The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-06 00:00:00

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE

AMENDMENT OF THE LAW.
The usual general meeting of this institution was held last
night, at the Rooms of the Society, 21, Regent-street, Lord
Brougham in the chair.
The minutes of the last meeting having been read, the fol-
lowing new members were ballotted for, and admitted:
Messrs. Philip Twells, Leonard H. Hartley, Martin Tucker
Smith, and Frederick Peel.

A very intere-ting :report was read on the various plans
which had been tried or proposed for the improvement of the
treatment of criminals and young persons likely to become
criminals, and on the principles on which punishments ought
to be awarded and conducted. The report, which was read
by Mr. Pitt Taylor, described, at very great length, the in-
conveniences and evils attending the present system of se-
secondary punishments, and concluded by recommending-
1. That all gaols, where unrestrii ted inipscourse is allowed,
should be abolished. 2. Tbat neither convicted nor uncon-
victed prisoners should be allowed to remain in a 11 ate of idle-
ness. 3. That tread-wheel labour should be ab lished. 4.
That the building of district prisons within a limited er' d
should be rendere compulsory. 5. That such prisons should
be so built as to afford separate accommodations to each pri-
soner. 6. That useful labour. ex gr. mat, rug, basket, or net-
making, tailoring, washing, shoemaking, sempstressing,
knitting, &c., should be uniformly introduced in all prisons.
7. That these occupations should be taught by com-
petent persons attached to each prison. 8. That a better
class of schoolmasters should be appointed, with large.• sala-
ries, and that it should be compulsory on every criminal to
attend school for a fixed time each .day. 9. That t.) each
gaol a chaplain should be attached, with a salary sufficiently
large to ensure competency, and that it should be incumbent
upon him to reside in the prison, and to give his undivided
attention to the spiritual wants of its inmates. 10. Thst
assuming the alterations to be carried into effect, short sen-
tences—that is, under one month—should be liscontinued.
11. That a coarse, plain, and uniform diet should be en-
forced. 12. That for juvenile offenders and other desti-
tute children one or two large asylums should be established
on a somewhat similar plan to that proposed by Mr. Pear•
son, only taking care that the discipline ire sufficisully
severe.

After some discussion, in which Mr. T:wiatz. M.P., and
Mr. M. D. HILL, Q.C., took a part,
Lord BROUGHAM expressed his opinion that short terms
of imprisonment were inefficient for the reformatimn of
criminals, however they might be applicable to the punish-
ment of minor offences. As regards reformation, there was
no chance of bringing the criminal's mind to the prorer
state for the operation of the reformatory process during a
very short imprisonment. The public mind was, be was
glad to say, become awakened to the proper object of the
punishment of criminals, namely, the reformation of the
offender ; whereas, in former days, the idea was usually
prevalent that the object of punishment was only the pre-
vention of crime (by example. The effect of this latter
opinion was the former frequency of executions, which were
evidently intended for the purpose of deterring by example.
The mist successful mode of preventing and diminishing
crime was by educating the people, and teaching them a
hatred of vice of all descriptions. The noble lord adverted
to the great advantage of infant schools as a means of dimi-
nishing the number of criminals. He entertained an opinion
which, perhaps, might be considered old-fashioned, and
which perhaps was not participated in by any one else in the
room ; he would not give up the punishment of death in
certain cases, as a means of deterring from crime, although
he would most willingly give it up in all cases where it
ought not to be inflicted.
The further discussion of the subject matter of the report
was adjoxrned to the 17th of this month.

EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATIONS.
Yesterday morning, about 3 o'clock, the western portion of
the metropolis became suddenly illuminated to such an ex-
tent as to clearly indicate that two serious fires were raging,
The engines of the London Brigade of the C division, and
of the West of England and County offices started in search
of the fire at the west end. The firemen at length discovered
that the extensive tallow and wax candle manufactory be-
longing to Mr. Green, situate at 105, Mount street, Grosve-
nor-square, was wrapped in flames. The engines were quickly
set to work, but owing to the quantity of tallow in the place,
the flames rose to an alarming height. The firemen, under
the direction of Mr. Staples, the chief officer of the brigade,
and Messrs. Connorton and Garwood of the West of Eng-
land and County offices, had their hose carried through the
front premises, and by that means they were enabled to pre-
vent the flames from extending; but it was nearly six o'clock
before the fire was entirely extinguished, and not before the
work-shop, melting-house, &c., at the rear of the dwelling,
were consumed, the contents, stock, &c., totally destroyed,
and the furniture, &c., in the dwelling-house seriously da-
maged. The whole loss is estimated to exceed 1,0001.
About half-past two o'clock, a fire, attended with
great damage and destruction of property, took place at a
cigar-manufactory and tobacconist's opposite the Custom-
house,
Lower Thames-street. With great difficulty the
family was made acquainted with their danger, and by the
time two of the Fire Brigade establishment, and the p Irish
engines were procured, a good supply of water was obtained ;
but the fire was not extinguished until property to a large
rxtent was destroyed. The proprietor, it is believed, is in-
sured against loss. 110 w the fire originated cou'd not be
ascertained.

BANK OF ENtiLAND.
(From last night's Gazette.)
An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and tith of Victoria, cap. 32, for
the Week ending on Saturday, the 30th day of January, 1847.
mina DXPARTMENT.
votes issued—. • • • • 26,172,870

Z.
Government debt • • 11,015,100
Other securities •• • • 2,984,900
Gold coin and bullion 10,499,161
Silver bullion ••• • • • 1.673 709

£26,172,870

I X 26,172,870
M. MARSHALL, Chief Cashier.
1847.

Dated the 4th day of February,

BANKING D,
Proprietors' capital.. 14,M3,000
Rest .. 3,643,711
Public deposits (in-
Wading Exchequer,
Commissioners of
National Debt, Sav-

Government securi-

ties (including Dead
Weight Annuity) .. 12,722, ,19
Other securities • • • • 14,10;,n72
Notes • • • ...... • • • • • 5,703.'65
Gold and silver coin. • 725,7 e

ings-banks, and Di-
vidend accounts)• • 4,462,872
)ther deposits ••• • • • 9,659.940
Seven day and other _

bills • . •-•—.. • .... 941,481

A 33,261,034

£33,261,034
M. MARSHALL, Chief Cashier.
ra47.

Dated the 4th day ~frr'broarr. 1

CAUGHT IN THr; Eacr.—A certain notable house-
wife had observed that her stock of pickled osect in con-
sequence, e
running remarkably low, and she spoke to_t be
who alone had access to them.w The
with such cook's cha-
racter was at stake; unwilling to give a
an imputation upon her self-denial, not to lay tanesitlyis,tsrhe,
nevertheless, felt that all confidence between her esi
and herself was at an end. One day the ar coatainingthe
evanescent condiment being placed as usual On *e dresser,
while she was engaged in bast,ng a joint Were the fire, she
4
happened to turn suddenly round,b and behel toer great
indignation, a favourite magpie, remarkab for his con-
versational powers and general intellipance, perched
by its side, and dipping his beak down the open
neck with every symptom of wale:cation. The
mystery was explained—the thief detected. Grasp-
ing the ladle of scalding grease which she held in
her hand, the exasperated lady dashed the whole contents
over the hapless pet, accompanied by the exclamation, " Oh,
oh you've been at the pickled cockles, have ye?" Poor
Mag, of course, was dreadfully burnt ; most of his feathers
came off, leaving his little round pate, which had caught the
principal part of the volley, entirely bare. The poor bird
moped about, lost all his spirit. and never spoke for a year.
At length when he had pretty well recovered, and was be-
ginning to chatter again, a gentleman called at the house,
who, on taking off his hat, discovered a very bald head !
The magpie, who happened to be in the room, appeared evi-
dently struck by the circumstance; his reminiscences were at
once powerfully excited by the naked appearance of the gen-
tleman's skull. Hopping upon the back of his chair, and
looking him hastily over, he suddenly exclaimed in the ear
of his astonished visitor, " Oh, oh ! you've been at the
pickled cockles, have ye?"—.Dumfries Advertiser.
REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF I3READ AND COALS.—
Thusday the 41b. lobf 4' wheaten bread was reduced to 80.
oh the Surrey side of the Thames, and by most of the cheap
bakers throughout the metropolis. Coals were also reduced
by the retail dealers 2d. per vet.