The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-20 00:00:00

March, 1822.]

The Committee have the satisfaction to report, that the
whole of the buildings comprising the Penitentiary are now
completed, with the exception of a store-room for the Steward,
and some other erections of a very trifling nature; and that
prisoners may be admitted, as soon as orders for their removal
from the prisons in which they are now confined can be carried
into effect.

The number of prisoners for whom provision has been made
in the Penitentiary, rather exceeds the intended number of
1,000, (600 males and 400 females), than falls short of it.
There were within its walls, at the 31st December last, 708
convicts. The present number is 723 ; viz. 399 males, and
324 females. _ _ _ _

A large portion of the flour wanted for making the prisoners'
bread is now ground within the prison, in the mill placed in
pentagon, No. 5 ; and the whole of the water required is raised
by two water-machines, worked by the prisoners ; and a second
corn-mill will very soon be put in action, in pentagon, No. 6.
The conduct of the Officers of the Prison has been in general
satisfactory; but the notice of the Committee has been drawn,
in some instances, to a breach of one of the positive rules of the
Establishment, against striking any prisoner, except in the
case of self-defence. No complaint had been made on the sub-
ject, by the individuals who had received the improper treat-
ment, though many opportunities 'had been offered to them ;
nor did any serious injury appear to have been received. The
Committee have therefore thought it sufficient to reprimand, in
the strongest manner, the Officer concerned ; and to enforce
the necessity of implicit obedience to the existing rules, by an-
nouncing the penalty of immediate dismissal, on any future
breach of them.

In the course of last year, 10 prisoners have been baptized,
220 have been confirmed by the Right Reverend the Lord
Bishop of London ; and 207 have received the holy sacrament.
All the prisoners attend school twice a week, either for in-
struction or as monitors; and very great benefit seems to have
arisen from the practice of having a portion of the Holy Scrip-
tures read to them daily, by a prisoner standing in the passage
of each ward.

The conduct of the prisoners at the schools ha'; been in ge-
neral, during the last year, very satisfactory ; as has also their
behaviour in the chapel.
The Report of the Medical Officers concerning the health of
the Prisoners, during the year ending on the 31st December,
1821, is very favourable, as will appear by the following Ex-
tract : _ _

" By a reference to our monthly Report, it will be seen, that
" there hare died, in the year 1821, Eight Males and Nine
" Females, making Seventeen in all ; which, according to
" the Convict Population of the Establishment, exhibits a
" degree of health scarcely surpassed in the most salubri-
" ous town or village in the Empire."
It is remarked, in the same Report, that a case of Ague,
which occurred in the course of that year, is the only instance
in which that complaint has made its appearance since the
opening of the Establishment.
In the course of the year 1821, Thirty Male Prisoners, and.
Forty-two Females, have left the Penitentiary, of whom Fif-
teen Males and Twenty-two Females have been discharged at
the regular termination of their respective imprisonments; and
Fifteen Males and Twenty Females have been pardoned.
The attention of the Committee is now particularly directed
to the revision of the Dietary for the prisoners; when the rules
and regulations were first drawn, previous to the opening of the
Penitentiary for the reception of convicts in 1816, the opinions
of those who were supposed to have most knowledge and expe-
rience upon the subject of Prison Diet, was in favour of a
beral allowance of food to prisoners, who were not to be allow-
ed to receive any thing from their friends out of doors, or to
purchase provisions with any part of their earnings.
The practice of the best regulated Prisons was, at that time,
in conformity to this opinion ; and upon. this opinion, and
practice, as well as upon the advice of the Medical Gentlemen
attached to the Establishment, the Dietary hitherto in use
at Millbank was founded. Since that time material reduc-
tions have taken place in the Dietaries of several of the Goals
and Houses of Correction, which are conducted upon the
same principle with that adopted at the Penitentiary, viz.
the principle of confining the Prisoners entirely to Prison
Dietary ; and from what has taken place in those Prisons, as
well as from-their own observations, the Committee are convinced
that the allowances at Millbank are on too liberal a scale. It is,
however, a matter of some difficulty to determine the degree in
which the Dietary of the Penitentiary shall be reduced, for it
might not be safe to limit a Prisoner, who is to be confined for
five, seven, or ten years, to the same Dietary, which might not
prove injurious to his health during the shorter periods for which
Prisoners are under punishment, in a County Gaol or House
of Correction. The Committee are desirous of weighing this
matter well, and of procuring all information that can be ob-
tained upon the subject, before they proceed to settle a new
Dietary ; since it is impossible to make any change of food in
a prison of the size of the Penitentiary, without some incon-
venience; and it is obviously a less evil, that the prisoners
should continue, for a short time, to enjoy a small quantity of
food beyond what is necessary for their subsistence, than for
want of sufficient consideration, the Dietary should now be so
altered as to require alteratiOn again at no great distance of
time.
Since the last Report, there have been no Bye-laws, Rules,
and Regulations, nor alterations or additions, confirmed by the
Justices of the Court of King's Bench, under the Act 52 Gco.
111. cap. 51. sec. 7.
The Committee subjoin a Statement of the Expences of the
Establishment, as well as the Earnings of the Prisoners, du-
ring the year 1821.
EARNINGS
From the Ist of January to the 31st December 1821.
MALE PRISONERS.
By the amount of Earnings for
work sent out of the Prison, and

for the sc.;vice of the Estahlish-
ment - - £3,468 11 0
_ _

...._____
By the value of the services of pri-
soners acting as Wardsmen,
Cooks, Bakers, &c. - - 240 9 6
£3,709 0 6

FEMALE PRISONERS.'
By the amount of Earnings for
work sent out of the Prison, and
for the Establishment - £1,831 15 0
By the value of the services of pri-
soners acting as Wardswomen,
in the Laundry, Kitchen, &c. 510 13 0
- 2,3.12 8 0

Total Earnings - £6,051 8 6
DIVISION OF EARNINGS.
To Officers per tentage of ton 53001. Us.
for Manufactory £662 10 9
To Prisoners Hon ditto £662 10 9
To Ditto of 7511. 2s. 6d. for
service of prisoners, upon
which no per-tentage is al-
lowed to Officers - 187 15 8

850 6 5
1,512 17 2

Remaining 3-4ths to Establishment £4,538 11 4
EXPENSE.

To the amount of Expense incurred between the
Ist of January and the 3ist December 1821 £27,279 12 2
Deduct amount of Stores remaining
on hand, in the Steward's Depart-
ment, at Dec. 31, 1821 - £1,429 10 6
Ditto - in the Master Manufac-
turer's Department - - 3,413 16 6
Ditto - Debts due to ditto, for
work done by the prisoners - 1,757 2 1
6,600 9 1

•
4'20,679 3 1
By. profit of 3-4ths of' prisoners' Earnings accru-
ing to the Establishment - 4,538 I_l 4

Net Expense - £16,i40 11 9
By Order of the Committee,
General Penitentiary, March 14. C. BATHURST.

We entertain a confident hope, that, from the prompt and
vigorous measures which have been taken by the Magistracy,
throughout this great agricultural district, we shall hear of no
repetition of the late outrages. As far as we can learn, there have
been no new instances of the destruction of machinery ; and the
two fires, mentioned under our Ipswich head, are, we hope, the
last that we shall have to record of a wilful nature.—.An idea,
we have just been told, is prevalent, that all the recent fire:-
in this district have been occasioned by the same persons—
travelling incendiaries—who, provided with fire-balls, of a
peculiar composition, throw them into stacks, &c. where, having
lain for a short time, they spontaneously ignite, and set fire
to the surrounding combustible matter.—( Bury Gazette,
March 20.)