The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-26 00:00:00

SCOTCH PRISONS.

The report of the Select Committee on Prisons in
Scotland has been published, together with the minutes
of evidence. From a table appended it appears that
the average annual amount of prison charges levied upon
the Scotch burghs during the four years subsequent to
the passing of the Prison Act of 1839, was 23,9201., and
the amount for the three years previous to the passing
of the said Act, 16,6561., thus giving an average annual
increase since the passing of the Act of 7,2641. The
average annual prison charges on counties in Scotland
amounted during the four years subsequent to the
passing of the Act to 39,3671, and during the
three years previous to the Act to 16,2631., thus ex-
hibiting an average annual increase of 23,1041. The
total average annual charge both for counties and
burghs, amounted during the four years subsequent to the
Act of 1839 to 63,2881., and during the three years pre-
cAling that enactment to 32,9191. The total population
of the Scotch burghs assessed for prison charges
amounts to 962,644, that of the towns and villages- to
442,927, and that of the counties and burghs altogether
to 2,620,184, which is the total population of Scotland.
The prison assessment on the inhabitants of the Sewell
burghs and counties, which, under the present system,
amounts to 63,238/. annually, would be exactly the same
if the a-sessments were calculated according to real pro-
perty, the value of which is estimated at 9,481,7621,
inasmuch as the respective increase and decrease
balance each other to a nicety. The gross increase
would amount to 10,592/., and the gross decrease to
precisely the same sum. Were the rate of assessment
equalised, and the sums levied upon the whole real
p operty within the counties, including the burghs, the
rate, on an average for the last four years, a ould be
one penny and seven-twelfths of a penny per pound, or
a little inure than three-halfpence per pound. The
Committee, in their report, state that the effect of the
Act 2 and 3 Victoria, cap. 42, has been to increase (as
we have already seen) aril in many instances very greatly,
the annual expense connected with prisons beyond what
it was when the whole expense of maintaining the Scotch
prisons was borne by the royal burghs alone. This has
arisen from Os o causes—lst, the necessity that existed
fur the creation of new prisons in many districts ;
and 2d, the additional expense occasioned by the intro-
duction of a new and improved system of prison di:el-
pline and accommodation. The effect upon the Par-
liamentary burghs has been to impose upon them a
burden to which they were not previously subjected,
although there is no reason to doubt that that incubus
will be considerably diminished, as soon as the expenses
of erecting the prisons are liquidates'. The landward
parts of counties have suffered in a similar manner. After
noticing the complaints of the burghs to this effect the Com-
mittee proceed to express their opinion, that the prac-
tical operation of the Acts already in force in the distri-
bution of the assessment, according to the relative popu-
ation of the landward parts of the county and the
burghs within it, is most objectionable, from the inequa-
lity of rate which it necessarily produces, not merely
between the burghs and the landward parts of counties,
but between the different and often adjacent burghs
themselves. They adduce several instances in support
of their opinion. This inequality is the more oppres-
sive from its being invariably greater according to the
poverty of the burgh, and because according to the
principle on which the assessment is apportioned, the
rate upon a burgh must increase iu proportion to
its decay, and the diminution of the value of the pro-
perty within it, if there be not a corresponding decrease
of its population. The Committee acknowledge that
relief has been in some degree afforded by the operation
of recent Acts of Parliament ; " but they would, never-
theless, strongly recommend that some other principle
shoul6 be adopted for the di,tribution of the assessment
between the landward parts of the counties and the
burghs within them." The minutes of evidence, on
which we have only been enabled to bestow a cursory
perusal, oxupy a large portion of the document.

The harvest prospects in the north of England
begin to be very gloomy. The late heavy rains have lodged
the wheat in many districts of Holderness, in parts of North
Lincolnshire. and in whole tracts of level land throughout the
midland counties. Yesterday the accounts received of the in-
jury done by floods to the growing crops were really disastrous.
—Hull Advertiser.
CURED PROVISIONS —Saturday a return was printed
showing the importation of cured provisions for six months,
ending on the sth ultimo. Of salted beef there were 46,347
cwt ; of salted pork, 23,b60 cwt. ; of hams, 2,423 cwt.: and
Of baton, 16 cwt,