The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-27 00:00:00

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?HE PRISON IN-

SPECTORS.

The Secretary of State,has appropriated the Millbank
Prison, which was previously under the guidance of the
magistracy, and called the Penitentiary," as a depot
for the reception of all convicts under sentence of trans-
portation in Great Britain, in lieu of their being sent as
heretofore to the hulks. The inspectors are periodically
to make reports to the Secretary of State, and to recom-
mend the mode in which the prisoners are to be disposed
of, with reference to their ages, crimes, sentences, and
previous convictions, and in accordance with the great
principles of cJnviet discipline as now established in the
penal colonies, and under which there are four stages
through which the convicts will have to pass before they
become free--namely, detention at Norfolk Island, the
probationary gang, probationary passes, tickets of leave.
Convict ships now regularly take their departure. The
convict is no longer inevitably impelled or lured back to
crime by being, ater a short imprisonment, again thrown
among his old associates, and exposed anew to tempta-
tions to which his more depraved habits give additional
force, nor does his tainted character, closing agaiest him
the path to honest employment, almost compel him, as
under the former system, to seek for subsistence by re-
newed depredations. On the other hand, society. is pro-
tected from the return of one of the most mischievous
classes of its members, who are almost compelled to lice
by plunder, and will seek to indemnify themselves for
what they consider the harshness of their penal treat-
ment by fresh acts of fraud or violence. The inspectors
further declare that " the prompt removal to the penal
colonies of convicts under sentence of transportation not
only prevents their return to crime at home, but is the
means of saving the expense entailed by the imprison-
ment and trial of those who are re committed, and w he,
wider the old system, constituted a very numerous
(lass." -The hulk system isito be entirely superseded.
Better-accommodation in convict ships has been effected.
The prison decks were dark, but they are now improved;
and whereas five men were in the habit of being huddled
together in a bed, each one has now a separate sleeping-
berth. The inspectors, after reviewing the subject at
some length, state that the improvements in the convict
system have during the last twelve months, involved be-
nefits more unquestionable, more important, as respects
the moral, religious, and physical condition of the con-
vict, than have seldom been accomplished in so short a
period. It appears, that from July, 1843, to July last,
there were 3,588 prisoners in the establishment, of
which, 3,144 were males, and 444 females. There were
2,530 males, and 439 females transported. Eleven pri-
soners died in the year, and. two became insane. The
daily average number of prisoners throughout the year
was 741. The report speaks favourably of the officers
of the prison.

TAGLIONI'S APPLICATION FOR

A DIVORCE.

Marie Taglioni, the celebrated danseuse, on Wednes•
day appeared before the Civil Tribunal of the Seine,
_ to
apply for a divorce (separation de corps) from her hus-
band, M. le Compte Gilbert des Voisins. In this affair,
as in many similar applications made by distinguished
artistes and prime donne, the curious public were left to
make their own conjectures as to the real motives to the
separation.

Vaglioni was represented by M. Dupin, who was about
to State the lady's griefs upon which the application was
founded, when he was immediately stopped by the Pre-
sident, who confined him to reading the following formal
statement:—

4 That in 1834 Madame Marie Taglioni married the
Cotint Gilbert des Voisins ; that at that period she was
attached to the Royal Academy of Music ; that subse-
quently to their union, M. Gilbert des Voisins expressed
his desire that his wife should discontinue the theatrical
career in which she had already obtained so brilliant a
success ; that on her part Marie Taglioni, induced by
the love of her profession, and asserting her right to do
so, 'persisted In a resolution to continue therein ; that
front this determination resulted much domestic discord,
in consequence of which she accepted several advantas
geons offers of engagements, some of which were abroad;
that on her return to France she had hoped to find M.
des .;Voisins more disposed to conform to her wishes, but
that so far from that being the case, he actually shut the
doot against her ; that in this conduct M. des Voisins
had offered her a gratuitous injury and insult, which
would render it impossible that they could ever live
together again as man and wife ; and that she there:bre
prayed the tribunal to ordain that she should be sepa.
rate in person and effects from her said husband, and
that she should not be molested or annoyed by him."
A Masson, who, on the other side, represented the
Cou. t, read a statement to the following effect.—
" hat Madame Marie Taglioni, in breach of the obli-
gati n which she took on her marriage to give up her
prof ssion, has entered into new engagements; both in
Frar4ce and abroad ; that during nearly ten years she
has lived away from her husband ; that under these cir-
cumstances the refusal of M. Le. Comte Gilbert des
Voisins to receive Madame Marie Taglioni cannot he
consipiered as an injury of a nature sufficiently grave to
justify a divorce, and that he therefore prayed the tri-
bunal to refuse the application of Madame Taglioni on
the ound of insufficient reasons."
'l' case having been considered by the tribunal,
T President pronnuticed a judgment in favourof the
1
divo e prayed for, on the grounds of the refusal of the
Count to admit Madame to the domicile conjugal.—Ga-
zette ties Tribunaux:

CuSTOM-HOUSE POLICE.—A new system of detec-
tive police, under the superintendence of a lieutanant of
the I yal Navy, has just been established (says a Cor-
respo dent) by the Commissioners of Customs, and their
dutie will be confined to the tracing out of frauds com-
mitte by this branch of the revenue, and will also co-
oper e, when occasion may require, with the officers of
Excis`e. This arrangement has been already found to
succeed in bringing many fraudulent traders to justice,
whose cases stand over for hearing at the next sittings of
the Criurnissioners of Excise and Customs.—Observer.
A CHART ROOM AT LLOYD'S.—A new feature,
and one that deserves notice from the fact of the benefit
it will confer upon those connected with the maritime
interekt of the country, is about to be introduced in the
re-organisation of Lloyd's—viz., the establishment of a
chart room, which will contain the official charts and
surve s published by the respective foreign governments
so th the subscribers may have at hand a ready re-
feren to any point or place they please. The Admi-
ralty, the East India Company, and the Russian Go-
vernment have already, in the most handsome manner,
furnisbed the requisite copies, and there seems every
probability of the collection being the most complete of
the kind in existence.—Skipping Gazelle.
FORTUNATE PRESERVATION.—On Friday night,
about iten o'clock, two fishermen of Leigh were fishing
off the!sands of Foulness Island, when they were struck
with h6ring cries of distress. The night was very dark
and teMpestuous, but they went in the direction whence
the sounds proceeded, and discovered, to their surprise,
seven soldiers standing upon the sand, on whom the tide
was gaining most rapidly, and who must have inevitably
been It in less than an hour. The Leigh fishermen
imined tely took them into their boat, and conveyed
them to Leigh, the wind preventing them from at once
taking them to Sheerness. It is to be hoped, that in
addition to the gratification which these poor fishermen
must febl at having been instrumental in saving the lives
of so niany of their fellow-creatures, some substantial
acknowledgment of their very useful services will be
made to them. Indeed, we are surprised to hear that it
has not yet been done.—Essex Herald.
A NEW RAILWAY DANGER.--On Wednesday
forenoon, at a quarter-past ten, as the first down train
on the Eastern Counties Railway was passing through a
cutting of about five feet, in the parish of Rivenhall, half
a mile from the Witham station, a spark from the engine
set fire to a field of barley, belonging to Mr. Upson. The
barley was very ripe and uncut, and a heavy crop both of
straw and grain, not less than seven quarters per acre.
The 'hawk passed across the field with great rapidity,
till they were stopped by the hedge or the bottom of the
enclosure, which fortunately was a distance of only 18
rods. The quantity consumed was about two acres, and
altogether, including the straw, the damage sustained is
not less than 301. The straw is entirely consumed. The
field was in a blaze of fire before the train was out of
sight.

EXTENSIVE FRAUDS UPON THE EXCISE:A most
extensive gang of persons have just been discovered by
Mr. Frederick Pargiter and Mr. John Charles Kay, two
active officers of the Excise. From circumstances of a
suspicious nature, the officers were induced to visit the
chemical; factory of Mr. Barker, in Cross-street, Black -
friars-road, and, upon examination, Pargiter found
several secret trap-doors leadieg to an excavation under
ground in 4he cooperage-yard belonging to a person
named Bryant. The upper portion of the range of
buildings; was used for chemical purposes, strong acids
being prepared, with a view of counteracting the pungent
smell arising from illicit distillation. Pargiter descended
one of the secret trap-doors, anned„with a crow-bar and
fire arms ; but, although he could discover in a secret
and inner chamber a man at work, he was unable to
effect an entrance to capture the offender. After con-
siderable exertione, the officers obtained a forcible en-
trance into the distillery, and there found, on passing
through massive oak doors, three stills in perfect work-
ing order, with the spirit running off from one of th
ern,
a large quantity of molasses,
molasses spirits, and up-
ards of 500 gallons of wash. So perfect was every-
thing to enable a successful operation to be carried on
that the officers found it necessary to employ five wet,-
gons to remove the plant, &C., -to the chief office in
Broad-street. The workmen, by, well-concerted signals,
managed their escape in a most mysterious manner.
Since the above affair, a second discovery has been made
of a minor establishment in Little Collingwoed-street,
Blackfriars, supposed to belong to the same gang.—
Observer.

CROPS AND WEATHER IN WALES.—We are re-
joiced to say that we have been generally free from
those disastrous circumstances resulting from unconge-
nial weather which appear to have thrown a gloom
over the agricultural districts of England. The tempe-
rature during the whole week has been low, and we
hare had hardly any rain. The outstanding crops, there-
fore, have not suffered, and more bountiful harvest has
seldom been anticipated. A few fine days only, and all
will be well with us.— Welshman.

Prince William of Prussia and suite arrived in this
town by a special train, from York, on Thursday night,
a little before tweve o'clock, and immediately proceeded
on to Edinburgh. The Prince came direct from York,
where he had arrived the same day, and visited the race-
course, attended by General Brotherton and a guard of
honour of the 6th Dragoons.—Newcastle Chronicle.
One hundred seamen are ordered to be entered in
the dockyard under the Master-Attendant, to work as
rigger's labourers at 15s. per week, with four petty offi-
cas, at 21s. per week as leading hands; seventy-five la-
bourers are also to be discharged from the department.
of the boatswain of the yard; the whole of the seamen
are to be disposable for sea service at a moment's notice.
—Hampshire Independent.