The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-23 00:00:00

odors he tilled ineXpili'At:' Ybiir Coninittee give no oPinion
on the came of these differences; but .the mere fact of.their
existence is to them a sufficient proof that the panic% could nee
go ou together amicably,: or with that cordial union end coal-
dence which their reepective situations of oeceaslty demand.
In reference to the either accusations, pot Cenionittse have
deemed it expedient to inquire into the complaints'Prefrared
againit the conduct of Dr. Ilutchineon in May 18124, and which
aro alluded to in documents already before the nooi4,4piift a
due consideratiori of the evidence tendered to thetii3Oey are of
the following opinion ; first, that the Committee :of ate Peni-
tentiary were fully justified its the'meaeures they took in reapect
to accusation* sd materially affecting the character-and credo of
the establishment; arid, secondly; though there SOPertrs.frents
the evidence before them to have been considerable irritation of
manner on the'pririef lir. fititchinson,'Yet they acquit hint of
the charge of inebriety; ,at the sole time they do not see'odca-
siOn to unpute any intentioned misrepeesentation on the part of
the oaken of Uie establiehinert.
Your Comte rtes hid brought under their consideration
the 1)4.1.44 of punislunent to which persons are serstericedintint
Penitentiary ; thoise who have been capitally convicted;, ry
iinprieorted (or 10 pion ; those who are sentenced .to 14 years
transportation, for 7 ; and all 7 yeitra easel, tot 6l' thine; 7615
the maximum, and 6 years the. mininuint ofslui Venus Anton-
finament. Qpthe 26th of AI:v.1021, there were 1160 prisonene
,seresi seo. slowtrion
years .o
totrp
11 life,beie nall,oc67en
,d en
justlte far'i
InYli
irinefillip lonsenbtor.7ll:ll for
the:
6 twoi t►at 6::
t." die];
or t
cn.
ce rI 1 donel/ "
assi a e I ii
atafalr4.4lllYereounri 4.!ll,!ottii?inuftreljellialarr inclined
to to believe that the sinalloit terewes selected il% conformity to
an opinion expressed by Mr. Hewett', 'vis. that 6 years sen-
tence should be the minimum of imprisooment, on the Peni-
tentiary system.
The question of term of imprisooment, is one of great diifi-
cult,' it the point* to he aimed at are evidently, lst, the sejec-
don of a scale of punishment which may Strike terror in evil
doers, and operate by example in the prevention of crime;
Itchy, -the term of confinement should be sufficiently long to in-
sure a change being effected in the evil habiti and opinion* of
the ;ointment ; thus uniting the exaniple of Ahe'piiitishment to
the reformation' of the 'offender. Thete an the rational .6h-
jects of penal punishment. The evils to be *voided are,.-the
making the persons under confinement objects of general sym-
pathy, diverting the censueo of the public from the prisoner,
to the law that punishes him ; and, secondly, the length'ef im-
prisonment; thus subjecting the prisoner to alonger period' of
mental and bodily punishment than is necessary either for his
reformation or the example of others.
Whether the term in the last instance is too long, your Cont-
mittee will not take upon themselves to determine; yet they
cannot avoid suggesting the propriety of a reconsideration ofthe subject, and perhaps on a reviewof the whole ' question its
advantages and its evils, it may be fecund by experience question,'
long imprisonment is unnecessary for, any puniehment, either
regarding it as exemplary or reformatory, and a reduction of
the scale may produce all the salutary ends the legislature by
the former enactment* had in its centemplation to :edict. •
It appears to your Committee, that the class of pereons Dupes
fitted for this Establishment are these, whose misfortunes, more
than their moral turpitude, or eonfirmed habits of crime, had
subjected them to. the. sentence of the law. Young persona of
both sexes (c), offenders fur the first time, the victims to artifice
and seduction, and ell the various oliadee of early guilt, which
the severity of the law punishes with the same sentence, as
more hardened criminality ; offenders of thit description should
find here a prison in which habits of industry might be leant,
moral and religious feelings inculcated, site; at the expiration
of their terms of confinement, the prisoners might be returned
to their friends and relations corrected and reclaimed, oe if
destitute of both, they msy have acquired within the walla of
the prison, such habits and ways of industry us may enable
thane to gain their livelihood, and secure them from falling a
prey to the pressure of wantl or the arts of the fraudulent turd
designing.
Upon a review then, generally, of the Penitentiary system
as here established, your Committee are decidedly of opinion,
that the vest cue; that has been incurred has not been spent In
vain ; that this place of confinement, theugh one of very 1111141*
punishment, reforms while it corrects ; and•that its pivepot
plication is to also claws of prisoners, whose offences have broiled
them tinder the puniehment of the law, but whose heaern,enw
not hardened by guilt, and whore characters are not destroyled
by the repeated perpetration of crime.
Your Committee have learned widetnuels satiotsction.from
his Mejesty's Principal Secretary of State, that in coriseqoeoce
of the punialunent having "been intierieed by the disease now
prevailing in the Penitentiary, and which has affected measly
every prisoner within its walls, his illejeaty has signified his
gracious intention of granting a remission of the terms of im-
prisonment to the prisoners now confined- In the Penitentiary,
according to the following scale; to those. originally confined
for five years, a remission will be
.geisnted of one year; to
those confined tint seven years, a remission of one year and are
half; and of two years to those confined for ten yenta.' • t
In consequence of the verdict of an inquest on the bodiof
Cherie* Thompson, deceased, in the. Penitentiary, which set
forth, " That the said Charles Thonnsion being a prisoner li'
the said Geueral.Penitentiary, on the 2dth of June 111133; then
departed this life from tho efficts of solitary eenfinettient; and
the want of the Common necessaries of life during
,his residence
in the 114111 prison' sines the 2ifth of Juni 1822 ;-' -.4114 Coin.
mittee thought lit to summon the Coroner :did Foreman of
Jury before them, as well es the Surgeon and other offices of
the Penitentiary. From the evidence of the Foremen, it spears
that the Jury was unanimous in the finding Of the verdict;
that they considered the deceased to have died in conseqtants
of his confinement in January last, mid of a disease breaght on
by insufficiency of food. ,
The Foremen, however, expressly'. declated, the Jury had no
reason to complain of the conduct of any of the officers otthe
prison, and they did not mean by their yerdict to criminate
any body ; he further stated, aim they found. the verdict,, he-
cause they believed the mother and brother of the deceesed
who repeated to theta the testimony of the deemed es Web;
Catlin of his death. ,
The Jury made, however, no inquiries es to the quantity of
food given to the deceased when 'out of , the hospital; 'rear `ember
of his diet while be wits ix it, nor as to the state of .his health
witch released from confinement in shimmy hat ; nor did ehei
examine any officers of the •Eitablishment to cbrfiriii Or Wow
any of the statements detailed in the evidence of the IMMO
and; brother. The gate of the case than i$ at, foilowitath
le
de-
ceased, Charles Thompson, was admitted into the pep epee.
nary, from the iitilkii, in Juno, 1822, in au ernecireereitie Art
.healtht during the abate of that year, 1001 on .thrWellie
evidence that he made any complabit of defiseieney of
,foeoS.lit#
the surgeon, teskinaster,'and turnkey, expretalyAilitm„ woe ,
fact he made none; and that during the While et that ' pail
he was never efilicted with sickness. In January last, for Iti.
offc nee against the rules of the prisien, newel/, dtloctlitl had
secreting a portion of his work, arid solemnly delving tt..,tke
was sent to the dark cell, Where helms (loaned en 'bread rend
water for five days, having sixteen outwit of bread each ths, f;
and he was visited daily by the surgeon, governor,. and nudt-
master ; he. never complained' that he wits 'ill ; arid en his le-
!nee he was :moulded to his cell, where ho resiinied'his'eeorlf,
and laboured at the crank-mill, as before his confinement. -La
the month of 'March following, he was attacked with the 412).
ease then prerailing in the Eettetaiithmeht, and Ite repainted
ailing, et times mending and. then relepsing„ being out of the
infirmary from them 2dth .March to the 3cl of May, uotitthe last
week, when he was seised with three fits of apTleay 'of the
*
effects of which he 'died. • .

(a) The fine ekes ON) nel.4 or, their who lire 441111. woritiby
themselves, and are sonsidersti to be to is state 04: problifttstmr
The rule is, thrit'priioneri vet-pain this class bAlf thefi scot-
tude ; but-they May be vetboved at an .tiarltet Thildd
tinned gaol conduct. The second elssfro work ih boroplitlyr lost
sleep in the upper gaiter x ; it is Nom this thfst the ws.sde..
men and servtrnts in the kitthen are taken.
• (t) Write this Report was drawn up, a return, or t'hil`kvt..
boners under medical treatment en the ;`.ld Jul', 1023, Ma boss
fliven lit to thi Coinrnittee,l4 Which it appears that the tliike.,oe
it rividly on the declitre t, thi hek, who are c4sidtertl las sta.
tionaryi).teing,reduged font 100 to c
prilsosititS
1101 AINDIC4I. T.II,X4v4ISMT . 444t1h
. Wom; -
21 '
70 87, ,114
179 'spa
8 22 'lO

Atittiottary
Corriftslobfo,?i
Weil-
Tll of otters eliamors -

1 v.

•• -: :439- t
' (ey to itirinde 'personkttrukerthk ttgliof
this description, it having been found eiptfrietice `trill the
confinement and discipline of the Penitentiary nee not csku.
lilted for boys anti girls.