The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-15 00:00:00

FOURTH CHARGI

Whether the chaplain has intentionally endeavoured to
create an erroneous impression on the minds of the magis-
trates to the disadvantage of the matron and the female offi-
cers, by making an entry in his journal, dated February 16th,
1840, and to the effect that he found the female prisoners
amusing themselves on the Sabbath by reading aloud from
a story book, he well knowing the same to be a moral tract,
published by the Society for Promoting Christian knowledge."
The entry in my journal thus reads :—" Sunday, 26th Fe-
bruary, ]B4O. Visited every tart of the prison, and saw, I
believe, every person in confinement—the hospitals, girls'
and all the wards. Found the women in the untried
grant ward, reading a story book, by way
these books have obtained an entrance
Ige; and are no proper substitute for the
tures on the Lord's Day."
impressions likely to be produced. are twofold, as I
,:se very simple harmless words, which, when they
read by the magistrates in committee, called forth no
remarks that I have ever heard of either towards myself, Miss
Davies, or any of the female officers. The entry might have
remained in oblivion without leading to any results, had not
the inspector, in search of criminatory evidence against the
chaplain, suggested that duplicity had been used towards the
magistrates ; that the Society for Promoting Christian Know-
ledge had been dishonoured; that the matron, and her sub-
on)"

ward, and in the vas

without my knowlec

read the

ate officers, had been dreadfully outraged in their feel-
ings. My conduct cannot, after all, be so greatly depraved,
when such an apology for a charge, such a phantom, is
dressed up in the solemn language of accusation. Ex• his
disce onznes.

. I have said that the impressions likely to arise from this
entry were twofold. First, that a book which the chaplain
thought not tit for Sunday reading, and not so suitable for
prisoners as the Bible, was in use in two wards. Secondly,
that the book, such as it was, was there contrary to his will.
Captain Williams assumes that Dr. Buck well knows the
contents of the tale, called the two shoemakers, which is
positively contrary to the matter of fact.

One friend of Dr. Buck, a gentleman of the highest emi-
nence in the town, who has read this tract as it is called—
though it is in reality a story book of 76 pages, pretty closely
printed—states, that the work can in no proper sense be called
a tract, in the modern use of that word ; it is a mere tale of
amusement.* Another friend, upon whose judgment he can
fully rely, has read the, work at his request, he not now hav-
ing time to do so ; that friend assures him that the publica-
tion neither deserves the name of a moral nor religious tract.

mere tale, a common story book ; and"what sonic

Might call .its religious reflections, are generally mostunscrip-
tural, and, therefore, unsuitable for imparting useful infor-

Captain Williams assumes that Dr. Buck knew that it was
published by a certain society, which also was not a proper
assumption, as the chaplain only learnt that circumstance
by the evidence produced against him. He assumes also, that
what this society publishes must necessarily be good, and
ought to be received as sterling by every clergyman, whereas
the chaplain is one of a large body of the clergy who think
that that society issues a great deal of error, opposing the
spirit of the Scriptures, and the doctrines upheld in the 39
Articles and in the Liturgy of the Church of England.
To understand this matter fully, I read the following ex-
tract from my journal, dated 14th February, 1838, " Mr. D.
Hodgson, V.M., here this day. Declined the assistance of a
committee of ladies, suggested by Miss H., as also any dis-
tribution of books or tracts, on the ground of every inmate of
the place hearing some portion of the Word of God explained
by the chaplain daily."
The rule there laid down has been the rule there recognised
by me, and was well known to every officer of the prison.
The use of books beyond the limits of the boys' school is
only of very recent introduction, and only extorted from me
by frequent importunities against my better judgment.
I will now call your attention to the introduction of a col-
lection of tales and tracts, the unauthorised use of which in
the prison has led to the present charge.
A lady well known to hold religious sentiments, removed
to the greatest possible extreme from those of the established
church—whose creed, being rather negative than positive,
may be thus understood,—The writings of the old and new
testament are not the inspired wdrk of God the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ is not the eternal God. Men are not pardoned
only through the atoning efficacy of the blood of Christ, nor
jusified in the sight of God by his imputed righteousness.
The Holy Spirit's agency is riot essential to Divine instruction.
There is no state of eternal torments. A lady, I say, with
this negative creed, so adverse to the opinions of every
honest churchman, accompanied by a anagistrate of this bo-
rough, of the same religious opinions as herself,t wished to
distribute amongst.the female prisoners a certain number of
publications, and actually did give one or two into the work-
room for the officers to read to the prisoners, (I have quoted
Miss Davies's words on oath), without the permission or
knowledge of the chaplain, he being the only person autho-
rised by the law of the land to distribute books for general
reading amongst the prisoners.

The publications; therefore, whether good, bad, or indiffe-
rent, came under the chaplain's observation, under very sus-
' ces—he firmly believing that no person
reed without wishing that that creed may

truly holds to any
be extended, and be received by others

It has been elicited in evidence that the matron, well
knowing the law, collected the books, and brought them into
the vestry. She knew she could not, in accordance with her
duties, be allowed to be read by the prisoners.
The lady before alluded to paid a second visit to the prison,
and -brought some more books, which she wished the pri-
soners to have—but the matron very properly interfered and
advised -her to see the chaplain ; she added he had not allowed
the others to be read. The chaplain was accordingly sent
for, and had some disputation on the subject—but fully and
firmly declared (and in the presence of the matron,) his un-
willingness to have any tracts distributed. He would, how-
ever, examine them, and if unobjectionable, allow them to be,
read on the week days. The lady left the publications in the
hand of the chaplain, expressing her hope that he would exa-
mine them and allow them to be used. She thought them
more calculated to do good among the prisoners than the
bible. I dissented from that opinion, and laid the tracts On
my shelf, intending, whenever I might have leisure, to read
them, and then to act as any judgment might incline me.
Now, gentlemen, you have it in evidence that Miss Davies.
well knowing my objections, did cbntrary to my known will,
enter my vestry, take a copy without permission granted,
(there must, indeed, have been more than one copy taken,
as 1 found two in use at one and the same time in different
parts of the prison on the same Sunday, when the bible should
have been the only book in use,)—that Miss Davies gave it
into the possession of a prisoner, and that in going through
two of the three day rooms, i. e., two thirds of the female
prison, on a Sunday, he found two books being publicly read
to the assembled prisoners, to the exclusion of God's word.
He ascertained at the time that the title of one of these books
was " The two Shoemakers," a production he had never
read, but which naturally appeared to him to be a mere book
of amusement, something to gain the attention—but as much
fit for comparison with God's revelation as darkness to light,
as sin to holiness, as error to eternal truth.
I refer you to a part of my quarterly report, dated January
14, 1839.
" I would s

_...,,;gest to the magistrates the propriety of
allowing some small portion of each day—even if that time be
limited to five minutes—in which the prisoners might, if they
wished, have the permission to read .the scriptures : far so
strict are the rules, that no man under confinement has,
During this season of the year, the power or permission to look
That a system so restricted should be ad-
...geous to the moral improvement of the mind no man
can suppose. Ido therefore trust the magistrates may deem
it advisable to correct what I must desiniate this great evil."
Distressed at finding many immortal' souls immured in a
prison for crime, occupied in reading a light and miserable
tale, instead of the scriptures, during that small portion of
the Sunday which constituted the chief time they could by
possibility devote to reading,—to hearing the word of God;
to considering the love of God to man ; with indignation at
this profanation of God's day, your chaplain ordered the
books to be removed, and entering his vestry in much distress
of heart, at the reflection of the awful ignorance of those by
whom he was surrounded, and the obstacles thrown in his
Way when sincerely attempting to lead prisoners to read the
word of God, he made the. following entry .
" Visited every part of the prison, and saw, I believe. every
person in confinement,—the hospitals, girls' school, and all
the wards. Found the women in the untried ward And in the
vagrant ward reading a story book by way of amusement.
These books have obtained an entrance without my know-
ledge, and are no proper substitute for the scriptures on the
Lords day."

into any book

Is there a word in the entry concerning Miss Davies's
conduct in acting contrary to my orders? In breaking through
the proper rule of her duty ? Nothing of the kind; but simply
such an entry as the circumstances of the case called for ;
for the gaol act commands me to make entries in my journal
of all such things as arise out of my performance of duties as
chaplain in the prison ; and no one will deny but that this
was abuse against my office, coming under my personal ob-
servation in the performance of my duty of going through the
day rooms to ascertain that prisoners were properly employed
on the Sabbath day.

I have notleard that Miss Davies or any of her officers
have been rebuked on the subject, or even warned not again
wilfully to oppose the chaplain's undoubted right to regulate
the general reading. No the only person to be censured
is the chaplain, because he opposes all reading except the
word of God amongst the prisoners on the Sabbath day.
His religious views are not liked—his reverence for the scrip-
tures not approved—his zeal for the welfare of souls deemed
absurd. The opinion of the matron of the prison as to what
constitutes proper reading for female prisoners on the Sun-
days, is to be regarded as of more importance than his who
is sent of God, by the laws of the land, and under the sanction
of an express act of parliament to make known to perishing
sinners the way of salvation.
The supposed outrage of the matron's feelings is to be
atoned for. The real outrage committed on the chaplain';
in ascribing to him an intention to mislead the magistrates is
only a necessary part of the important and most honourable
office of an inspector of prisons !
The charge is in my estimation so frivolous—so vexatious,
that I' am astonished it should have found its way before got}.
The person who can say that under all the circumstances of
suspicion by which these tracts found an entrance into thp
prison, the surreptitious abstraction of them from my vestry, .
the use of them in preference to the word of God amongst thp
vagrant classes and the untried females of a prison oz# thg
SaL4lh day—the person who will say that my simple inoffen-
sive entry deserves to be represented as a wilful, a corrupt
misleading of the magistrates, really must form an opinion
very different to that which Would be. arrived at by nio§t
of his fellow men.

Furrg AND SIXTH CIIAROPS.
" Fifth.—Wbether the chaplain When officiating on the
sabbath, has not indecorously called the attention of the pri-
soners to a portion of the 10Gth Psalm, new version sung by
them that day in the prison chapel, warning them against the
use of it, and characterising it to them as blasphemous.' "
Sixth.—Whether the chaplain has not on one occasion
addressed the prisoners in the prison chapel, on the subject
of the number of punishments which had taken place for
misconduct there, implying doubts as to their having so mis-
conducted themselves, thereby reflecting upon the officers,
and weakening their authority and influence over the pri-
soners."

I mud, gentlemen, necessarily blend the fjftli and sixth
charges ?ogether, although a clear difference in their force
and bearing against me is discernible, the one attaching
indecorum only, the other, the exciting the spirit of rebellion
and much other evil. The same general reasoning, is, how-
ever, necessary in both cases, the consideration of each septt•7
rately, I shall not

* It is one of llannah More's religious novels, as they are
called.

t This gentleman is one of the senior j nstices now en-
quiring into my conduct, as a minister of Jebus Christ, the
only wise God and Saviour.

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