The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-06 00:00:00

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.
The receipts on Thursday amounted to 2,1371. 18a., the
number of visitors being 4t,209. There were no less
than five schools in and around the metropolis present,
and the paupers of St. George's, Southwark, were also
kindly treated to a view of the Crystal Palace. The
mean temperature in the interior of the building during
the day, according to Bennett's thermometers, was 67'6.

MEETING of MIDDLESEX MAGISTRATES.
There was a numerous meeting of the magistrates
for the county of Middlesex held on Thursday at the
Sessions-house, Clerken well, for the dispatch of
county business. Mr. Pownall, presided, as usual, as
chairman.
THE SESSIONS-HOUSE (GUILDHALL) Al` WESTMINSTER.
Mr. Sergeant ADAMS directed the attention of the
Court to certain alterations which were required to be
made at the Guildhall, 'Westminster, in reference to
the reception and safe custody of the prisoners to be
tried at the sessions held at that place under the re-
cent Act, and also for the better accommodation of
the public. The Learned Sergeant then moved the
appointment of a committee to take the matter into
consideration, and to order and to carry out such
alterations as they might find necessary.
Mr. Josrau WlLsorg seconded the motion, which
was at once agreed to.
THE CORONERS' ACCOUNTS.
The report of the Committee of Accounts and for
General Purposes stated that the accounts of the
coroners) had been examined, and that the commit-
tee recommended that the following payments should
he made :—To Mr. Baker, for 92 inquisitions, held
between the 28th of June and the 21st of August,
2911. ss. Id. To Mr. Bedford for 44 inquisitions,
held between the Ist of June and the 31st of July,
127/. 14s. 4d. In three cases the fees of this coroner
were disallowed, upon the ground that there had been
no cause or necessity for the particular inquisitions to
have been held. To Mr. Wakley for 150 inquisi-
tions, held between the 23d of June and the 18th of
August, 540/. Os. Bà., less the fees in two cases. In
reference to the several inquests held by Mr. Wakley,
the payment for which had been deferred at the
last county meeting for the obtainment of further in-
formation as to the propriety or necessity of such
inquests being held, the committee now recommended
that the fees upon nine of those inquisitions should
be paid, but that the fees upon the remaining five
should be disallowed.
The recommendations of the committee were
adopted, and the report was agreed to.
STATE OF THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION, COLDBATH•
FIELDS.

The report of the visiting justices of the House of
Correction having been read, it appeared that the
average number of prisoners in confinement in that
gaol during the last month had been 1,155, and that
the number at present in custody withisr its walls was
1,178, of worn 698 were felons, 370 were misdemean-
ants, and 110 were vagrants. It also appeared from the
reports of the chaplains to the visiting justices, that
they had in several instances been successful in
their interposition in behalf of prisoners on their dis-
charge from prison. In some cases the prisoners had
been received into various charitable institutions, and
others had been reconciled to and received back by
their parents or former employers.
The report was received and adopted.
STATE OF THE HOUSE OF CORRECTION, WESTMINSTER.
The report of the visiting justices of the House
of Correction, Westminster, set forth that the
number of prisoners at present in confinement
therein was 629—namely, male felons and misde-
meanants, 172 ; and male vagrants, 50; total,
222. Female felons and misdemeanants, 381 ; and
female vagrants, 26—total, 407 ; thus constituting the
gross total of 629. The report then went on to say that
" In reference to the alterations at the prison, which
were sanctioned by the Court on the • County-day' of
last February sessions, and which were commenced
on the sth of May, and whereby it was intended,
amongst other things, to effect the desirable ob-
jects of discontinuing the use of the large dormitories,
and instead thereof of providing separate sleeping
accommodation for every prisoner, on the principle
adopted by the Government at the convict prison at
Portland, the visiting justices have to state that in
consequence of Captain Williams, the Inspector of
Prisons for the Home District, having on the 26th of
July made several objections to the plans, they imme-
diately afterwards suspended the works, and submitted
the plans under the Act 2 and 3 Victoria, c. 56, 5.12,
to the approval of the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, under whose consideration the same now
remain."
Much regret was expressed by several of the magis-
trates that the Government Inspector should have
stopped the further progress of this work, especially
as the plans were in reality based upon the principles
which had been approved and directed by the Govern-
ment instructions ;and
Mr. KEMSHEAD said, he the more lamented the
proceeding because, if Captain Williams had disap-
proved the proposed alterations, he ought, as one of
the Government inspectors, to have interfered in the
first instance ; but the truth was the works in ques-
tion were in accordance with the principle and the
plans of the Government.
Mr. ROTIEI remarked that this interference appeared
under the circumstances to be so extraordinary, and
was in truth so prejudicial to the interests of the
county and its prison, that he should move that the
report be printed and circulated in the usual manner,
and then be taken into consideration at the next
county meeting.
The motion having been seconded was agreed to.
STATE OF THE HOUSE OF DETENTION.
The visiting justices of this prison stated, that " the
daily average number of prisoners since Midsummer
last has been 168, and this day in custody there are
150 males and 48 females, making a total of 198, con-
sisting of the following classes—namely, for trial at
Westminster, 77 (tried in the early part of the pre-
sent week) ; for trial at Clerkenwell, 32 ; for re-ex-
amination, 54 ; for want of bail 32 ; on summary
orders, 1 ; deserters, 2 ; total, 198."
The report was received and adopted.
THE COLNEY HATCH LUNATIC ASYLUM.
The report of the Committee of Visitors of the
Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum was then read.
The report having been received and adopted,
On the motion of Mr. ROTCH, seconded by Mr.
JosIAH 'WILsoN, it was ordered that the county
treasurer make the advances asked by the committee.
A mortgage of county rates for 20,0001. for the
purposes of the same asylum, pursuant to the resolu-
tion passed on the last County-day, was then executed.
It will be in the recollection of our readers that the
Court, at its last sitting, ordered that the county
'treasurer should make a return to the Court of the
sums of money he had paid on account of, and in
connexion with the erection of, the Colney Hatch
Lunatic Asylum.
The Deputy Clerk of the Peace now laid that re-
turn before the Court, from which it appeared that,
up to the date of that document, the sums paid
amounted to 231,767/. 15s. 23., which amount was
this day increased by 41,000/.—namely, by the exe
cution of the above mortgage of the county rates for
an amount of 20,000/. voted on a former occasion, and
a further amount now voted of 21,0001., thereby
making the total cost, up to the present time, to be
272,7671. 15s. 23.
Mr. ARMSTRONG moved—" That this return be
printed and circulated amongst the magistracy and
the different parish officers throughout the county."
The Rev. THEODORE WILLIAMS seconded the
motion.
A prolonged and somewhat warm discussion arose
upon this motion, in the course of which
Mr. KEMSHEAD, chairman of the Committee of Ac-
counts and for General Purposes, proposed as an
amendment, " That the return be not printed," upon
the ground that the return in its present form, and
without any details or explanation, was only calculated
to mislead.
This view of the question having been taken by Mr.
Itetch, Mr. V. Knight, and other magistrates, upon
a division being taken the motion was lost.
Mr. DEVON then moved, by way of amendment on
the proposition of Mr. Kemshead, " That the return
be printed and circulated among the magistrates."
The amendment having been seconded, another long
and desultory discussion ensued.
The amendment was eventually lost, having been
opposed upon the same grounds as Mr. Armstrong's
motion, and Mr. Kemshead's proposal for the non-
printing of this or any return until the whole expense
had been ascertained, was then put and agreed to.
Mr. ROTCH then moved, pursuant to notice—
" That the suns of 21,0001., to be raised by way of
Court for the payment of the costs and expenses in-
curred, and to be incurred, by the Committee
of Visitors of the Lunatic Asylum at Colney
Hatch, for the completion of the same," and in doing
so, entered into a detail of the precise purposes for
which the money
was required.
Mr. 3. WILSON seconded the motion.
Mr. DEVON said he had been
entrusted. by Colonel
T. Wood with the conduct of an amendment, of
which that gallant magistrate, who was compelled to
b out of town, had given notice, to the following ef-
e
effect :—" That 2n exact estimate be afforded to the
Court of the charges to which the 21,0001. proposed
to be voted at the next County-day are to be appro-
priated." But after the explanation which the
Learned Chairman of the Colney Hatch Asylum had
just given in asking for the sum in question, he
thought he might fairly exercise his own discretion,
in the absence of his Gallant Friend, and withdraw
the amendment.—(Hear.)
The motion for the grant of 21,000/. was then put
and agreed to.
Mr. ROTCH, in reply to a question from the Rev.
T. Williams, said, if it were put to him as to what his
opinion was with reference to what the whole cost of
the Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum would be, he
should have no hesitation in saying that it would be
within 300,001., but he entertained great hopes that