The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-06 00:00:00

SURREY SESSIONS-TUESDAY.

This day the General Quarter Sessions commenced at
Newington before Mr. HEDGER, Chairman, and several of
the County Magistrates.
The Grand Jury were shortly addressed by the Chair-
man, who congratulated them on the lightness of the
calendar, which only contained the names of 37 persons
for trial for felony, besides a few for misdemeanors.
The Court then proceeded to the business of the county,
when the Treasurer presented his accounts. It was agreed
that a twopenny rate for the liquidation of expenses incurred
for general purposes be referred to the Finance Committee
to report thereon.

The report of the Visiting Justices of the several gaols
of the county was then- read, from which it appeared that
the introduction of the " silent system" into some of them
bad been attended with beneficial effects, and was a decided
improvement in prison discipline.
Some discussion here arose upon the report of the Visit-
ing Justices of Kingston Gaol, which gave rise to a short
discussion relative to the utility of continuing the gaol in
question, Mr. Hawes, M. P., being of opinion that its
abolition would save expense to the county, and that a
worse prison did not exist in the kingdom.
Sir RICHARD FREDERICK spoke in favour of the con-
tinuance of Kingston Gaol.
It was ultimately agreed, on the motion of Mr. Hawes,
that a Committee be formed to prepare a report of the
number of prisoners confined, and the average expenses of
Kingston Gaol, for the last three years:
Mr. BEST, in submitting a motion with respect to the
internal regulations of Brixton House of Correction, said
that by adopting a system carried into effect in a gaol in the
county of Norfolk, it would work advantageously in Brixton
also. He then proceeded to describe, that in Walsingham
prison Hayes's patent hand-rail had been introduced on the
treadwheel, which increased the labour of those working on
it in the proportion of one-fifth.
Mr. JEFFREY said, that as an inquiry was going forward
by the Legislature on the subject of prison diseipline, it
might be as well to postpone the question now, particularly
as an experiment was about to be tried on the Philadelphian
plan.

After some few words more, a Committee was appointed
,o inquire, and make their report on the subject.
The COURT then adjourned.

THE ICE-BOUND WHALE SHIPS.---THE COVE.
—The following are the appointments of the officers to his
Majesty's ship Cove, fitting out at this port for the relief of
the ships beset in the ice :—Captain J. C. Ross ; Lieut.
Grolier ; Mr. Humphreys, Master ; Messrs. A. Smith and
R. Jesse, Passed Midshipmen ; and Mr. T. Hallett, Purser.
—Hull Advertiser.

CAPTURE OF AN ESCAPED CONVICT.---A few
weeks ago, a convict of the name of Henry Wood, who was
convicted at the Nottingham County Sessions last October,
for cow stealing at Farnsfield, and sentenced to be trans-
ported for life, made his escape one night very ingeniously
from the hospital of the county gaol. A good deal of pains
have been bestowed to retake him, and last Sunday night
he was captured at Ripley, in Derbyshire, where he had got
work at a coal-pit.—Shejicld Mercury.
A wheat-rick, the produce of ten acres, and the pro-
perty of Mr. Alexander, of Littleton, was consumed by fire
on Monday last—the act, no doubt, of an incendiary.._
Wilts Herald.