The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-13 00:00:00

PRISON DISCIPLINE.

The following petition of the once notorious Char-
tist leader, Ernest Jones, has been printed with the
votes :
" The humble petition of Ernest Charles Jones, of the
Middle Temple, barrister-at law, showeth—
" That your petitioner, for a speech delivered by him
in Jane, 1848, was sentenced, at the July sessions of the
sums year, by the then Chief Justice, to be imprisoned
for two years and one week, no other punishment being
embraced in the sentence, but receiving while in the
dock, in reply to a question asked, repeated assurances
of considerate and lenient treatment.
" Your petitioner was subsequently conveyed to Tot-
hill-fields Prison, Westminster, and there, during the
entire period to which he was sentenced, in sepa-
rate confinement on the silent system, which was en-
forced with such rigour that he was severely repri-
manded for even reading the Bible to himself, though in
a scarcely audible voice. Your petitioner was further
compelled to pick oakum, which he did on his arrival,
and which labour was remitted only in consideration of
a weekly payment of money. He was made to wear the
same dress and parti•coloured cap as culprit 3 guilty of
heinous offences, and marched about the prison in the
same files with common felons, subjected to convict
discipline so rigorous as to make an involuntary smile,
turning the head to the right or left, or folding the
arms, a punishable offence; supplied with indigestible
and unwholesome food, to the serious injury of his
health; not allowed a fork, being obliged to use his
fingers instead; and net furnished with sufficient under
clothing for health and cleanliness.
" During the greater part of the months of November
and December, 1848 (which were remarkably severe),
your petitioner was kept without fire, and with thhsamwoe
clothing as in the height of summer, in a daycell, two
of which were unglazed, having merely
shut-
ters, and its doors (which closed imperfectly)
openingcluring
formerili thorougha sm
fitting so
directly on the prison yard. In neither winter
his detention was any addition, even in the most.n
81.1021/101%
weather, made to the clothing he wore in
the chief
rigorous
Your petitioner was farther forced, d
period of his imprisonment, to sleep small
draft,night
cell, about Eft. wide by Bft, long, inteheaap
between the window and theadno ,
and latter, as did alsb
badly as to admit the rain,
both in t a
two large gratings of about onefoot duringsquare each
cell where he was principally confined
win-
ters, opening directly on the outer air. Such was the
damp and fog
imn otrhneniiee
ngnewinter that your pe-
titioner has or mornings brushed
ofdhis clothing, thells during
dewnlooffhiisg. Yourblanket,
and suffered from t
petitioner thence became afflicted with tic-dolereux and
rheumatism, so severea s almost to deprive him of the
use of his limbs; notwithstanding this, his cell was not
changed while suffering thus, till shortly before his leav-
and, though afflicted during five winter
monthsingthe Ps
with the most aggravated attack of neuralgia, he
was compelled to rise at a quarter past six in the morn-
ing, and even in snow or rata to walk through two yards,
and wash and dress in the open air, under a recess in
the wall.
Your petitioner was by this treatment reduced to a
state of health so precarious that he lost 161 b. in
weight in seven weeks, as the infirmary-books will
prove, and was unable to walk across his cell; the snr-
gate was compelled to order him into the infirmary,
where he remained nineteen weeks, at two intervals. On
leaving the infirmary the first time, no alteration being
made in his treatment, the consequence was the surgeon
was obliged to send him back, after the lapse of a fort-
night, in a more dangerous state than before. During
part of this time, as he then asserted on his oath, and as
be still believes, his life was in imminent danger; his
Wife therefore petitioned for leave that Mr. Cholmon-
delay, of No. 3, Nottingham-place, Reeent's-park, who
has attended petitioner and his family for twelve years,
might be allowed to see him, but was refused. Mr.
Wekley, Member of your Hon. House, applied as such,
and in his medical capacity, to see petitioner, but was
also refused permission, by both the visiting justices and
Sir George Grey.
" Your petitioner, after leaving the infirmary a second
time, was (with the exception of obtaining, after a while,
a larger night-cell) once more subjected' to the same
treatment as before, the effect of which was the ruin of
his health, and the icfliction of nervous and rheumatic
coa3plaints, from which he is still suffering severely.
and from which he believes ho can never wholly
recover. Your petitioner further begs to state
that (with two exceptions) ho was not allowed
to see any friend or relative more than four times
in the year, and then only in the presence of a turnkey,
and for twenty minutes each time; that after the first
three months ha was not allowed to write a letter, even
to his wife, more than once a quarter, the permission of
writing oftener, after the period named, having 'been
withdrawn without petitioner's having given any cause,
or broken a single rule of the prison, but, on the con-
trary, having been repeatedly commended for his con-
duct; that not even during the fearful visitation of the
cholera, though petitioner made a special request to be
allowed to hear from home, was that request acceded to;
that he was during the first nineteen months of his im-
prisonment not allowed the use of pen, ink, or paper
(ircept for a few moments once a quarter for the afore-
said quarterly letter); that though petitioner's wife was
so ill as to be long in danger of her life, permission was
refused her to inform her husband, or to communicate
with him, and that when petitioner was himself dan-
gerously ill, he was not able to acquaint his wife with
his condition until the time for writing his quarterly
letter had come round.

" Such was the treatment to which your petitioner
was subjected during two years and one week, the entire
period for which ho was sentenced; and petitioner begs
to remind your Hon. House that the sentence of the
judge, as delivered in court, was simply this:—' The
sentence of the Cuurt is, that you be imprisoned during
two years on the first count, and one week on the
second,' coupled with the assurances previously stated;
and petitioner begs further to observe that the same

treatment would naturally be tar more injurious to the
health of a man in his station of life than to that of a

man long inured to harchhipi and privations; whereas
petitioner can prove that prisoners convicted on infinitely
more serious charges were treated in a far more lenient

manner.
" Your petitioner now solicits the attention of your
Hon. House to the treatment he experienced when en-
d_a eavouring to obtain some alleviation of his sufferings.
0 the 19th of March, 1849, petitioner, finding his
health unable to bear the treatment inflicted, and feeling
convinced such treatment was not intended b the Court
asked permission to wr
_ike to thejudge who sentenced
him, for the purpose ofilllquirin g whether his treatment
was in accordance with the sentenced
passed; but the
permission was refused. Petitioner was then threatened
with severities additional • •
es of an aggravated character, if
he did not cease complaining
even told ho would beof his sufferings; he was
set to scrubl the floors of the
appdeied for I
con-
victs' cells. Petitioner then
prison rules, but even this was :my° to see the
toied him. Petitioner
then desired to see his solicitor, ornwritel to him, but
tobo petition
was refused. Petitioner then aske
your Hon. House, which was prohibited byve visiting
justices, although he stated, as one reasonamo
adduced for so doing, that he haiiseveral seriousncgha many
to make against them (the visiffne justices) themselves
Petitioner then applied to the board to know under wheat
clause, of what Act, ha was prevented writing, for the
purpose named, to the judge who ;sentenced him, and
from petitioning Parliament. The beard refused even
to
anirer his questions. Petitioner was further told
. that e should not be admitted to see the visiting
JAusettices at their weekly board day, though the
and the prison rules alike specify such
to be the right of prisoners. Petitioner
had never abused that right, and had previously to such
refuel (during
aperiod of ten months) applied only
four times to see the magistrates. The governor thus
arrogated the right
to
.
rna.istrat himself of admitting a prisoner
to see the
was further told if, in
shor not, at his pleasure. Petitioner
tanll his quarterly
bquairsterly interviews with his
Wife, he alluded
a
from hug
the Acte
would immediatelygives no be forced
such power. Petitioner wits desirous of
acquainting Memberssoemxe_er. of your lion. House with the
treatment Ise
psob,ciantadie wife to write to Mr. Wakleterl, letter, eireoPtel,ei?c.ed, and accordingly, in his quar-
t'Mr. G. Thom
ik, at the quarterly peiod f
. them to come and see i:elir. F. O'Connor, requesting
'
seeing visitors. The
told,
be
was warned Lord esiset,
Prisoner
since it would, he was
to see those gentlemen; e„,ore,,highly injurious to him
the way of the interview, ao.'d,
asobstacle was thrown in
the governor, with his own ha petitioner persisted,
' 'hand, added
to petitioner 3 letter, warning his wife a paragraph
those gentlemen, under peril of
being baot to write to
to see her husband at the periods prescribederself forbidden
Petitioner's wife, alarmed at the cornraut by law.
tbo governor's injunction, and petitioner cation, obe
had at yed
difficulty in acquainting the gentlemen named with
Or.eatese
desiro for an interview. Petitioner failed in
ttw3tith his
attention to his case, owing to the impossibility offainin
to his again
conveying information astreatment, and that
treatment now became more severe than ever. Peti-
tioner was told, if in his quarterly letters he alluded to
his treatment those letters would be suppressed.
"The weekly payment of money being seven days in
arrear, petitioner was ordered forthwith to resume
• oakum-pieking, though his health rendered him unequal
bQ to the labour, and his eyesight was seriously injured by
glare of the whitewashed cell. Petitioner then said
that,sinee, on his oath, ho believed his treatment to be
contrary
to his sentence; since he was prohibited from
writinghe was prevented to.
his judge to ask if such was the case; since
prevented froze • . •
petitioning parliament, acquaint-
ing his solicitor, friends, orrelatives, appealing to the
1,
magistrates, or even a lading to his tree, • tment in his
usual letters; and •
under the infliction, he, his health was rapidly sinking
his part, refused to perform
forced labour, but at the same time expressed his willing-
ness to pick oakum forthwith
write to his judge or to forthwith, upon his being allowed to
petition your Hon. House.
Petitioner here begs to thatobserve, in not one instance
during the entire period ofhis
Otbe imprisonment did he
knowingly break ono single rule prison; and iu
the case alluded to he believed his treatment
to be con-
trary to his sentence, but even then resisted it only be-
cause the common right of every prisoner
whim, and both the laws of the country and rules
denied
of the
prison were set aside by the authorities. '
petitioner was
the
hereupon, on the 3d day of May, 1849, ordered by
governor to be locked up in a refractory cell on bread and
water, without books. On inquiring 'for how lung
time?' (he governor replied, 'As long as I choose. a
put you in at my pleasure, and I take you out nt my
pleasure.' Petitioner was then seized by the reek and
ankles, and forced towards the door of the ward, where
he was kept during three days in a refractory cell, by
the governor's order, though the Act expressly- provides
that no prisoner shall be locked in a refractory cell on
bread and water, except by order of two or more of her
Majesty's justices of the peace. Petitioner was in the
surgeon's hands for several weeks after that, and on
somewhat recovering (the infirmary books will show, by
the nature of the medicines administered, that peti-
tioner's illness must have been severe) he was again sent
for six days to a solitary cell on bread and water, wigi-