The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-08 00:00:00

PRISON LABOUR.

At the Devon Quarter Sessions, on Tuesday,Sir Stafror
Northcote, chairman, the subject of prison labour agsil
engaged considerable attention. A special committee of tbi
visiting justices of the county gaol had visited the gaols d
Bedford, Winchester, and Holloway, with the vie:,
of ascertaining the reformatory and pecuniary resill'
of prison labour. They had found the labour roll
nerative, but in some instances not reformatory, Il
the objectionable "shot drill" was adopted. Tlie'i
Came to the conclusion that the " separo
system," as adopted at Exeter, is beneficial in tlis
reformation and punishment of criminals, and recall'
mended that the present use of the treadwheel be CO?
tinned. The Earl of Devon expressed his strong ca .
viction that before long the system of remuneratill
labour in prisons, as adopted in so many eountrie/
on the Continent and in America, would I):
more generally adopted in England. At the Pvii
time he thought the facts ascertained so far did
justify a change from the present system at the Do'c°
County Gaol. This was the prevailing opinion, and a re;
solution to that effect was carried, Sir John Bowring,
had introduced the subject, again and again expressed'''.
great surprise that magistrates could be so blind as
sanction the plan of " letting buckets into empty we'
and growing old with drawing nothing - if

HABITUAL C 1 IM

The Recorder of Birmingham, Mr. Adams, spoke pelf
strongly at the 'Warwickshire Quarter Sessions again'
,
some of the provisions of Lord Kimberley's bill. As
example of the severity with which the proposed 0;
would occasionally bear upon particular cases, 3JI
Adams mentioned that of the number of persons trio
before him and the Assistant-Recorder of Birminglol
last year, no less than twenty-five must have recei/eo
sentences of seven years' penal servitude if this bill 0
been in force. He bad prepared a list of those cases, 0
of which he mentioned. In one instance, a boy
stolen 51h. of beef, for which he was sentenced "11
imprisonment and ordered to be whipped. He next st°
a pound of tobacco, and had one month. The next ,
he was caught stealing a few slices of fried fish, of tli
value of 2d. For that he (Mr. Adams) sentenced Watt:
nine months' imprisonment, believing that was what the
justice of the case demanded. If, however, this bill b
been in operation, he must have given seven years' Pel3,,i
servitude. He cited another case of a lad convicted",
stealing four packs of cards, for which he had seven dale
imprisonment. For a second offence of a similar nature
he had a sentence of two months. The third 6°,
ho was brought up on a charge of stealing a Peg
of boots, for which he had a sentence of nine months.
this case, too, there must have been penal servitude nude
the new bill. He moved that a petition be drawn 11P'
pointing out the oli•ctionable character of the elails` ,
;
named. Mr. T. C. S. Kynnersley, stipendiary magistrate
of Birmingham, seconded the motion, and said he Nag
sure the bill, if it became law, would result in mol
the Secretary of State's official life a burden, 0"-
account of the number of petitions which would be Pi;
sented when the severe sentences were apparent.
motion was carried.