The Sun.
London, England, 1824-01-15 00:00:00

THE TREAD-MILL.

SURREY. SESSIONS.
. A most numerous meeting of' the Magistrates
for the County of Surrey took place at the Ses-
sion House at Newington yesterday. The Mem-
bers for the. County and upwards of forty Ma-
gistrates were present: THOMAS HARRISON, Esq.
in the Chair.
The Reports of the Guildford and Brixton Houses of Cor-
rection, were brought up and read by the Clerk of the Court.
By the Reports which were nearly similar, it appeared that
the Visiting Magistrates had strictly attended to the operations
of the Tread-Mill upon the health of the prisoners, moral and
physical, and that they were convinced that with respect to the
physical condition of the prisoners the greatest improvement
had been derived from tbe application of the %lill as a pu-
nishment. They were also satisfied that the habits of those in
confinement had been Materially benefited, a fact which was
apparent from
,the difference in the behaviour of the prisoners
on the first day of their probation and on the last. The Report
added, that in every other respect the prisons were improved by
the introduction of this mode of punishMent.
Mr. BRISCOE, one of the Magistrates, then gave in a
Report which he had himself dra;vn up relative to the injurious
effects of the Tread-Mill. It stated that the Tread-Vill was
calculated to do essential mischief to the constitutions of those
who were sentenced to work at it, and it particularly deprecated
the practice of compelling females to labour at so dreadful an
engine.

After both reports had been read,

Mr. Bassos:4E said he rose under very great embarrassments
to state his sentiments to the Court. When he visited those
prisons for the purpose of ascertaining the grounds of the sus-
picion, that an improper and injurious, punishment was hourly
inflicted upon those confined under sentence of hard labour, he
had pursued a course of experinient the best calculated to ar-
rive at the truth. He was shewn round each of the prisons, and
after having questioned them upon the effect of the regulations
of the prison upon -their constitutions and strength, received
the inforrxxotion contained in the Report which had been read
in his name. He denied that he had ever used 'any inflamma-
tory language upon the occasion, or that he had encouraged
any spirit of 'insubordination among those whose cases •he
considered liable to objection an the score of severity. The
punishment of, the Tread-mill, he was convinced, operated to
the permanent injury of the prisoners. He had himself worked
at this engine of torture, and had learned that the complaints of
the individuals whose cases had been read in Court were esta-
blished upon the 6rmest grounds. In the course of the painful
investigation, he had seen several unfortunate persons removed
from the toil of the Tread-mill into the Infirmary. With re-
spect to the cases of the women Hall and Laden, which had
appeared in the public prints, although he had seen them
while they were undergoing the punishment of the Tread-
mill, he had not alluded to them. The motion of the
wheel, which compelled the person at work to exercise
the whole weight of the body upon the upper part of the
feet proved that the work was of a nature which should not be
f overpowering assigned even to those whose strength defied ordinary laboUr ;
in his own person he had proved that the Tread-mill was the
fofanengine that ever had been worked. The
other punishment would soon alter the
the prisoners without tending to injure their
to ne most
substitutionohealth
o
morals, which certainly could not be expected to improve under
a system which was calculated to excite the feelings of revenge
and obstinacy. The Crank, or Capstan Mill would, in his
opinion, be the most desirable substitute. He had seen two
of those Mills.lately•in operation in Winchester Goal,-and was
sure that the exercise, instead of inflicting diseases, was bene-
ficial to the prisoners, and formed th? best mode ofprison
dis-
Mr. Briscoe then handed copies of the statements made
them
enteredtov moved_"
prison
That
ha int
a good Committee health,
ofand
to him by various prisoners in both Houses of Correction to
his brother Magistrates. They stated that the prisoners com-
plainedtsectio TwE hee yread- d
mill.
141r.Magis-
trates
appointed to inquire into the nature and effects of
the Tread-mill as an.instrument of prison labour and punish.
ment in as far as it effects the strength and health of the
on ed
b by i
3 that
prisoners."
Mr. RANDAL JAcxsoN rose to oppose the' motion of Mr.
Briscoe. Of the advantages derived from the Tread-mill there
now existed not the slightest doubt, and all that had been stated
against it as a mode of prison discipline was unfounded and
untrue. ..He had investigated the cases of the women Hall and
Laden, and had-ascertained that instead of being injured by the
work at the Mill their health had improved, and their strength
had increased beyond all calculation. When they entered the
prison their persons were completely emaciated. One of them
applied for leave to work at the Mill after having been removed
from it, and she soon received an addition in weight of 9.1 b.—
The other also was greatly benefited by the exercise, which in
no case was greater than the prisoners could endure. For the
vagrant there was no punishment like that of the Tread-mill, the
strongest p.roof of which was that those who were longest in
prison are in' the best condition. Mr. Jackson then moved an
amendment That in the opinion of this Court the Tread-
mill has in an eminent degree answered the purposes of its in-
stitution both moral and judicial. And that the reports this
day made by the Visiting Magistrates of the respective Houses
of Correction are highly satisfactory as well as the Reports of
the Surgeons attached to those establishments, in whose opi-
nions no effects injurious to the health of the prisoners have yet
occurred."
Mr. HOLME,S SUMNER. said, that in consequence of the
direction of the Secretary of State, he had caused an inquiry to
be instituted into the cases of the two women alluded to, and
had received a' communication expressing that the health of
neither was in the slightest degree affected. The good opera-
tion* of the punishment upon the morals of the prisoners, as
well as upon their health, had been ascertained beyond all
doubt. A. month's labour was sure to remove numbers of
diseases, and those who had to undergo a long spell of disci-
pline, were sure to leave the prison in a most enviable state of
health. Certainly in those prisoners who were accustomed to
drink hard, the suddenness of the change caused a temporary
falling off; but the admirable nature of the exercise soon re-
stored them to a viour of body Which Surprised themselves.
All sorts of attatksliad been made upon the mill, and there
appeared in a Weekly Publication lately, an article of the most
inflammatory tendency ; but he disdained to read it, as he con-
sidered it unworthy of notice on account of the tissue of false-
hoods.it contained. The Honourable Member concluded by
declaring, that the prison communications respecting the pri.
sons gave rise to a very dangerous spirit of insubordination, and
that he would support the amendment.
Mr. DENISoer spoke strongly in favour of the Tread-mill,
and denied that. any other discipline at present inexistence
could exceed it as an instrument of punishment in prisons.
Mr. ALIEN (the Magistrate of Unlon Hall) said he had the
strongest grounds for concurrence with those Gentlemen who
approved of the Tread-mill, as a mode of punishment combining
physical and moral effect. The surgeons who were in the
habit of attending upon the prisoners had must unequivocally
asserted that all the inmates were in an excellent state of health,
and that the labour was calculated to preserve that health ;
and it was manifest that the active employment in which the
prisoners were engaged was far preferable to the sedentary oc-
cupation of picking oakum, by which• they were furnished with
opportunities of engaging in idle and immoral conversation.
Several other Magistrates spoke in favour of the Tread-mill.
Mr. RItisCOE'S motion had but his own support. Mr. JACK-
BoN's amendment was carried with the approbation of all the
Magistrates, except the mover of the original Resalution.
The Surgeon Of one of the Prisons was asked by the CHAIR-
MAN whether any of the statements made by the prisoners to
Mr. Briscoe were correct ?

The Surgeon replied, that all the prisoners alluded to had
been benehtted in health by the Tread-mill, instead of being
injured by it.
The Tread-mill has thus received the complete sanction of the
Surrey Magistrates. •

Tuesday afternoon abOui five o'clock, a well
dressed female„ about the age-of 23, possessing
great beauty, with an elegant and- genteel ad-
dress, was observed walking in a confused and
hurried manner to and fro on 131ackfriars-bridge;
suddenly she caught hold of the balustrades,
mounted on the top, and was just in the act of
precipitating herself into the river, when she was
prevented by a gentleman who fortunately seiz-
ing hold of her legs till other persons came to
his. assistance, providentially rescued her from
almost, inevitale death. She was placed in a
hackeny. coach and immediately conveyed home
to her friends.