The Sun.
London, England, 1810-07-14 00:00:00

PRICE SIXPENCE 11..3LEPENNY.

STATE OF THE PRISONS.

(Continued tronlyesterdaj's Paper,)
We, yqui Sub•-•Corirmitre'e, viewing that part
of the prisoo appropriated to the' debtors,, not
help nwieing ti'e great . inconvenience and danger
that nitit also he there experienced from the in-
adequa7 of the spac.:, allotieli to them, there be:ng
then nearly two I,undred debtor's' mile ondlemale, •
in t!le e cai.ratiaced, one bundr,:.:l and ten
on:y; but we yoor Sob-Cormnittee, 'experience a'
considerable dlfficulty;th recommendihg an ealarge-/
inefor of that.part of 'the' prison as it is at present
constituted, notwithstanding they feel that ev,errac-A
commodation, consistent With thtL.,nature of the
Prison, Ought
.to be afforded toAat,description of ••
prisoners who (as Sir Richard Phillips has expressed
in his .ptiblieatipq 'having broken no' moral
most of them vOirris of misforttines; and Many of
them confined for exceedingly small &his, depressed
want and every •privation, are thus thrown tu-
l!etlier ithout regard to their ditietence .4-education, •
their teirioos- habits o lire, or to theni de;rees cif
religious, or moral feeling." But impresled,with this
•
conVietion, we arc strongly induced to recomme.od a .•
,e.par'itte prison-to b provided for the exclusive con- , •
riaement of debtors, acid the viltole of Newgate be.
ing'api.'ropriated for the imprisouinent of criminals, • •
by. winch we have 'reason to hive tip;se incorveni-
urit:e,s and dangers w-hich- are tc\-he, apprehended from'
a Crowded gaol' would be .italovcd ;,and, feelElg ilt
. -
t,!t-±at imploprely and itijustice of Ri.aciug person'
contraitted to take their trial on srpspi: ion ~nty of
ollenees, wn'h prioners 'who have' tjagm convicted,
audot allewing that general and uNiin(etrt-tqiel in-
!eleoorse• het peen them which may teetTt) tire total
conrup:ion ache morali of the tunnel,' al-Cd tb ter:;
anc.iiiii4rion of any good p:•iihiplos that Ina). yet' be _
lett ;thin .hetn, and c Athol be (weeded with any
heriefici 11 purpose. what.,ver, we conceive brilLi• ;
10,?a,1.5 those prisoner; who are brought. there pier
vious to o.king their tniq-lit be 4ce t s,parate
(roil.. those felons who baye been cohytoeo, iaad
are stotE: ring tne sentelice of thelaw.
We also with concern the ractice
of putting rots indiscruninatAy Orr alt 'prisoners •
co,otanted to the• custody of tne-.-Keeper of New,
glte orevionsly io their tak tog their) trial and b-ing
cOnvicteti, and.which at times. most fail on persons '
who are perfettly innocent of the otfence% jai 1
7 which they are charged, and Must greatry dis'ttss
their ininds,and agv•avati tke 'misery of coutine-
merit in gaol ; but we, your Cori-Hunter, have &l t- •
ment that from the representation of the Keeler,
and .the- most serious attention we have beeh able to
giNe the stabled, they cannot altogether be dispens-
ed with under the, present "regulations of the gaol
of Newgate.
Whdst it appears on -one hand, that irons are
deemed absolutely indispensable for tire securi:y of
prisoners in Newgate, and on the other side it is
e'eidently en e,xccsSive. irarcibip 'lO put prisoners in
irons on their commitment, who may afterwards
prove innocent of the offences 'charged against them ;
tile only altertitions seem to be • either to exclude
vi4ors entirely from the prisoners, or to continue
the preSent system of irons: the 'Committee con-
ceiveithat- the; former .would be inconsistent With
every principle of humanity or justice, and might
deprive the prisoners 'of the coosolation of seeing:
their, ,dearest 'friends for relations, or Of taking such
measures as may be necessary for their defence in
-the event of their triat;" arid a irons they fear must
be resotted to, they ought in all Cases: of commit-
mencto be of the lightest kind consiitent with safe
1
Keeper and that the Keep shall in :no-instanca
c.iotrale: iron that descriplion of prisoner,' except. in'
(s,'s of outrage, or by-the order of. some one of the
.2,•e:;iNtrates or the Sheriff. •
:Chat we, your Sub-Committee, beg-leave farther
to e, opt, that 'We oosetved, several persona, within, _
who v,-ere ''allowed by the Sheriffs anti
to dispose of sundry articles, such as
•at and green grOcety to tile prisoners ; and hay- -
;n -peeled their sever,l7l,veihts and scales, and
inert thein wi h these /kept t.y the Keeper, we
toond some of than not so correct as they o,igiit to
be, antl.do theref :re recommend that in louse no
be allowed to be used within 1110 ptism,
.ale. of necessaries to the trisoners, but sty
boenjtriedr by the. lc,ceper, hot any W
e • hput Sling rggularly agreeable
your
st.:o inatirce found the pricks
nt:oe.:-:saties were the same as without, clic
a •o it oi.her athantage whatever was olYain
profit upon the art:cle disposed of ; a
from which it was supposed a gret-h
%vas made from the sale to the prisoners
tooe,we found was sold at. the gate at L
1), :e.as without the prison, and that the air
Ihe.person who Eupertntended the
rnade by, th'epublicau who supplied the beer u..
t *direct ious of the S'heritfs.

fiat we, your Stab-Conituittee„,„.ltaving take;,
to consideration. the prosent•fees rt,7CeiVekt by. I h.;
Keeper of Newgate, and finding no attera-tion has
taken place thereiusinLe the year 17,2 g we r,:coin.
mend that if fees are to be continued, it shou:d'he
submitted to the Court of Lord Mayor and Aider-
_men, in w'hom the power rt.sts of waking
„any at-
.teration in the said fees, to take, the same into
considetation; :slid to make suoh.alteratiOn, as. they
think. proper, consistent with.•the: times and
the in „pion ot the parties who ate-to pay fteio
..! your Sub-committee, hasiugbecti
ed. that by an (I! Ihe Court t.,f Ai&,raien, eft
number of prisoners confined in v..oe aria • the
Compters, together with the stat. of thos. pr:Nous
t:ert tied by the Surgeon, is laid beiore Ina C)tu.t' t
every Aleeittn, upon In:Jfiry we fAund tha. .Asly p. t-
,oners Who may be detained iul-; tint
their tees. are nut includ,-n, but •witich we -a;e
opinion
.on;b1 always to IN dud:, and es.eCiaily
oa,oec.l.
'Mitt we, your Sub-ComuliaeZ, also limo). Gilt-