The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-13 00:00:00

THE PRISONS of GREAT BRITAIN.
The tenth report of the inspectors of prisons has
just made its appearance, and has excited a considerable
sensation amour,- the City authorities. The inspectors
advert to the general improvement which has taken
place in prison discipline and management, and in the
separate system of prison discipline. In the Home
district, the new Beading County Gaol and House of
Correction hay been in operation for more than Eigh-
teen months, and the separate system tried with great
success. Not only has the health of the prisoners im-
proved under this system, but the number of punishments
has greatly decreased. The last report gave 343
punishments for prison offence out of an annual gaol
population of 830. Under the separate system during
the same period we have only 94 prison punishments
out of a population of 332, or 16 percent. less than here-
torore. The intellectual and religious instruction of the
convict has, progress( d in an equal ratio. Considerable
alterations and improvements have been made in the Hort-
ford County Gaol and House of Correction, with a view
to its adaptation to the separate system. Clerkenwell
Prison has been taken down, and a new county gaol is
in course of erection on its site, upon the separate
system, fir the untried and for prisoners under exami-
nation. In Buckinghamshire a new prison for 300 pri-
soners on the improved plan will be completed in August
next. The inspectors object, however, to the pro-
vieien of day rooms for prisoners before trial, and
the tread-wheel for prisoners sentenced to hard
labour. They are of opinion that the silent sys
tem
.cannot properly he applied to the untried, add
that compulsory labour does not necessarily induce
industrious habits. Extensive alterations are in progress
in the Essex County Gaol at Springfield, and the ob-
jectionable gaol at Chelmsford is to be abolished. In
the Kent county prisons at Cant( rbury and Maidstone,
many important alterations are in contemplation. The
inspectors strongly recommend the erection of a prison
in the metropolitan districts of Kent, the expense of
conveying offenders from the neighbourhood of London
to Maidstone, amounting, at present, to 1,8001. a year.
They also suggest that one large House of
Correction, on the new system, shall be substi-
tuted for the Brixton, Guildford, and Kingston prisons.
In the eastern division of Sussex there is a great need
of additional prison accommodation. Whilst the in-
spectors, however, express their satisfaction at the
grs at improvement which has taken place in prison
discipline and accommodation in the di itricts above
referred to, they advert in terms of stri rig
condemnation to the disgraceful condition of the
prisons of the city of London, Newgate, Giltspur-
stree:-, Compter, and the City Bridewell, —in
which, say they, " the master evil of gaol asso-
ciation and consequent contamination, still con-
tinues to operate directly to the encouragement of
crime. The forced companionship of a prisoner jest com-
mencing his career with the associates he must of neces-
sity meet with in the City prisons, cannot fail of
proving destructive." The inspectors add, that they have
frequently protested against the prisons of the city of
London without effect. Among the prisons of the home
district which fall within the same category are those
for the county of Bedford, the effects of confine•
ment in which are of a most demoralising cha-
racter. The act for the amendment of the Law
of insolvency has greatly diminished the number
of prisoners in the following gaols, viz., the Debtors'
Prison for London and Middlesex ; the gaol for the
county of Kent, at Maidstone ; and the gaol for the
county of Surrey, in Horsemonger-lane ; the decrease
having amounted in the last mentioned prism], to 807
per cent. Having enumerated the causes of juvenile
delinquency, the inspectors express their opinion
that ordinary schools are inapplicable to the refer-
xnation of such offenders. A vast improvement in
the treatment of juvenile convicts is, however, ad-
mitted to have taken place within these last few
years. The establishment of the Parkhurst prison, at
the instigation of the inspectors, now eight years in ope-
ration, has been attended with the most beneficial re-
suite. The prison was originally provided for 320 boys,
but has been enlarged so as to accommodate at the pre-
sent moment 720 boys. The arrangement at the Mill-
bank Penitentiary for the probationary confinement of
200 youths, from 16 to 20 years of stere, has also greatly
augmented the means of ameliorating the condition of
juvenile convicts. Further establishmeots for the ef-
fectuation of the same desirable object are strenuously
recommended. The report contains some just and use-
ful practical suggestions in regard to the treatment of
juvenile offenders. That treatment, however humane,
mus!: be of a penal character; for if they are comfortably
fed an," clothed, and subjected to little corrective dis-
cipline, the strongest inducements will be offered to
indigent parents to abandon their children, or instigate
them to qualify themselves by crime for admission into
such establishments. The report recommends that
a prison for juvenile delinquents should be erected
in London. Three thous.
the metropolitan prisons • .4.12 d were confined last year in
no young person can fail be
aod it cannot be doubted that
depraved by the contarc.i-
nating association which such a •
eyeenn involves. It also
suggests that convicts of this class shouted,
on their release
from gaol, be placed in the way of° obtaining an honest
livelihood, and not be left in the state n'f destitution
which at present attends their discharge. The subject of
emigration for criminal boys is next discusse
And the
necessity for the formation of district prisons fo them
insisted upon. Unless a liberal outlay be incurred pro.
o•
vidin reformatories for offenders of this class, their
numbers cannot fail to increase to a frightful extent. It
is added the for such purposes many buildings
already in existence might be adapted at a much
smaller cost than the construction of new
prisons would of necessity involve. The docu-
ments by which the report is illustrated extend to
674 folios, and are chiefly statistical. The account
which is given of the metropolitan prisons, and those
of the City more especially, is little creditable to the
wealth and intelligence of the City of London. But we
are unable to find space for any portion of it to-day.
Suffice it, for the present, to remark that it fully war-
rants the indignant protest of the inspectors.

AMERICAN ATLANTIC MAIL,STEAMERS —We learn
that the American Government have accepted a contract
for the conveyance of American snails over the Atlantic.
Six large and
York.--Liverposteamers, it is stated, are to be
pro-
vided, and the ports of departure are to be Liverpool and Ne v
cpowerful Albion.
Tar, ALLEGED FORGERY OF AN ANTI-CORN-LAW
PETITION. We arc •
motion of Mr. Craven
the Committee granted on the
the cases of ellßerkeley met en Friday and inves-
tigatedion ; Mr. Septitnusa?ed forgery of signatures to this pe-
Mr. Vines, Mr. Bisho ruen, Mr. J. Boodle, Mr. Ilennesy,
result of their evidence aa(!e•
others were examined, and the
ex-
planation by Mr. Bright is the true no
doubt that the
of the signatures were Loud fiderts!enons, viz., that the whole
that being sent to 'Manchester in an informal Cheltenham, but
I the clerks in the League-orfice, drew
outorm al state, one of
heading, copying at the foot the Are first a proper written
snake it presentable to the House.— aseittniunma_n;'ersa, so as to
The Earl of Cawdor, as conductor for the nevening,teer.
enfe.rtained the directors of the Ancient Concerts
on Wed-
nesday night at dinner, at his mansion in South Audlev-
street. 11-er Royal ifigh:sess the Duchess of Gloucester
honoured the Noble Earl with her presence on :he occasion.
Tile other guests were his Royal Highness the Duke of Cam-
britLe, ',his Grace 1110 Doke of Wellington, the IL chess of
Duct-le:ltch, the Earl and Coutttes of Roscberry-. Sir Henry
; Eidiop, Air. SlOatia Stanley and 1411A3 Stanley, and the
Honourable Octavius and Lady Caroline buncombe. The
family circle comprised the Earl and Countess Cawdor, and
Lady 11111.7 Campbell and Viscount Etnlyn. The pertly
broke up early, to attend the performance at the Hanover- i
square Rooms.
GLASGOW PIG-IRON TRADE, :MARCH 10.—Consider-
able transactions have taken ~lace this week, but at reduced rates. 1
Irregularities have taken phaee among come of the dealers, which ;
has created a want cf confidence, and thrown a gloom over the
market. 70s. in store for the nsnal proportions of numbers eanrot I
be obtained, the general impression being Mat A will recede to 0:9. i
67«sgoto lAtiional. I