The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-11 00:00:00

MEETING of MIDDLESEX NIAGIS-

TRATES.
A meeting of justices of the county of Middlesex was
held on Thursday at Hicks's Hill, Clerkenwell-green,for
the transaction of business. Mr. Pownall in the chair.
The minutes of the precedi3g Court were read and
confirmed.

COVNTY RATE.
The report of the committee on the county treasurer's
accounts was brought up, upon which
Mr. BENJAMIN HALL moved that a rate of three-
farthings in the pound be granted,
which was agreed to.
THE LUNATIC ASYLUM AT HANWELL,
The report of the committee of visitors of the County
Lunatic Asylum was brought up and read.
Mr. TULK (chairman of the committee) directed espe-
cial attention to the following paragraph in the report,
containing the official report of the present state of the
asylum, by the Commissioners in Lunacy, appointed
under the new statute Bth and 9th Vic., c. 126.
"It is gratifying to the committee of visitors that
upon this, as upon many former occasions, they can
speak of he condition of the asylum in terms of cordial
approval. The ward attendants are observant of the
humane regulations adopted at Hanwell; and, on the
part of the officers, there is no relaxation of effort in
their several Apartments to obviate every difficulty
against which it le possible in such an institution to
guard. It is due to the officers that this testimony be
borne to their continued exertions and zeal; and the
more so, as the Commissioners in Lunacy, whose office it
is to watch over the conditiod of such asylums, have, at a
recent visit, recorded their opilJ° of our establishment,
notwithstanding its magnitude, in Ole following terms:—
" Hanwell Lunatic Asylum, klarch 17, 1846.
" We have spent this day and yeste,azNy in officially
visiting and inspecting this asylum. we
n
have gone
through the various yards, wards, workshops, and out-
buildings, and have seen all the patients now in the in-
stitution. We have also examined into the quality/ sand
allowance of the food supplied to the patients, and have
made the other inquiries relative to the patients and the
management of the asylum and the general condition of
the establishment which are directed by the Act of
Parliament.
"The fare of the patients appeared to us to be of ex-
cellent quality, and the allowance to be liberaL The
clothing and bedding were clean, comfortable, and good.
The galleries, day-rooms, dormitories, and single bed-
rooms were clean and well ventilated, and with some
slight exceptions, free from any offensive smell.
" The patients are at present 981 in number, of whom
413 are male .4, and 568 females. None of them at the
time of our visit were under any mechanical coercion.
Two of the females were under seclusion.
" Generally speaking, they were in a quiet and com-
fortable state.
Signed, "J. W. MYLNE,
J. R. HUME, Commissioners
B. W. PROCTER, in Lunacy."
J. C. PRICHARD,
Upon the motion that the report be received,
Mr. LAURIE wished to ask a question in reference to a
subject which had agitated the county so long ; he
alluded to the proposed extension of the buildings at
Hanwell, so strongly objected to by a large portion of
the inhabitants of Middlesex. Had the Committee re-
ceived any communication from the Commissioners in
Lunacy or the Secretary of State respecting that sug-
gested increase of the establishment?
Mr. Thu' said that the Committee had had a commu-
nication from the Commissioners in Lunacy, and were
preparing a reply.
Mr. LAURIE begged to know the effect of the Com-
missioners' report? It was highly important that the
public should know.
Mr. TULK replied, that their opinion was unfavour-
able to the increase of the buildings now at Hanwell.
They had given their reasons, which in his opinion were
futile and inconclusive.
Some further conversation took place, and it was
elicited in the course of the day that Sir James Graham
was also hostile to the further augmentation of the pre-
sent establishment.
The report was received.
THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION.
The report of the visiting justices of the House of
Correction was read. The number of prisoners was larger
than usual, amounting to 1,023, of whom 757 were male,
266 females, and 10 children. Appended to the report
was an extract from the 10th report of the prison in-
spectors, paying a high compliment to the magistracy and
officers for the state of admirable order in which they
found every part of the gaol, and the degree of com-
parative comfort enjoyed by its Inmates.
Mr, LAURIE objected to the printing of this extract
unaccompanied by some partial strictures contained in
another part of the Commissioners' observations.
Mr. Wmcs, chairman of the visiting justices, said
that if that was a fitting opportunity he would be
glad to enter into a discussion of the whole sub-
ject of prison discipline, especially those parts
in which they might be found at issue with the
inspectors, if there should be any material difference
of opinion between them, which he was happy to say
was not likely to be the case, from the general commen-
dation the home inspectors had bestowed upon the
county gaols, which were unparalleled for the excellency
of their arrangements.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. WILSON animadverted upon the conduct of the
prison inspectors. He thought that before twelve months
had passed these gentlemen would be shown up to the
world. He alluded, he said, to tile shameful misrepre-
sentations respecting Bridewell Hospital.—(Order.)
Mr. ROTCH said that the very object of the appoint-
ment of prison inspectors was to point out defects, and
their office would melt into nothing were they to pander
to the prejudices of the magistrates. Their reports had
been productive of great good, and tended strongly to
keep the magistrates to their duty.—(Hear, hear).
Mr. Laurie's amendment for the omission ofthe extract
or the reference of the report, was lost by a majority of
14 to 11. The report was then received and ordered to
be printed.

THE WESTMINSTER BRIDEWELL.
of Twhheomrespooortwoefrtehomvailseist, andingjustli7ce; of the Westminster
Bridewell was read. The number of prisoners was 077,
females,
and healthy. From the Ist September, ve,henaltih
cerderly
com-
mittals to the New Prison (now in course of demolition)
ceased, to the 3d of April, the number of committals t
the Bridewell was 3,830, and since the 21st February to
the date of the last report, the number was 754.
THE COMMITMENT OF SUICIDAL PRISONERS.
Having mentioned the details that usually form the
princ:pal portion of their reports, the visiting justices
proceed to invite the notice of the Court to some matters
that have required peculiar consideration, and as to
which they deem it proper that the Court and county
should be fully informed.
The visiting justices having learned that on the 11th
ult a prisoner who had been committed for re-exami-
nation on a charge of murder, strangled himself in the
prison, and that no intimation had been given by the
committing magistrate to the governor of his being in an
unsound state of mind, or inclined to commit suicide, they
directed their clerk to address the letter, of which they
annex a copy, dated the 18th ult., to the Secretary of
State for the Home Department, from whom theyreceived
an answer on the 21st ult., and, though unaware whether
the directions suggestA have been issued from the
Home-office, they have understood with pleasure that
in some subsequent cases their hints have been carried
into effect in cases of committals from the police-
courts. The visiting justices, in making their pro-
ceedings known to the Court, beg to draw the attention
of the magistracy of the county at large to the sugges-
tion contained in their letter, and to impress on them
the propriety of their adopting it in every case which
shall come before them, and to which the suggestion may
be applicable ; as otherwise, prisoners so peculiarly
afflicted may not receive special attention, and sad catas-
trophes, distressful to the governor, and painful to the
public mind, may unhappily occur :
" Carlisle-street, Soho, March 18, 1846.
" Sir—A prisoner named John Rofe, who was com-
tmhiett9edth to
instant,the 'forties,: of
Worship-street Correction
ellVi
eees t•
m court,i ns
to b
er, one
t i n
g and
him,
woundingbroiigh brought pEdfsvorin
u
strangled himself in the water-closet of the prison, on
the 11th instant, while the van was waiting to re-convey
furtherliofe, examination,with intent to for
murdercut
him to the police-court. In consequence of this
melancholy event, I am directed by the visiting
justices to acquaint you that it has occurred
to them, that it is desirable that whenever a prisoner
sv:io is about to be commited shall appear to be
insane or of unsound mind, or shall be suspected of in-
sanity, or nn inclination to commit suicide, a private
appear on the
communication on the subject should be made by the
person whom
committing magistrate to the governor of the prison.
And I am therefore instructed to request you will
be pleased to issue directions to . that effect to the
police magistrates. With reference to Rofe's case,
desiredflacaemof t
l e warrant, to
the thatfact a
sdd thatnot
th e
ho attempted to murder was his own son, an intimation
whereof would probably have led the governor to Sus-
pect that the prisoner was not of sound mind, and that
no communication was made, or message delivered, from
the committing magistrate to the governor, either of
that fact or any other, that would induce special tette no-
tion or precautions with respect to him, although it did
happen that both by the surgeon and tho officers parti
cular attentions wore afforded to the prisoner. -
I am further directed to state that the coroner's
jury who sat on the body, in returning their verdict,
unanimously expressed themselves satisfied that ever
reasonable precaution had been taken by the governor
and the officers of the prison against the commission
of suicide, and that a relative of the dec eased, who
attended the inquest, joined in that °P'tzlioll, an
thanked the governor f a. the vigilance arid kindness
which he had shown to the prisoner. Cho visiting
justices, also, having caused inquiry to be made into
the circumstances of the case, arc happy to 1)e able fully
to exonerate the governor and all the olliecTs from any
blame on the occasion, yet they trust that the recau-
they have suggested the approved
tionary measures will
and sanctioned by you.—l have, the honour be, &c.
o C. P. ALLEN, Clerk to Vick -,Justices.
"To the Right Hon. Sir James Graham, Bart."
,g Whitehall, 21st Afar( .h, 1846.
" Sir,--Iro am directed by Secretary Sir Js
es Gra-
ham to acknowledge the receipt of your let ter of the
18th instant, submitting a suggestion of tit io visiting
justices of the House of Correction atWrestrc mater that