The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-13 00:00:00

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

THE CITY PRISONS.
A Court of Aldermen was held at two o'clock on
Saturday.
The Remembrancer informed the Court that Lord
Sandon bad given notice in the House of Commons that
it was his intention " to call the attention of the House
to the state of the prisons under the jurisdiction of the
city of London."
Alderman COPELAND said, he felt no hesitation in de-
claring that it was his intention to second the motion of
Lord Sandon, who, he supposed, contemplated the ap-
pointment of a committee to inquire into the state of
the gaols. He, at the same time, should take particular
care to suggest that the report of the inspectors of prisons
appointed by Government be referred to the committee.
Anything so grossly erroneous and absurd never issued
from the lips or the pen of man as the representations
in that notorious report. It was impossible to conceive
any composition which contained falsehoods more
glaring than those which abounded in the descrip-
tion of her Majesty's gaol of Newgate.—(Hear, hear.)
He had already stated his opinion of the report he
alluded to, and of the spirit by which it had been dic-
tated, and those who visited the prison saw that there
was no exaggeration in his censure. The prejudices of
the inspectors were, in fact, altogether frightful, and it
happened that their judgment was so blinded by the force
of those prejudices, that they involved themselves in the
difficulty of contrasting the management and arrange-
ments of Newgate with those of Reading Gaol, one of
their favourite specimens of what a gaol ought to be.—
(Hear, hear.) It was impossible to let such a notice as
the City Remembrancer had just given to the court pass
without urging the Government on to an inquiry, which
must have the effect of completely stultifying the specu-
lations of the inspectors ; and if the Court were of
opinion that he should adopt the course, which struck
him as most reasonable, when the motion of Lord
Sandon should come forward he would certainly
take care that the injurious representations of the
gentlemen appointed to inquire into the condition
of the city prisons should undergo a strict investigation.
The inspectors had never ceased to declare the gaol of
Newgate was in every respect an utter abomination—
and what was the opinion expressed by disinterested
people who visited it ? The grand jury, who had been
just discharged, had visited Newgate, and expressed
their surprise and satisfaction at the state of the prison.
—(Hear, hear.) He was in the prison at the time of
their visit, and he entered in the book the opinion they
had expressed. Mr. Cobden had visited Newgate in the
apprehension of finding it a complete Augean stable, and
he also expressed unaffected surprise at the difference
between the character given and character deserved.—
(Hear, hear.) It was in fact quite impossible not to
feel the strongest indignation at the calumnious matter
contained in the voluminous reports made by the inspec-
tors, and he trusted the Lord Mayor would appoint a
day for the consideration of the question, of which Lord
Sandon had given notice, in order that every facility
might be afforded to the committee, which would no
doubt be appointed.—(Hear, hear.)
The LORD MAYOR said he should feel great pleasure
in appointing a day for the consideration of a subject of
so much importance.
A day will be appointed for the discussion in the
course of next week.