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

COURT 011 A IMEteIIIEN.

Yesterday a court was held for the despatch of public
business.
EXPEDIENCY OF REMOVING THE GAOL OF NEWGATE.
Alder,nan CUBITT brought up the report of the cern-
initee appointed to inquire into the state of Newgate,
with a view to its present adaptation to the classification
of prisoners, and carrying out any well-considered 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
salaries and duties, a-id also as to the expediency and
legality of abolishing the prison altogether, sect making
provision for the prisoners at Holloway or elsewhere. It
stated that the committee referred the subject to a spe-
cial committee, who had fully considered the subject.
The folio wing are extr',cts from that report :
" Having proceeded to con-iilyr the reference, we beg
to report that the state of Newgate in its present struc-
tural condition is such as to rer der any satisfactory
classification of the prisoners altogether a hopeless ta,k,
aed the carrying out of any well-cossidered plan of dis-
cipline an utter impossibility. No satisfactory separa-
tion can in its present condition be effected, because of
the insufficient number of celle, and no satisfactory super-
vision is practicable with imp hing, 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 ; but,
until eorne very important alteration is rni,de in the
physical structure of the interior of the building, New-
gate must coetioue to be a standing reproach to the city
of London. The want of proper ,upervi-ion and its im-
possibility in the present state of the gaol are and must
be sources of constant anxiety to the oovernor, if only
on account of tie safe custody of the prioner Groups
of half-dezene or more being locked up together for many
long hours without the preence of an officer, they natu-
rally discuss the chances of escape. It is well 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
wall of one of the weeds ; the number there confined to-
gether was 5, 3 of %velem are old offenders ; the other 2
ere supposed to have been unwilling, inactive observers.
They cleared away the brickwork by raking out the joints
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 leitt day the imperfictly concealed
operations was discovered by the officers. It n'ted hardly
be 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 relieved 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 govern•r to establish a degree of separation and su-
pervision which would be almost, if not altogether, un-
objectienable. The cost is estimated by the City Archi-
tect et 11 0001. We have also given our attention toan-
oth,.rpla of a comprehensive nature for the entire de
moittion of the court; and of the gaol, and of the recon-
strtic).i,u of the courts and such a portien of the gaol
as.might suffice for the custody of prisoners wi He the
trals were going on ; the object of this plan being to
dispense with Negate as a prison, except only as above
stated. A plan has also been submitted tr us for such
addition to Vv.; prison at Holloway as would enable it
to receive the prisaners now kept at Newgate. The cost
of these combined operations—that is, the reconstruc-
tion of the criminal courts and a portion of Newgate—
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 of the system,
which the City Architect estimates at 9,0001. In work-
ing out these plans the City Architect Las 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 recominendatien of the committee
in adopting the first-named plan, and it should here-
after be devilled expedient to carry out the larger one, no
material alteration would he necessary, and but little
loss would accrue. That portion of the reference which
relates to the expenses of the gaol, and also as to what-
steps it may be expedient to ad pt with regard to the
officers, their salaries and duties, cannot well he dealt

with until the question as to the alteration of the gall
is determined. The question Aas to the expediency and
legality of abolishing the prist% altogether having been
considered, it dues not seem to be expedient, and the
legality, therefore, hardly seemed to be an object to be
ascertained, and that has therefore not been made a

matt, r of inquiry."
The report of Vie sub‘coinmittee was signed—William
Cubitt, W. T. Copeland, T. Q. }lnnis, R. Hartley Ken.
Tidy. The report of the committee recommending it to
the adoption of the Court•was signed by 10, aldermen.,
Sir P. LAI= said that the subject treated iu that