The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-28 00:00:00

been first asked what they proposed to do—any-
thing or nothing—before such a threat had been
held out to them.

Mr. TURNER thought these observations unjust,
as there was a large expenditure then going on in
this prison ; and the magistrates of the county had
neither stinted their own trouble nor the money of
the ratepayers to effect this object.

The communication was referred to the Commit-
tee of Visitors of Coldbath-fields Prison for consi-
deration and report.

TIIE LATE FENIAN OUTRAGE IN CLERKENWELL.

The following communication was received from
the Secretary of State for the Home Department,
containing suggestions for securing prisons from
attacks from without :

" Whitehall, Feb. 12, 1868.

"Sir,—l am directed by Mr. Secretary Hardy to
transmit to you the accompanying suggestions for
more effectually securing, prisons against attacks
from without, and I am to request that you will
submit the same to the next Court of Quarter, Ge-
neral, or Gaol Sessions for your jurisdiction, with
Mr. Hardy's recommendation for their adoption, so
far as the Court may consider them applicable to
existing circumstances or necessary for the object
in view.

" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" ADOLPHUS F. 0. LIDDELL.
" The Clerk of the Peace for the County

of Middlesex.
" Suggestions for more effectually Securing Prisons
against Attacks from Without.
" Precautions for this purpose are applicable to
two conditions :

" 1. Where a military guard is stationed. —ln
this case the period of relief, the distribution of the
force, the posting of the sentries, the piercing of
loopholes for musketry, &c., must depend upon the
judgment of the military officer in command; the
division of supervision, upon the agreement at which
the civil and military authorities may jointly arrive.

The portions of the prison more immediately en-
trusted to the protection of the military should be
defined and distinguished.
"2. Where no military assistance is called for,
or where the military guard is kept in reserve.—

In this case the following precautions are acorn-

mended :

" The space between the outer gate and the
prison door should be made more secure by the ad-
dition of an inner open iron gate, or safety gate, as
it is usually termed.
" A door of iron, or of wood plated with steel,
should in all cases be placed on the prison side of
the governor's private door of entrance.
"All windows giving upon points without the
prison walls should be strongly barred internally,
and, if possible, provided with iron shutters readily
closed.

" The drains should be carefully barred in diffe-
rent places, and examined daily.
" The prison should be provided with reflecting
lamps and tin candlesticks, kept in good order, and
regularly inspected, in a place readily accessible.
" The interior of the prison should be invariably
kept securely closed, the yards or spaces inter-
vening within the exterior walls being regarded as
altogether outside of the prison itself ; and the ad-

mission of strangers into these yards or spaces

without a ritten order should be forbiddeu.

" Where firearms are in possession of the prison
authorities they should be kept within the interior
prison, unless actually in the hands of officers on
duty, and then loaded.
" In case of an actual assault being apprehended,
and when the outer grounds of the prison are of
considerable size, the force of warders, &c., should
be kept within the prison, and those without be
withdrawn to the interior on the first alarm. The

force should not be weakened by patrols without
the external walls, but should be told off to sta-
tions from which all points between those walls and
the prison can be best commanded."

Mr. N. LAURIE thought it was extremely com-
plimentary on the part of the Home Secretary that
such precautions should be brought under the no-
tice of the magistrates.
Mr. PAYNE thought it would have been well if at
the same time suggestions had been made for the
protection of the outside of the prison.
This communication was referred to the visiting
justices of the prisons.
TILE CORONERS AND THEIR EXPENSES.

The report of the Committee of Accounts and
General Purposes was presented, which recom-
mended the payment of the following sums to the
coroners of the county for expenses :—Mr.
Humphreys, £476 18s. ; the representatives of the
late Mr. Bird, £l3 9s. ; Dr. Laukester, £476 18s. ;
and for Mr. Humphreys (taken since the decease of
Mr. Bird), £64 14s. 6d. ; and Mr. Bedford, £69 3s.
After a few observations from Mr. KEMSREAD,
the matter was referred to a committee for investi-
gation.
Mr. F. H. N. GLOSSOP moved :--4, That in con-
sideration of the long services of 33 years and effi-
ciency of Mr. Thomas Fillary, the engineer of the
House of Correction at Coldbath-fields, his
salary be increased front £260 to £3OO a year
from the 25th of day of December last." In
support of this motion, he said Mr. Fillary entered
the service of the county on the 29th of March,
1835, at a salary of £1 183. a week, and in conse-
quence of his very meritorious services that salary
had been increased from time to time until it
amounted to £260 a year, at which sum it had re-
mained for seven years. He was still an efficient
officer, and he trusted it would be many years be-
fore he ,would require to come to the court for a
pension. He had been able to effect numerous
works in the prison, thus avoiding the necessity of
calling for the services of an architect, and this was
the means of effecting a considerable saving in the
county expenditure by having so able an engineer
on the premises.
Mr. TURNER seconded the motion, and said the
sum proposed was not one farthing more than Mr.
Fillary was fully entitled to. He (Mr. Turner) had
an opportunity of seeing how Mr. Fillary had done
his duty, and by the construction of a large dormi-
tory he had saved to the county the services of from
20 to 30 officers.
The motion was ultimately agreed to.
THE OUTRAGE IN CLERKENWELL.

On the consideration of the letter received from
the Home Secretary at the last county day, sug-
gesting the purchase of property overlooking the
House of Detention, being moved, it was agreed
that this court had no power to purchase up a whole
street or streets, even if they had the funds, and
that if this property is required it could only be ob-
tained under the authority of an Act of Parliament.
After a long discussion the matter was referred to
the General Purposes Committee.
THE LIABILITY TO COMPENSATE SUFFERERS BY RIOT.
Mr. Sergeant PAYNE moved :—" That inasmuch
as the law requiring the Hundred to compensate
the owners of property feloniously demolished by
persons riotously and tumultuously assembled to-
gether to the disturbance of the public peace origi-
nated at a time when the Hundreds were bound
to appoint constables to keep the peace, and to
raise hue and cry' for the pursuit and apprehen-
sion of the offenders, and it was only on failing to
do so that they were able to make compensation,
the laws against the Hundred ought now to be
repealed, because since their last re-enactment the
preservation of the public peace and the pursuit and
arrest of offenders have been taken frorn the
Hundred and vested in the police, and that as the
power of the Hundred had ceased the liability of
the Hundred should cease also ;" and argued that
as the county had ceased to have power, originally
possessed, of the appointment of the police to make
" hue and cry," therefore their liability to make
compensation ought also to cease.
After some discussion, Arr. PAYNE refusing to
withdraw his motion, as desired, the previous ques-
tion was moved and carried.
TIIE LIGHTING, &C., OF THE SESSIONS-HOUSE.
It was agreed that Mr. J. Ingall, who has for
many years had the arrangement of the lighting
and ventilating of the Sessions-house, should receive
an increase of £lO per annum to his present salary,
in consideration of his long service.
The Court then adjourned.

The Prices of Ilorniman's Teas are greatly Reduced. The
well-known superiority of these Teas has attracted a host
of spurious imitations; therefore notice all Genuine Packets are
signed " Horniman (5- Co." 300 Confectioners are Agents
in London and 2,200 cherniete in the Country.