The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-26 00:00:00

T.HE CONVICTS AT CRATHALT.

Although it had been confidently anticipated that
the coercive measures adopted since the last muti-
nous outbreaks at Chatham had so far succeeded
that no farther attempts at any disturbances would
be attempted by the prisoners, there is still a vast
amount, of discontent rife among the inmates of the
establishment, and the elements of discontent are
still seething, ready to burst forth on the first oppor-
tunity. Since the late outbreaks there have been
several minor instances of insubordination, but
nothing to justify any fears of another revolt until
a few days since, when information was obtained
from one of the convicts, who had been put in pos-
session of the secret, of the intention of a number
of the prisoners to seize the warders, and after
securing possession of the keys of the building to
release the prisoners and effect their escape, after
first setting fire to the building. From inquiries
instituted immediately the above information was
conveyed to the Governor, Captain Powell,
no doubt was entertained that the prisoners
intended putting their plan into operation
the next day, and failing in their endeavours, to
repeat the attempt last Sunday. Captain Powell
and the other officials of the establishment at once
adopted the most prompt measures to prevent any
uprising of the prisoners and a renewal of the out-
break. A message was instantly forwarded to
Major-General Eyre for the assistance of the mili-
tary, and about 300 troops of the line, each provided
with 10 rounds of ball cartridge, were at once
despatched to the prison, and placed at the disposal
of Captain Powell. The time proposed for the
outbreak was the moment when the whole of the
convicts are being released from their cells, at the
termination of their dinner, to resume work. Until
recently the convicts employed on St. 'Mary's
Island—several hundreds in number—always ate
their dinner in a building on the island, built for
the purpose. Directly after the outbreak which
occurred a few weeks since on the island, orders
were given that in future the prisoners were to be
removed to the prison to dine, and this order has
ever since been carried out. Consequently, on the
day of the intended outbreak there were upwards
of 900 convicts in their cells, the number of pri-
soners now in the establishment. Since the last
convict outbreak peremptory orders have been
issued to the whole of the warders to fire imme-
diately on the convicts should they make any
attempts at insurrection, and attack any of the
warders. For this purpose the rifles with which
the keepers are armed are now loaded with buck-
shot, the effect of which when fired among a mob
of prisoners would be most deadly. During the
time the convicts were at dinner the warders were
disposed about the prison, the majority being kept
out of sight, while a number were stationed in the
area below, ready to fire up into the galleries along
which the convicts would proceed on being re-
leased from their cells, should they attempt any
interference with the warders. The troops despatched
to the prison were drawn up outside, with bayonets
fixed, reader to enter the prison immediately a pre-
concerted signal was made. The guard, always on
duty in the prison, was also placed in readiness to
act on the instant. The prisoners in the cells,
being unaware that their intentions had become
known, or that any preparations had been made
to suppress the outbreak, began the disturbance
by the customary yellings and shoutings, and
throwing their cell utensils about. Amid the
noises thus made could be distinguished the shouts
of " Down with the black —;" "Kill the ---,"
and other menacing expressions, which appeared to
be used chiefly against the principal warder, Mr.
Kinch. At the usual hour the prison cells were
thrown open, and the convicts ordered to resume
work. On the prisoners emerging, however, and
seeing the preparations, no attempt at any disturb-
ance was made, and after several of the ringleaders
had stared at each other with significant looks they
all quietly marched off to their work. Four of the
ringleaders in the shouting were, however, seized
and placed in irons. On the prisoners being locked
in their cells after their return from work in the
evening, the same noises were made, and two more
of the convicts were placed in irons. From infor-
mation given to Captain Powell it was expected
that an outbreak would be attempted on Sunday
during the time the prisoners were in the exercise
ground prior to attending divine worship. Similar
precautions were again taken to prevent a sudden
surprise, and orders were issued on Saturday night
that only one half the convicts 'were to take their
exercise at once. It was, however, considered more
prudent to let the whole of the prisoners exercise as
usual yesterday morning, and not the least attempt
at an outbreak took place. Capt. Gambier, the
director-general of convict prisons, has attended at
Chatham to make inquiries relative to this last at-
tempt at outbreak, and is also expected at the prison
this day. Six of the ringleaders are now in irons
and in separate cells awaiting the punishment which
will be inflicted on them. During the past week a
large number of convicts, whose periods of penal
servitude have expired, have been released from the
prison, 10 or 12 having been discharged daily.
The course which has been pursued by the autho-
rities since the former outbreak is shown in the
orders issued, and now suspended in the prison.
The first is as follows r—
" GENERAL ORDER.

" The convicts at Chatham must be reminded tha,
their crimes have rendered them liable to the most
rigorous imprisonment for the whole of their sen-
tences, and must be made to understand clearly
that the many advantages which have been ex-
tended to them in stages, gratuities, and classes,
are merely matters of indulgence, and are not in
any respect necessary parts of convict discipline.
" They have been most kindly sanctioned by the
Government as an encouragement to that good con-
duct and industry which the law gives it power to
enforce, and with a hope of producing a feeling of
gratitude and a contented and submissive temper
and condition of mind ; but these hopes have been
most cruelly disappointed.
" Those whose folly and wickedness have been
the cause of this must now reap their fruits, and
those who have allowed themselves to be misled by
bad example, though not criminal to the same ex-
tent, will also take their share of punishment.
" It is plain from the recent outrageous conduct of
the great body of the prisoners, either that they do
not understand their real position, and the extreme
lenity with which they are treated, or that, if they
do understand them, they are so incredibly weak
and foolish as to be ready at the call of any design-
ing villain to sacrifice all in the vain attempt to
resist authority.
" The Secretary of State has been pleased to
direct that :

"1. The whole of the gratuities credited to con-
victs, who have taken part in the late disgraceful
proceedings shall, for the present, be considered as
entirely forfeited.

"2. That all remissions of sentence and other
privileges attached to the stages and Classes shall
be withdrawn, and that convict discipline in a more
rigorous form shall be enforced until the great body
of convicts shall, by good conduct and industry,
earn a claim to a favourable consideration of their
respective cases. _

"3. With regard to the ringleaders in the late
outrage, the letter ' It' will be placed against each
name in the books, in order that their cases may be
speedily considered.

" The licenses already issued for the discharge of
men during the present month are cancelled in the
case of all who took part in the recent disturbance.
" Any further misconduct of the same outrageous
character will be punished with far greater severity,
and the most decided exercise of the power which is
given by law to the prison authorities for the re-
pression of insubordination and disorder.

" JOSHUA JEBB, Major-General,
Chairman of the Directors."
" Note.—The following were the numbers in the
different classes :—Nos. 1 and 2, 774; No. 3, 123 ;
No. 4, 68 ; No. 5, 14; No. 6, 62; total, 1,041."
It was apparent from the first that a large pro-
portion of the prisoners took no share in the out-
break, and the Government and officers were, there-
fore, unremitting in their endeavours to separate
the ringleaders from those were spectators only.
As 12 of the officers were in the corridors of the
prison during the time of the disturbance they were
enabled to give such information as eventually led
to the adoption of the plan promulgated in the fol
lowing order, by which justice appears to be meted
out to the whole body, as far as circumstances would
permit

" GENERAL ORDER.
" The Governor having expressed his opinion that
a great number of the prisoners were not willingly
concerned in the recent disgraceful proceedings, and
a special inquiry into the cases of certain of the men
having confirmed that opinion, the Secretary of
State has been pleased to direct that an endeavour
should be made to classify the prisoners, in order
to separate the less criminal from others who had
committed overt acts of insubordination.
" The task of carrying these instructions into
effect has been one of much labour and difficulty ;
but by the exertions of the Governor, and the eager-
ness of the officers to do justice to and speak favour-
ably of their own men, it has bean shown that more
than one-half of the convicts may fairly be con-
sidered deserving of a restoration of their privileges,
and that the remainder might be classified, so as to
admit of different degrees of leniency being ex-
tended to them.

"The following are the classes into which the
whole number may be divided:—
" 1. Those who were known to have taken no part
in the riot.

" 2. Those prisoners who were not known to have
taken any part in the riot, and whose good character,
and other circumstances combined enabled the