The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-29 00:00:00

HENRY VINCENT.

PETITION OE THE MEMBERS OF THE RADICAL CUE.
The following is the petitiOn presented to the House of
Commons, by Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, on Wednesday 7.
The Petition of the undersigned Members of the Radi-
cal Club,
Humbly showeth,
That Mr. Henry Vincent was convicted at the
last Assizes held at Monmouth of conspiring, to
effect changes in the Government by ill gal
means, and for an unlawful assembly. That the
Special Jury " recommended Mr. Vincent to mercy,, on
account of the long imprisonment he had undergone. "
That, in consequence of such recommendation, tb e
Learned Judge sentenced Mr. Vincent to an imprisonment
of twelve months from the day of his conviction, foux
months of his previous sentence being then unexpi red.
That, notwithstanding the merciful intentions of the
Learned Judge and the Jury, the said Henry Vincent has
been sent from Monmouth to the General Penitentiary at
Nlillhank, and is there subjected to the rigorous disci' 'line
of that prison.

That his respectable clothing has been taken from 'aim.
That he is clothed in the prison dress. That he is sub-
jected to exist upon the prison diet. That, as your l'eti-
tioners are informed, be is shut up day and night in a
cell, excepting a short period in every twenty-four he ears.
That his books have been taken from him, and he is de-
barred the use of pens, ink, and paper. That he is cut
off from all intercourse with his reTectablc friends rind
relatives, except as the following extract from the printed
regulations of the gaol allows:—
" That upon coming to the Penitential), he may 'trite
one letter to his friends. After having been in the Pe-
nitentiary four months, he may write again ; and so 0... n to
the end of his imprisonment, a letter or visit every 'four
months. fie may receive a letter or visit every :four
months."

That to the preceding regulation is added a notice
in the following words, viz ;—" The permission to
write and receive letters is given to the prisoners for' the
purpose of enabling them to keep up a connexion with, the
respectable part of their friends, to whom it is hoped they
may be reunited when they shall be restored to so-
ciety, and not that they may bear the news of the day,
with which they can have no concern."
That the words in the preceding extract show?. as
plainly as it is possible words can show, that the Peniten-
tiary discipline was and is intended for depraved persons,
who have committed the most degrading crimes, and are
connected with other similarly depraved persons, and not
for persons convicted of offences which are of a political
nature, and whose connexions in life are not clegr,--cled
criminals, That Mr. Vincent has no such connexions.
That it cannot be necessary to his being restored to so-
ciety at the end of his imprisonment, that he should un-
dergo Penitentiary discipline ; and that your petitioners
believe that it is unusual to subject persons convicted of
such offences to Penitentiary discipline. Your petition-
ers therefore pray that your Honourable House will pleas,.!
to take the allegations contained in this petition into your
serious consideration, and cause such steps to be taken as
may lead to the removal of Mr. Vincent from the General
Penitentiary to some other prison, in which the rules may
not subject him to the restraints and privations of which
your petitioners complain.
JOSEPH HUME, 6, Bryanston-square.
FRANCIS PLACE, No. 21, Brompton,square.
H. S. CHAPMAN, 2, Tillotson-place.
&c. &c. &c.