The Sun.
London, England, 1816-09-10 00:00:00

aril in tile time I was Confined at the Sessions:
Alagistratcs °light la efisiired that. brit
Ndfl: 11 [et! in such CaSCS. i 4 that tbe pe-
nalties of the bona are 1ame,811.41 that the prose-
cutor have notize when hail pis but in, thi'it
not waste bis.tnhe at the tiessions to no pitrposti.
Forint:lly no cause COntriblited more to the giowth
of crime than the indi3criininate miXture of, and
disottlerly practices among, persotis committed
to prison; ;peat improvements-have latterly taken
place in the tystem of imprisonment, but it is not
yet on the best possible footing; persons under
accuiatiob only, ought to be kept separate From
convicted or tvpiited.thieves,.and .persons impri7
sowed for assaults might not to be mixed with cont.,
victed or accused felons: then as to the duration of

imprisooment,lllll ate put to an inmensg-ex-
pence in keeping-convicts in custody, their labour
i 4 idAtost lust to the public during the term of
inprisiminwa, and they rapidly ripen in villainy

hy..,their, intercourse ‘rtth cacti. other. oh,
frcts of , imprisonment being,to deter by its-suffer-
ings, anti it possible. to ‘rorlt the reformation of
Ole.,prisoner, I. conceive those objects • InilY tie
it.qliivygd ‘vitit Inure certainty and at match less.ex7
i 4 usual, by tiutl:iog the .contitientent
sI idly.solitary, relming all access of friends, re-
!frioing ,the diet to coarse bre td owl. to %niter
(July, and iii aggravated cases adding -to the im.

roi,ounitnt, K certain monbe.r coitiol floggings
d log the tellll. iltlbjeCt to. this abstinence;

fiscipline, 1 think owe monift's confinemeta won'

be more dreaded, 811(1 more completely subdue
daring spirits, than six ,in the common way 811(1
with the tzustomtiry indulgences ; contamination
would thui be avoided, and the reformed culprit
he exempted from the future contagion and disgrace
of prison acquaintances. Pischarged sailors have
.latterly committed many robberies : the interest
tilvse poor fellows has been sadly titgleeted,
and with it the interest of the public ; sonic thou-
sands in these, when paid off, have. received StIMS
which, rightly applied, would have secured their
remaining clays front want, hut, 'as helpless as
children in the use of money, they are inunedi-

.ateiy script when they react► tl►e shore which their
valour has defended, anti left to perish through
►listress., or subsist by plunder. If o,,verninent
hid man►►ged a little; for these men who are so
linable to manage for themselves, the evil to a

grout extent might hive been averted, a.nd their ftt

-•
tore services sectired to this country. It would !Mt
,'have been difficult, with due preparathn, to.liave
persuaded them to have sunk the greater part of
their prize-money in annuities (which Might have
heel) rendered nuassignable); Considering the pe=
liar hazard,of their live', very high terms might
have been afforded, and the political generosity
' of the state might have.added to the
.computable
values by way of increasing the attraction. It is
perhaps nor yet too late to do some good in this
way, , Receivers of stolen goods are by no Means
under effect nut checks, althoogli numerous nets of
parliament have been passed for the suppressiou
,their trade. The stihject is one of great int.
pOrrinee, for " if there were no receivers there
would OA./ no thievei." It iS too complicate and
txlcosive. however, for my present evidence ; I
will therefore only suggest, that it wottld throw
con,iderable difficulty tool impediment in the
tr iv of the receiver's dealings, if
,it were enact-
ed that no person should purchase ' secoud•
hand wearing apparei, linen or piece goods,
nonigrt y. or metals, for the purpose of re-sale,
without taking out an animal license for these
1)111.1)T:es;
.that Iris purchases should be completed
eft his dwelling-ionise only; that the things, in
he dealt under the license should be de-
keribed in conspicuous letters in front of bk 110118 C
Jana the magistiates, or commissioners, ein.
powered to issue the licenses, should be at liberty
to withholt(them, where iheapplicant had beim
found guilty of any' felony or. misdemeanour, Ur
on any other sufficient cause, subject to any ap-
peal to the genqral sessions ; such houses to be
Open at all times to the inspection ofanymagiatrate
or person deputed by him. Amougthe immediate
causes of
.thvtis and other offences against the
publit peace, lotteries hold an undoubtett..illaca..
It is a scandal to the government thus' to excite
people to practise the vice of gaming; tor the put.-
pose, of drawing ri revenue fro!n their ruin ; it is
an anomalous proceeding by law .to declare gam-
blinginfamous, to' bunt ..rut petty gamblers in
their reeesses and cast Wenn into prison, and
law also to set up the giant gambling of the Statq
lottery, and to encourage persons to resort to it
by the most captivating devices whielringenuity,
uncontrolled by moral ,rectitude,, can invent.
atn now
,eothe.to a pubject•of universal influence
on the morals of the public : it is decidedly ray
Ophiinn,'thlt low public-houses, flash-houses, and
gin-shops, compOse the foundation and hotbed of
nearly all the .vices and' crime's which disturb. the
olctropolis ; in these thousands consitine.their time,

money,,,and constitution, and acquire insensibility
to an the moral ditties ; from these they Sally forth
to commit, deprett on the ;Mink, impalled by
destittitioit. ,4101 'tired by,,burning nylons. It 13
lartiganahle.s.that public-401mm, which are 11)1115-
pentotble to, public acconiodation, ants be
rendered public nuisances.. The evil, however,,!ii
inseparable from the law, which gives ton certain
individuals in their several localities. the power of
setting up or putting down such iiiuses, subject
to no othercontrolthan that of their own private
wills and -ithsearthable motives. 'This ilespiitic
power was•giveti by' the legislature for the ptirpose
of More effectually repressing' disordet ly houses;
but in this, us in all similar powers; the abuse
supersedes the use. Whatever the object might be
tfie.effect of the,law, is to' throw tt very .greut pro:.
port,ion of , the piddie-i,ottscs into • the hands of
hrewersvintl,giii•scliers, whose interest consists
procitritiy, the grekttest possible consittnption of
their inptors and at the highest price ; the effect
Also is to exclmit2 fl 0111 the ownership of such
hotises the owiicrs of the surrounding houses to
which the itntilie7lionses are appurtenant ; the
interest of which Otters, it1. disuuettic 011111)sitio11
to that of 1 i e brewers, cott.3ists in, pie,t';'6ll4
their troin becoining loirhour
for drunisminies,, or disorder, and in prailimiog
iitllilstry itn!l sobriety aloolig their toist)t6. it
is fa hp ,ibitt• of full proof, that ikowe brewers
procure lieetotes for new houses tit ply:wire;
Which the rtgbt owners have 'in vain appliedt
anti that they are able to preserve
•

want r oh! houses of the most Li.,:vdpriv kind :