The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-27 00:00:00

COURT (IF A IMEHMEIV;

Yesterlay n c.)urt was held for the despatch of public
busines.

EXPEDIENCY OF REMOVING THE GAOL OF NEWGATE.

CUBITT brought up the report of the cem-
mi• tee appoinled to inquire into the state of Newgate,
with a view to its present adaptation to the classification
of prisoners, and carryieg out any well-consid, tall plan
of .discipline, and also to inquire into the expenses con-
nected with the gaol with a view to their diminution,
and to report generally as to what steps it may be ex-
pedient to adopt both with regard to its offieers, their
ealaries and duties, aed also as to the expedisnav and
legality of abolish:ng the prison altogether, and making
provision for the prisonrs at II dleway or elsewhere. It
stated that the committee referred tle subject to a spe-
cial committee, rho had fully considered the subject.
The following are extracts from that report :
" Having proceeded to censider the reference, we beg
to report that the state of Neweate in its present struc-
tural condition is such as to re; der any sari-factory
classification of the prisoner.; altogether a hopeless to-k,
and the carrying out of any well-coesidered plan of dis-
cipline an utter impossibility. No salesfactory separa-
tion car. in its present condition het ffected, because of
the insufficient number of cells, and no satisfactery super-
vision is practicable with anything like the pre-ent num-
ber of officers. We believe that as much as could be
done in reference to these great desiderata is done ; hut,
until some vary important; alteration is In,de in the
physical structure of the interior of the building, New-
gate must continue to be a standing reproach to the city
rif London. The want of proper supervision and its im-
possibility in the present sports of the gaol are and must
be sources of constant anxiety to the retverner, if only
on account of the safe custody of the pr saner:. Groups
ef half-d,ens or mere being locked up together for many
long In,urs without the presence of an officer, they rritu
rally discuss the chances of escape. It is welt known -
that last year three prisoners got away by breaking out
of the gaol ; and within this very month an attempt was
made during one night to escape by breaking through the
tvr.ll of one of the wards ; the number there confined to-
gether was 5, 3 of wham are old. offenders ; the other 2
are supposed to have been unwilling, inactive observers.
Thew cleared away the brick work by raking out thej riots
of mortar, with a long nail, but their progress was
checked by the solid massive masonry of the exterior face
of the wall, and the n-oct day the impert,ctly eoncealed
operations was discovered by the officers. It need hardly
he stated that no mischief of this sort could possibly
have been attempted at Holloway. Your special com-
mittee have had a plan under consideration by which it
is believed that Newgate could. be cured of its great
defect, and the city reliered from the reproach of stand-
ing almost alone in having a gaol without a system. The
plan would give 120 separate cells, and we are of opin-
ion that if such a plan were carried out it would enable
the governor to establish a degree of separation and su-
pervision would be almost, if not altogether, un-
eljectionable. The cost is estimated by the City Archi-
tect at 10.000/. We have also oiven our attention to an-
other plan of a comrehensiwe nature for the entire de
moFtion of the cous ti and of the gael, and of the recon-
struction of the courts and such a portion of the gaol
as might suffice for the custody of prisoners wLile the
trials were going on ; the object of this plan bean; to
dispense with Newgatc as a prison, except only as above
stated. A plan has also hien submitted to us for such
addition to the prison at Holloway as would enable it
to receive the'prisoners now kept at Newgate. The cost
of the-e combined operations—that is, the reconstruc-
tion of the criminal courts and a portion of New-gate—
' is estimated by the City Architect at 87,0001, from
which may be deducted the value of a piece of laud at
the Old Bailey set free by the alteration etf the system,
which the City Architect estimates at 9,0001. In work-
ing out these plans the City Architect has so arranged
as to permit the smaller one to form an integral part of
the larger one, so that. should it be the p'easure of the
Court to carry out the recommendation of the commii tee
in adopting the first-named plan, and it shoed here-
after be deemed expedient to carry out the larger one, no
material alteration would Le necteesary, and but little
loss would accrue. That portion of the reference which
relates to the expenses of the gad, and also as to what
steps it may be expedient to adept with regard to the
officers, their salaries and duties, cannot Well be dealt
with until the question as to the alteration of the gaol
is determined. The question as to the expediency and
legality of abolishing the prison altogether having been
considered, it does not seem to be expedient, and the
legality, therefore, hardly seemed to he an object to be
ascertained, and that has therefore nut been made a
matter of inquiry."
The report (.f the sub-committee was signed—William
Cubits, W. T. Copeland, T. Q. Finnic, R. Hartley Ken-
nedy. The report of the committee rccornmendieg it to
the adoption of the Court was signed by 10 aldermen.
Sir P. LAURIE said that tho subject treated in that

report was one of such vast importance that a specia
day ought to be appointed for the discussion of Aft
merits, which would then be fully and deliberately gone
into. He did nut object to the report, but it would be
eatiafactory to get the unanimous assent and concur-
renca of the whole Court, instead of the simple report of
a committee, however numerous it might be. (Rear,
hear.)

Alderman CIJBITT said, the report had not been hastily
concocted, nor had any came been attached to it by any
member of the Court who bad not gone fully and
thoroughly into the subject. Last year circumstances
bad arisen which brought the state of Newgate more
Prominently before the Gaol Committee. The gover-
nor, from age and infirinit.i, resigned, and a new gover-
nor was appo'nted, when it became absolutely necessary
to revise the system of discipline and management in
order that the official might have full and proper in-
structions for the necessary conduct of the gaol. It was
then found to he utterly impossible to get a satisfactory
system of supervision unless great alterations were made
in the structural part of the prison. He (Alderman
Cubitt) moved—" That the report be received, and that
it be referred back to the committee to act therein as
they shall think fit."
Alderman FINNIS said, he seconded the motion be a tuse
he was setisfied that, in laying out 10,0001., that sum
would not be lost, but would ultimately lead to a consi-
derable saving. A few days ago 13 female prisoners
were coefined in Newgate, and, on account of the de-
fective structural ermngeirients, it ens necessary to burn
19 fires for the purpose of taking care of them. (Hear.)
Alderman SIDNEY said, he very much rejoiced to
think that the report hhd at length come to the Court
considerati,in. He agreed with the former part of
the report, e hich condemned the gaol of Newgate Ass
being altogether irremediable, and which was probably
at that moment the worst disciplined gaol in the king-
dom.' They had under their jurisdiction one of the best
disciplined as well as one of the worst disciplined gaols
in the country. They had a prison at Holloway which
admitted of the easiest possible extension, and where the
same discipline which was adopted there could be carried
out ; and they had Newgate, with all its sinuosities, the
prisoners actually 10-king after the keepers, instead of
the k, epers looking after the prisoners. To his (Aides*
man Sidney's) knowledge, during the last few years
several prosecutions had been abstesialted, and the sum-
mary jurisiiicAon of magistrates asked for rather than
that persons should be put to the inconvenience and an-
o iance of mixing with the persons who loitered about
the Central Criminal Court. In fact, there was no
proper accommodation fi r either prosecutors or wit-
nesses. (Hear, hear.) Alderman Sidney then went
into a variety cf details, showing that the cost of the
support of prisoners in Newgate was double the amount
of the expenditure at Holloway.
Alderman and Sheriff ROSE testified to the immense
inconvenience sustained by the public from the arrange'
merits connected with the courts while trials were pro-
ceeding. It was an evil loudly calling for remedy.
Alderman CARTER said that the state altogether of
Newgate was of a most unsatisfactory character, and
tbat a complete alteration ought to be made in it, both
with respect to classification of prisoners and structural
arrangements.
Alderman SIDNEY then proposed the following amend-
ment :

" l'hat a deputation of the Court be appointed to con-
fer with the Secretary of State for the Home Department
with reference to the projected alterations in Newgate,
and to report thereon to this Court ; and to learn front
that Minister whether there is any objection to the plan
of removing the prison to Holloway."
Alderman CARTER seconded the amendment, which
was put and negatived.
The original motion was then put and carried, and
the Court adjourned.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMP-
TON.
The er3inary half-yearly meeting of this company was
hell yes! erday, at the London Tavern, Lieut.-Colonel
Rushout, M P., presiding.
The CHAIRMAN, after a few remarks, moved the adop-
tion of the report, an abstract of which has already ap-
peared in The Sun.
Mr. T. S. PAKINGTON seconded the motion.
Mr. MAXWELL said be could not assent to the motion.
for the adoption of the report, and therefore be moved
an amendment, calling for the appointment of a com-
mittee of shareholders to examine into the accounts,
affairs, and management of the company, their relations
with other companies, and the expediency of creating
new capital, with power to call for books, papers, and
information, and to employ an accountant, or such other
as istance as they might deem necessary to enable them
properly to prepare a report, to be laid before a future
meeting. (Cheers.)
Mr. WALLACE seconded the amendment.
After a desultory discussion,
The CHAIRMAN moved that a dividend should be de-
clared upon the first preferential stock at the rate of 5&
per cent.
Mr. SERJEANT GASELEE, as an amendinent, moved
that the dividend should be postponed until after the
r int 'h. report of the c mirnittee of investigation-
Mr. PARSONS seconded the amendment.
Ai ter to ther discussion, the motion for payment
of the dividend was unanimously agreed tr.

The CHAIRMAN then, amid lUticti laughter, proposed
a resolution authorising the director, to postpone pay- •
mint of the dividend until it emld be made without
detriment to the interests of the company.
A good de .l of discussion followed, resulting in a de-
cision that dividend warrants should be issued to pre-
sent shareholders bearing interest until paid.
Mr. Maxwed's raJtion, for a committee of investiga-
tion was then again brought forward, and agreed to, the
following gentlemen- being appointed to act—lls'
Messrs. Fenton, H. Maud, W. Letham, J. Wilson, and
Sir S. M. Peto, Bart.
The CHAIRMAN stated that the next business of the
meeting was the election of the retiring directors ; but
Mr. Serjeant G&SELEH proposed the adjournment of
the meeting until the Bth of April, for the reception of
the report of the committee, which was at once agree 4
to, the election of directors being postponed.

EAST KENT.
The directors in their half-yearly report state they aro
happy to be enabled to inform the proprietors that the
progress made (-luring the past half-year in the works at
Rochester Bridge has been satisfactory. The founda-
tions, as aispears by the engineers' report annexed,
are compfet,:d, and a considerable portion of the
euperstructure finished and delivered at Rochester.
large sun Las been expended in the; purchase or
land, and the arrangements with landowners between
Chatham and Sittingbourne are so far advanced that:
the company will be able to take possession if the
land at an early period. The works at the Roches'
ter and Chatham tunnels were commenced shortly
before the half-yearly meeting, and were continued
till the end of Nev ember. About that period log'
gestions were made to the beard by their late de-
puty chairman, Mr. Sad eir, in favour of an arrange'
meet to effect a rapid completion of the whole line, by
means of a strong combination of part'es for the purpose
of cerrying out the who's of the works between Strood
and Dover sirnulta ieously. In pursunnee of this policy'
negotiations were opened with various pa-ties to effect
this object. and tee board bad hop d to be able to report
that a satisfactory arrangement had been agreed on, but
the sudden death of Mr. Sadleir, and other circumstances,
have prevented the Loard from being able to complete
any arrangement. They therefore propose, after trams-
acting the hu-iness contained in the notice, to adjourn
the meeting to the 4th April next, by which time they
expect to Le in a position to ley before the proprietors
such a combination as will be sati -factory to them, and wilt
insure the completion of the line. With the view of carry-
ing out speedilya rid effectively any arrangement on whicle
tLey may decide, the director, have made a call of 21.103.
per share, payable on the 12th of April next. The per'
maneut survey of the Dover Extension line is completed,
and the notice plans for purchase of land are prepared.
An oi ening having presented itself for improving the
company's line, and connecting it with the authorised
line of the Westminster Terminus Company, by eon-
struetieg a line from Dartford, through Lewisham, to
join the terminus of that company at Clapham, and of
thus securing to this a West-end terminus, and also the
shortest and most direct route to Dover, the board con-
sidered that they ought not to lose the opportunity -of
of-Alining en valuable an addition to the East Kent lines
Accordingly a bill was introduced into Parliament this
session for a line from Dartford to Lewisham, and from
Lewisham to Clapham,, with running powers over the
Westminster Termini's Company's line, and over the
tu.le Eastern Company's line from Strood to Dartfoed.
This bill has pegged standing orders, and been read a
first tome in the House of Coo: moils."
The eegineer, in his re-port, states as follows :
" During the past half year the works of the founds-
tons and superstructure of the Medway Bridge at
R ,chester have been proceeding with vigour, and I have
the satisfaetion of reporting that the cylinders are now
all down, complete in place, filled with concrete ready
fir the reception of the brickwork and masonry, which
latter branches of the work are also in a state of con-
siderable forwardness, and proceeding in a perfectly
satisfactory manner.
" The ironwork of the bri'lge, lam glad to say; ig
als, in a very advanced state, and of a character entirely
satisfactory bo:h as to workmanship and material ;
considerable portion has arrived, and is in course of
being put tegether in place, upon staging erected for the
purpose. The manufacture of the rest is rapidly pro-
ceeding'', and is so forward that no delay need be appre-
henlea in its delivery. •
" I see no reason to doubt the completion of this
imp7rtant work by ;the end of the ensuing summer,
and considerably within the time fixed by the act of
Parliament.
" Some considerable progress has been made with the
works of the tunnels at Fort Pitt and Chatham, but
these operations are at present in abeyance, for rea-
sons rather of finance and general policy than °Vele'
gineeling.“

ELYTII AND TYNE.
The directors of this company recommend a dividend
of 10 per cei t. on the preference shares, and 9 pet
cent. on the ordinary and extension shares.
NORTH AND SOUTH-WESTERN JUNCTION-
The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at
the Euston station yesterday—Mr. H. Tootal in the
chair. The report stated that the balance available
for dividend was 1,9211. 14s. td., out of which th•
directors recommended a dividend to be paid for the
half-year at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, leav-
ing a balance in hand of 4251. 5.?. 6d. to be carried
fore are'. The report was adopted.

DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA.
Tile report of the directors of this line has been.
issued to the shareholders. A dividend at the rate of
per cent. per annum is recommended.