onset it
was looked upon as a mere matter of amusement, but
the experience of a quarter of an hour at once proved that it
was a most irksome occupation. sln the end, the whole
of the men in one of the wards, to the number of forty,
declared they would not work, and absolutely refused to
obey their task-master. The. Governor, Mr. Adkins, was
immediately sent for, and on his arrival he remonstrated
with the mutineers on their misconduct. This remonstrance
was in vain ; one of the ringleaders, actinic as spokesman
for the rest, most positively declared their intention not to
go to work again. Mr. Adkins, with becoming firmness,
immediately ordered sixteen of the most prominent to be
double ironed and locked up in their cells, declaring at the
same time that they should remain in this state on an allow-
ance of bread and water, until they thought proper to show
contrition for their offence. This had the desired effect.
The whole of those who remained, immediately set to work
with apparent good will, and in the course of the day, eleven
of the sixteen whoa had been locked up, sent for the Gover-
nor, and begged to be permitted to resume their occupation,
with a promise that he should hear no more of their oppc
sition. Their prayer was complied with, and they mounted
the wheel, and in the course of the next day, the remain-
ing five, with a humbled spirit, followed their exampctu le.—
Thus the whole of the prisoners are now kept to aal
hard labour, a plan, which experience proves to create a
stronger prejudice towards the inside of a prison than any
other which can be adopted. At a given signal all the ri-
soners in the different yards are ordered on the wheels, and
immediately the machine is set in motion.' In the court-
yard there is erected a sort of pyramid, surrounded by wood-
work of a particular construction. Upon looking at which, the
Governor can at once ascertain the degree of labour
which is applied, and thereby discover whether there is any
negligence on the part of the prisoner, for which, of course, the
taskmaster is answerable. At present the power of the wheels
is applied to no profitable purpose ; but it is in contemplation
,o erect a mill outside of the prison for grinding flour, in which
can effectually be brought into action.

On Saturday and yesterday the Duke of YORK
visited the KING.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL and Count MUNSTER
had audiences of the KING on Saturday. •
Yesterday his MAJESTY, the Duke of YORK,
and the Princess AUGUSTA, attended divine ser-
vice at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, when a
sermon was preached by the Chaplain in wait-
ing. The service was EiIDEN'S in C ; the anthem
was " Sing unto God" (Cttorr), which was sung
by Master GEAR, Mr. W. KNYVETT, t 1 r. N It-A%
and Mr. CLARKE. Sir GEORGE SMART presidWi
at the organ.
The Duke of GLOUCESTER returned to town
on Saturday.
We understand, by letters from the North of
England, that very great interest is excited in
that quarter by his MAJESTY'S promised tour to
Scotland. Alnwick-Castle, the seat of his Grace
the\Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, has been under-
going several embellishments and improvements,
with a view to the probable honour that may be
conferred upon the Noble Duke by his MAJESTY
visiting his Grace.
The following paragraph is extractyd from
MOTTLEY'S Hampshire Telegraph (Portsmouth
Paper) of Saturday :
" We have much pleasure in stating that orders were re-
ceived this morning to equip his Majesty's yacht, the Royal
George, for his Majesty's personal use, it being his intention
to resume his acquatic excursions, within the Isle of Wight,
immediately after the rising of Parliament. His Majesty has
given up all intention of visiting Scotland this year."
We are enablea to state, on the authority of, a
personage of the highest rank and office near Hls MAJESTY'S
person, that His MAJESTY'S intended visit to Seotlandi s
postponed for this year. We are sure that the public will par-
ticipate with. us in ,our regret at this intelligence.—( Glasgow
Courier, June 27.)
According to letters from Marseilles, 'the corn
harvest would commence in that neighbourhood the first week
in June.
Letters from Holland state% that the degree of
heat experienced there this summer has at times been nearly
insupportable. Various maladies have prevailed among the
people, which the medical faculty ascribe solely to the extreme
temperature. „.
A letter, dated Trier, the 10th June, states
that P. A. Fonk, merchant, charged with the murder of W.
Coenen,_ on the night betweeii the 9th and the 10th November,
1816, has been found guilty and condemned to death, the ex-
pences of the trial also to be paid by the criminal. The unfor-
tunate man heard the sentence with great tranquillity : his
friends embriced him.
On the 23c1 May, the town of Ulleaborg, one
of the most trading places in Finland, was almost, wholly de-
stroyed by fire. The state of privation and misery to which the
unfortunate inhabitants have been reduced, is indescribable.—
The great insurance-company at Stockholm will sustain a loss,
by reason of this conflagration, little short of 80,000 rix-dollars
Banco.
At the great May Fair at Perpignan, from two
to three hundred Merinos Sheep, the property of the King of
France, were sold at 100 francs each, (about 41. sterling). TT
bet goats (male) fetched 45.frapcs; and the females 65 francs.