The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-12 00:00:00

efore the commencement of taking

et me, on a mere point
r, or in abject submission to the

-number of magistrates

my feelings on the

gatioti, as I think that

s(unjustly upon me

Ple you by any future

wing rear

•eceive that solemn

It.ed it

t no mo

. _
gularities, I find, by the line
from the previous preparation
luced, that I am, in fact, upon
ges to which I

WY of the et

method adopted involves me in
ke no reply, I must be treated
if I do give in any
y armed with almost
11 become acquainted
labled, however complete

rYh innocent

that if a mode of investigation
English law had been employed
an that practised in France, and
.y in the time of the First Charles,
atever may be their result, would

rate my sentiments with free-
r of accusations together, but
ithout the slightest evasion,

e mouths of the evidence brought up
groundles,,ness of each charge, its
eiiom. If I had not felt confident I

istactorily answered every charge, at least to
I mind, 1 should have quietly slunk into that
irement which I should have deserved.: I

dared to stand before you this day.
tient attendance. I will endeavour to
s possible. We may probably, in the
tiers, find something to dispel sadness
e willing to believe of any gentleman
it he will more rejoice to feel it his pars-
ith honour, than, by a sentence

'eat a r

I corn

edious

jects wt
forth th,

assign rue and mine to ruin. With these preli-
arks, I enter on the consideration of the first

hether the statements contained in a pamphlet,
Led by the chaplain, and admitted by him to refer
discipline enforced in the Borough Gaol, particu-
he passage commencing with the words " third"
fourth," p. 5, and the one ending with " coffee
ng washhouse," are founded on facts ; and, if not
ether such statements have not tended to weaken
open authority of the officers over the prisoners,
create division and disunion in the gaol.

reply to this charge by retnindinf,r, the
that on_the 25th of October, 1839,

ing to the provisions of the Gaol Act. I addressed to
ugistracy of the Borough of Liverpool, in sessions
an annual report in which many important sub-
ere brought before them. That this -report called
le serious thoughts of the justices there there can be

no doubt

inifest from circumstances to be men-

In that document amongst other subjects brought to your
verity of the prison management then in
ession of my opinions, as to the propriety

notice, wa
force

26th Glauber, 1831

—ln conclusion, allow me to suggest
connected with really hard labour ;
• towards prisoners, instead of habitual
lope of reward held out, instead of

that moral disciplin
kindness of•denieanc
harshness ; and the
the fear of accumulating punishments, might go far towards
rendering a prison a reformatory rather than a receptacle of
villainy, and a nursury of crime.

No notice, so fir as' I had then reason to suppose, being
taken of this report ; during the month of November, of the
same year, I addressed to the mayor and magistracy of Li-
verpool, a letter on prison discipline, hoping that this straight
forward proceeding might induce them to take up the subject
as it regarded the borough prison, where I was an eye-witness
which severity I thought that they
1:.-; in a way of duty frequently in the
justices, I could not from what I
to suppose that they were cogni

of much severitN

must be i

presence of

saw of them bring

..oborrent from all the common feelings of hu-
manity. .1 supposed that they really did not know, because
they had no opportunities of witnessing, the distressing
straitness of rules of their own sanctioning. I had no harsh
thoughts of their purposes, bat really believed they knew
not what was transpiring, and that it was my duty as a mi-
nister of religion, and their chaplain, to bring before them,
in the most formal manner possible, the whole subject; fully
the warmest expression of their thank-
honestly performing an essential
an—a Christian,—a minister of

zant of evil,

expecting to re(
fulness, for zea
part of my dui
Christ,—and ci
I delivered t
strates of 'the-I
Joshua, then M

the To

ter, addressed to the mayor and magi-
h of Liverpool, into the hands of Sir
' " mayor, in his own room in

ley the

of Dec

ler, that letter appea

Cement t

id presented ;

tear from the ey(

r I was then able to
the parties.

y produci
illiams

veral officers of the i

on, from the highest

me on the subject,