Star.
London, England, 1824-01-15 00:00:00

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AfEkTIAV OF rim SURREY MAGISMATES.
THE TIMAD.HILL.
A most numerous Meeting of the Magistrates for the'
County of Surrey took place matte Setstons Haase, at
Newington, yesterday. The Members for the County,
and upwards of forty Magistrates, were present; Tam
HARRISON, Esq. in the Chair.
Tile Reports of the Guildford and Brixton Houses of
Correction were brought up and read by the Clerk of
the Court. By the Reports, which were nearly similar,
it appeared that the Visiting Magistrates had strictly
attended to the operations of the tread-mill upon the
health of the prisoners, moral and physical, and that
they were convinced, that with respect to the physical
condition of the prisoners, the greatest improvement had
been derived from the application of the mill as as.
punishment. They were also satisfied that the habits of
those in confinement had been materially benefited, a
fact which was apparent from the difference in the be-
haviour of the prisoners on the first day of their proba-
tion and on the last. The report added; that in every
other respect the prisons were unproved by the Intro-
duction of this mode of punishment.
• Mr. BRISCOE, one of the Magistrates, then gave in a
Report which he had himself drawn up relative to the
injurious effects of the tread-mill. It stated that the
tread•mill was calculated to do essential mischief to the
constitution's of those who were sentenced to work at it,
and particularly, deprecated the practice of compelling
females to labour at so dreadful an engine.
After both Reports had been read, .
Mr. Batscoe stated his sentiments to the Court. He
contended that the punishment of the tread-mill ope-
rated to the permanent injury of the 'prisoners. He had
himself worked at-this engine of torture, and had learned
that the complaints of the individuals whose cases had
been read in Court were established upon the firmest
grounds. In the course of the painful investigation, he
had seen several unfortunate persons temoved from the
toil of the tread-mill into the Infirmary. With respect to
the cases of the women Hail and Lhden, which had ma:
peered in the public prints, although he had seen them
while they were undergoing the punishment of the tread.
mill, he had not alluded to them. The motion of the
wheel, which compelled the person at work to exercise the
whole weight of the. body upon the upper part of the
feet, proved that the work was of a nature which should
not be assigned even to those whose strength defied
nrdinary labour. In his own person he had proved that
the tread-mill was the most overpowering engine that
ever had been worked. The Crank or Capstan 'Mill
would, in his opinion, be the most desirable substitute.
He had seen two of those milli lately in operation id
Winchester jail, and was sure that the exercise, instead
of inflicting diseases, was beneficial to the prisoners, and
fOrmed the best mode of prison discipline. Mr. Briscoe
then handed copies of the statements made to him by
various prisoners in both Houses of Correction to his
brother Magistrates. They states that the prisoners
complained that they had entered the prison in good
health, and were ruined by the tread-mill. He then
moved—" That a Committee of Magistrates be ap-
pointed to inquire into the nature and effects of the
tread-mill as an instrument of prison labour and pu.
nishment, in as far as it affects the strength and health
of the prisoners."
Mr. RANDLI JACKSON opposed the motion, -ma
moved an ,rnendment—" That, in the opinion of this

Court, the tread-milLhas in an eminent degree answered
the purposes of its institution, both moral and judicial;
and that the reports this day made by the visittntMa-
gistrates of the respective Houses of Correction, are
highly satisfactory, as well as the reports of the 4ur-
geons attached to those establishments, in whose opi-
nions no effects injurious to the health of the prisoners
have yet occurred.'
Mr. Hocste Soma= said, that in consequence of the
direction of the Secretary of State, be had caused an
inquiry to be instituted into the cases of the two women
alluded to, and had received .a communication, expres-
sing that the health of neither was in the slightest de-
gree affected. The good operation of the punishment
upon the morals of the prisonets, as well as upon their
health, had been ascertained beyond all doubt.
Mr. DANISON spoke in favour of the tread-mill.
Mr. ALLEN (the Magistrate of Union-Hall) and se-
• veral other Magistrates, also spoke in favour of the tread-
mill.—Mir. Briscoe's motion had but his own support,
and Mr. Jackson's amendment was carried with the ap-
probatiOn of all the Magistrates, excepting the mover
' of the original resolution.
The Surgeon of one of the prisons was asked by the
CHAIRMAN, whether any of the statements made by the
prisoners to Mr. Briscoe was correct?—The Surgeon re-
plied, that all the prisoners alluded to had been bine=
fited in health by the tread-mill, instead of being injured
by it. The tread-mill has thus received the complete
sanction of the Surrey Magistrates.