The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-05 00:00:00

PRISONS.

The Select Committee appointed to consider of the expediency
of amending the Laws relating to Prisons, and to report
their Opinion thereupon to the House, have considered
the matters referred to them, and agreed to the following
resolutions :

1. y Resolved—That it is the opinion of this Committee, That
it is expedient to provide means for the separate confinement of
prisoners committed for trial before the Central Criminal
Court.

2. Resolved—That for this purpose, it is advisable either to
re-construct Newgate, or to build a new prison adjoining the
place of trial.
3. Resolved—That the mode of carrying these Resolutions
into effect, with the consent of the Authorities of the City, re-
quires the immediate consideration of his Majesty's Govern-.
ment ; and that competent Surveyors should be employed for
the purpose of forming a mature decision.
4. Resolved—That it is expedient to revise the Act 4 and 5
Geo. IV., commonly called the Gaol Act, and to give greater
discretion to the Secretary of State and the Magistrates of
Counties and Boroughs, with respect to the classification of
offenders.

On the 2d inst., at an Especial Court, resolutions, generally
concurrent with those of the Committee, were adopted. Lord
John Russell addressed the following letter to the Lord
Mayor : . _

" Whitehall, June 4, 1836.

" My Lord,—ln the communication I am about to make to
your Lordship, I wish to put altogether out of sight the ques-
tion of the past management of the Gaol of Newgate. I mean
to proceed upon the acknowledged fact of the inadequacy of
that prison for the purposes to which it is at present applied,
and the representation made to me by your Lordship and the
Sheriffs, with a deputation of Aldermen, some months ago.
" It was then stated that the Corporation of the City of Lon-
don would be willing to improve the Gaol of Newgate, pro-
vided the Government would arrange that it should be used
only as a prison for the untried. One of the Aldermen, I
think, stated the expense of the alterations contemplated at
20,000/.

It is now my opinion that it would be far better to re-con-
struct the Gaol of Newgate, as a place of confinement for un-
tried male prisoners ; such a prison might serve experimen-
tally as a model upon which future prisons might be con-
structed or altered.

" The expense of such a re-construction is estimated at
6,0001.

" But, as it has been justly observed by your Lordship,
the number of prisoners sent for trial to Newgate is greatly
increased by the committal to that prison of criminals from
the whole district comprised within the jurisdiction of the Cen-
tril Criminal Court, I propose, not only that all convicted
'prisoners should be removed from Newgate, but to submit to
Parliament, on the part of the Crown, that half the expense of
the re-construction should be borne by the Public Funds. I
think myself justified in making this proposal, both by the
heavy expense to which the City is subjected on account of the
prisoners from districts without the City, and likewise from a
view of the very great advantage to be derived to the public
from the possession of one good central prison for untried
prisoners.

" I refer your Lordship to the Plan annexed to the Report of
the Prison Inspectors for the Home District, not with a view of
conveying any distinct approbation of the Plan there given, but
of explaining the view and intention with which I am of opi-
nion a prison should be constructed. Separation appears to
me to be in all such prisons most desirable, but in a Metropo-
litan Prison absolutely essential. I shall be glad to be fa-
voured with your Lordships reply, as soon as you shall have as-
certained the opinion of the Magistrates and other authorities
of the City of London.
" (Signed) J. RUSSELL.
" The Lord Mayor."