The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-15 00:00:00

TIM TREAD MILL.

A mod tifinteritts Meting of the Magistrates of the
County of Surrey Wok place at the Sessions House, at
NeWingtoa, yesterday. The Members for the County and
npwards of forty Magistraftei were present, Thos. Harrison,
in thrlelfair.
be Repoetiof the Onilfoid and Brixton Houses of Cor-
rection were brought vp and read by the Clerk of the
Con& By the Reports' *high ate nearly similar, it sp.
peaked tiatt the Visiting' Miaistratlis bad 'Wetly attended
tattle opetatiods of the Tread Mill, upoti the health of the
prisueds'Anrii and physiciit'and that they were convinceJ
bid With reiptet to th*plrysielt audition of Slid prisoners
tlsergriatest iniprovnmehtiehnd boom derired from the ap•
pliekthib of the Mill 'ad e vetifilithent. They were also
satiated' that tistibitiliti of thesis in Coastal/sent had been
materially liebbittidt=ifliat *MO wai,appatent from the
differnaiw in tthd bebaliefir 'Of dui
_prisoisere on the (britday of theprolintint And the last. The report added, that
in eadry etheYrisPittt the'ptisorter's'Wlie improved by the
iatiirdhctioti of thle dsotte•frinik6weiii.
Mr. Barsobir. ihelfs'gistritEs, then gave in a Re-
port' whia be bill Whit& dAisin op, relative to the in-
jurious ifßetli df thdTiend Mill." ft stated that the Tread
Mtllreas etiethited id db' essantiatasiichlet tO the condi•
tudatarof those.olie lOW selitittged to work at it, aid it
particularly depricated the practice'of cant2elling femilei
to labour at so dresdfel an engine.
After boils ite)ioife bad been reed, •
Mr. Baiscea said be rose under very great embarrass.
sent, to state his sentiments to tint Court. This ember
raisineut arose particularly from the various severe
ithetures..ybich had been made out of doors, very
iropeally against.tbe part he was known to have taken
alien ties sobjeot ef the application of the Treadmill as a
itdoishasilies imilitslitinna had been thrown out r,flecting
bismietivosi. but it-was unnecessary to take any more
unties of them than merely stating, that they were
onossielog of hii'altention; anal required 'no refutat;ou.
He did net impute to the Magistrates by whon he was

Mr. H. SUNTSER said, lb it in consequence of the direc.
Lien of the Secretary of State, he had cqesed an inquiry
to be institu•ed into the cases of the two women alluded
to, sad had received a communication expressing that the
health of neither was in the slightest degree affected.
The good operation of the punishment upon the molds
of the prisoners, as well as cpon their health, had been
ascirtained beyond all doubt. A month's labour was surge
to remove disease, and those who had to undergo a long
spell of discipline, were sure to le►ve the prison in a most
enviable state of health. Certainly to those prisoners who
were accustomed to drink hard, the suddenness of the
change caused a temporary falling off; but the admirable
nature of the exercise soon restored them to a vigour of
body which surprised themselves. All sorts of attacks
hail been made upon the mill, and there appeared in the
Medical Adviser lately an article of the most inflam-
matory tendency, but he disdained to read it, as he COll-
- it unworthy of notice on account of the tissue of
falsehoods it contained. The lioriourable Me aher con.
eluded by declaring, that the prison cou►mn►iieations re-
specting the prison., pre rise to a very ilangerous spi,it
of insubordination, and that he would support the amend..
went.

Mr. Dements spoke strongly in Itvour of the True.
mill, and deniel that any other diicipline at present iii
existence coati exceed it as an instrument of putsishmeat
in prisons.
Mr. At.t.sw (the Magistrate of Union Hall) said; he bal.
'tbe strongest grounds for concurring with those Oentlemeit
P who approved of the Treadmill, as a mode of punishment.
combiningwbVsical and moral effebt. The Surgeons wl o
were in the habit of Atte:Will upon the
.risooe.s had:
most unequivocally asserted that ay-tka. molars were
in an excellent state of boar% ad and the
calculated to preserve that health : end it was
that the active etnploynierit in wbielt prisneers were
engaged was far preferable to the sedentary pat:IWO:1 0'
picking oakum, by which they were furnished With oppor •
tuui ties of engaging in idle and immoral coriversailon,
Several other Magistrates spoke in tlvoac,of the treadmill.
—Mr. Briscoe's Motion had but his Aprfi support. Mr.
Jackson's Amendment was carried with
,the approbation
of All the Magistrates, except the Movie' of the original
Resolution.

The Surgeon of the prisons was asked by the Chairman
whether any of the statements made by thermosets to Mr.
Briscoe were correct ?
The Suwon of one replied, that all the prissier, aikuled
had been benefitted in health by the'treadniill. instead of
Laing injured by it.
The treadmill has thus received the complete election of
the Surrey Magistrates.

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