The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-07 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSION S.

(Before the ASSISTANT-JUDGE and a Bench of Magis-
trates.)
The January Quarter-Sessions of the Peace for the
county of Middlesex commenced on Tuesday morn-
ing, at Hicks's Hall, Clerkenwell-green, before Mr.
Sergeant Adams and a full bench of county magistrates.
The calendar contains the names of 115 prisoners for
trial, of whom 110 hare been indicted, charged with
felony, and five with misdemeanors ; there are also a
considerable number of prisoners for trial whose names
do not appear upon the calendar.
The ASSISTANT-JUDGE, in his address to the grand
jury, adverted to the subject of abolishing grand juries
in this Court, and said that if they made a presentment
to him, expressing their opinion of the inutility of that
body, he would be most happy to forward it to the proper
authorities.

Charles Lewis, convicted at this Court during the last
session, for stealing a funnel, was brought up this morn-
ing for judgment, and having received an excellent
chrracter, the Judge directed him to be discharged
within one hour from that time, as he had already been
confined nearly a month.
_ _ _

Thomas Miller (8) and Henry Rowley (15) were in-
dicted, charged with stealing a till and the sum of U. 1 Is.
6+l, and two canvass bags, the property of Andrew
Glass.

The evidence of the prosecutor clearly proved the
charge.

The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.
The Learned ASSISTANT-JUDGE, in passing sentence,
said that the prisoners at the bar were proper objects for
admission into Parkhurst Prison, but Sir James Graham
had, in his recent correspondence with him (the Judge),
expressly directed that that class of prisoners should not
in future be sent to Parkhurst. The boy, Miller,
although but eight years old, had been twice previously
convicted ; Rowley, had also been previously con-
victed, once in that Court and once summarily. He had
inquired respecting the condition of these boys, and
found that their parents had been written to twice since
their commitment, but they had not taken the slightest
notice, nor had they even supplied them with a change
of linen while in prison. It was a case which he did
not know how to treat, lest by doing right he might do
wrong. He wished something could be done for youth-
ful criminals. These poor boys, when they had served
their term of imprisonment, would be again turned out
upon the public, and cast upon the town to recommence
their old practices. It was quite clear that this system
would in a short time inundate the whole metropolis
with thieves. The prison at Parkhurst, he considered
was first founded for the purpose of remedying the evil,
at least so he had learned from communications he
had received from the Home Secretary, soon after the
prison had been established. These poor children were
such as would be benefited by the discipline and instruc-
tion exercised there, and moreover placed in a position
to earn an honest livelihood, and become respectable
members of society. By the existing orders both these
boys were unfit for reception within its walls—one was
too young, and the offence of which they had been con-
victed did not warrant transportation, witheut which ho
could not recommend them to Parkhurst ; however, in
the present instance, whether right or wrong, and not-
withstanding their age, he would sentence them to trans-
portation for seven years, and then the Government must
exercise their own discretion in sending them to Park-
hurst or elsewhere. There was no other course left for
that Court to adopt. He did sincerely trust that some
provision would be made for this class of prisoners : if
not, the whole metropolis would be overrun with crime.
The present order with respect to Parkhurst prison
would leave it a dead letter as far as the metropolitan
district was concerned. Since his appointment to the
office of Judge of that Court he bad tried upwards of
270 boys, varying from eight to fourteen years of age,
yet tht•re was no place of protection, or asylum provided
by Government for their reception ; he, however, hoped
that the Legislature would adopt some means for stem-
ming the torrent of juvenile crime, by pointing out
punishments suiting the ages of children, and the cir-
cumstances under which they came Lefore that Court.
The sentence was, that each be transported for the term
of seven years.