Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-04-17
LONDON $ ODDPRISON
Westminster Clock Tower Is the
Finest Jail In England.
BUT 1T is ALWAYS EMPTY.

The Tower Is the British ParIiaments
House Of Detention, and Charles
Bradlaueh Was It's Last Occupant.
The Old Prison In Former Days.
If the average sentenced criminal
were allowed to select his place of
confinement his choice would prob,
ably fail on the Clock Tower prison
at Westminster rs that Is the very
finest prison In Great Britain ana is
able IN supply comforts and Injuries
quito unknown to the ordinary Bill
Skies.
But the law decides that members
Of parliament only may be confined
in that jail, although rank outsiders
could be committed to the Clock Tow
or for certain offCnscS against the
rules and regulations Of parliament.
The Clock Tower prison, as it ex-
lists today, was erected in connection
with the house occupied by the ser.
gCant at arms. This official is in COM
plcte charge Of any member com.
mittcd to the Clock Tower and a
member cannot easily make his es-
cape because, I'm order to do so, he
must pass through the house Of the
sergeant.
Very few members Of parliament
are committed to the Clock Tower in
these days. We have to go back many
years to find precedent Mr. Charles
Bradlaugh being the last member to
occupy the cells at the Clock Tower,
and he did not occupy them long. He
was handed over to the custody of the
sergeant at arms on June %, 1880,
committed to the Tower and released
next day.
There are two sets of cells in the
Clock Tower, an upper and lower,
but both suits Of cells are much the
same. In each there is sitting room
Of very ample proportions, we'll car
petcd and furnished and replete with
most of the things which go toward
making one comfortable.
In each suit there are two bedrooms
one for the use Of the imprisoned
NJ. p, the other for the convenience
of the jNiler, who must always be on
the spot in order to see that the
legislator makes no attempt to escape.
Any member Of parliament sent to
the Clock Tower by order Of the
speaker would be required to pay for
his own food, and if he did not do
so he could be sued in court. Any
legislator incarCeratcd in the Clock
Tower would be allowed to rise In
the morning just when he pleased, and
he could retire TO bed when the spirit
moved him. lie could read to his
hearts content and smoke rs much
as he liked there being no restrictions
over such matters; his whole punish
ment would lie in being prevented
from Joining his fellows and mixing
with them.
He would be taken out to exercise,
but would always have two officials
beside him to guard against any at
tempt at escape, and his exercise
would be taken on the terrace before
the house sat for the day Under
no circumstances would he be al
lowed to hold converse with his fell
low men. One way or another an I'M
prlsoncd NJ. P. would not have bad
time Of It, and he would not be kept
In confinement for any lengthy period.
But If the Clock Tower is not much
used nowadays, the Tower the prison
of the house Of commons Of former
day-was much In evidence. In olden
times a passing remark, an Observa-
ton obnoxious to the house, or, indeed,
any trine, was sufficient to send the
culprt forthwith to the Tower, and
not to the Tower only, for member
could be committed to Newgate.
Sometimes the reason for committing
member to the Tower was somewhat
amusing, as witness the case Of a
member for Southampton who once
entered the house in drunken COndi-
ton and, mistaking the speaker for an
owl sitting in an ivy bush, addressed
him as such. Result-the Tower.
However, the member was released
next day and severely reprimanded
for his ridiculous behavior.
The Tower was made use of by the
long" parliament. In one day as many
as eleven Presbyterian members Of the
house were committed to the custody
Of the sergeant at arms and flung into
the Tower. And to show that men,
bers were not committed for errors In
speech alone, one has only to mention
the case Of Captain Churchill, who in
1869 was committed to the Tower for
refusing to take merchant ships under
the protection Of his man Of war unless
he received a gift Of 1000.
In those days they had to pay stitiiy
for the privilege Of being sent to the
Tower, as witness an extract from the
diary of Lord Clarendon, written the
day following his commlttal to the
tower. He says: "Nr. bod brought me
note of the fees, which come to f130
viz. the governor, 600; gentleman
porter. 200: gentleman gaoler, E10."
When a member offends in these
days and requires to be ''named"-al-
ways a necessity before committal-he
IS not sent to the Clock Tower, but Is
suspended from duty and is not allow
ed to enter the house for so long as the
members decree. -Pearson's Weekly.
Her Idea.