We this day give a more d...
The Times, 1824-06-19T00:00:00

*we thls day give a. more etailed account ef tie treat. *mnmit of Mr. OUCALLAG'AN-iin the Surrey County-Prison, and realli feel half disposed to repubiWsh the trial; i1t order thit the public may see more clearly' how very disro- portionate the punishment (asat present inflicted) is to the officnee.:-;-We are far from thinking that there should be Vne system ef-prison-diicipline for ge'tleien, and another f0r-poor men: but'no on can' doubt- that a very'-marked *distindtion shbuld'be niade between crimes andl offences. ,Upon what. principle, except a principle of needless'and unprovoked torture, Mri. OQCALLAGHAN is. h-be fed uporn bhead and water, woecalnot conceive'! Ho*'the heart: aickens oA every oecasion when 'an insight is procured into the terrific recesses of a prison ! We haye the regulad6kisfor the County Prison of Surrety now before us, and shall stubjoin to these remarks the two rules which' apply to the present case; from which, also, it will appear, if we mistake not,,that the treattnentof Mr. O'CALLAGIIAi4iS as illegal as it is barbarous. One rule says, certainly, - that the prisoner shall receiveno other e"food or necesariRs -than the prison allo,4ance, except in- ader special circumstances," &c.. Nowy, putting ' out^ of' sight' the specialcircumstances,' what, wei s, is -meant by receiving- the prison allowance? Wlhy, receiving it from the county, and at the public expense: foi:that he may feed.afid support himself, is -clear by the other sub- joined rule, by which it is ordained, that persons sentenced to imprisonment, and not to hard labour, may yet be put to light- employment towards their own 'support, except such prisonerm as sAhll mnaintai,j thmseclves. And furtber, that if there are prisoners who neither will work, nor have funds stifficient for their own maintenance, then they shall not be entitled to support from the county It is clear, therefore, . that a prisoner sentenced for- a mere -misdemea- fiour has a right to maintain himself, if he possess the means; and that if he possess not the means, liermay obtain them by using any light labour to wlhich he his notbeen sentenced; but that it is only on the double hypothesis, of his neither-ha-vng-any private funds for his own support, nor being villing to work, that he is to be sunk- down s& the misery of bread( and water; for we do not suppose, that: even in this last case, it will be contended that hc is to-be left to perish without a morsel of bread. The account that is given of -the cells maakes- one's blcot run cold, when one eonsiders, that the person immured in one of tbem woula not be likely, even if he blad the meansy td thik- of makitg his escape; and that he is immured--for what?-for a mere squabble between. two men of equal condition, in which both were wron.- Cells are.places of horrible durance, constructed for AtrQcious c4mixir.,. the dread of death will naturally drive to desperatb- hI.rlt&2 for efiecting an escape-not -for men. convicted of slight misdemeanours, to whom it is in every aespect most advan. tageous to wait till the term of their sentence. The followinig are -the extracts alluded to, as copied frcm the printed. regulations posted up in the prison:- - "Noprisoner who is confined under the sentence of sny court., nor any prisoijer confined in pursuance. of any conviction before v justice, shall receive any food, clothing, Or necessaries, -other thbt the-prison allowance, except under specialcirDunzstgsces, to-be judg- ed of by one or 7nore of themvisiting justices." - - - -.' It shall and may be lawful for two or:more visiting j.ustices, ta order that peisons sentenced to imprisonment, wi'hont being sen. tenced to iard labour (except such prisoners as shall maintain thiemn. selves), shall be set to some work or labour, not severe, as to thenm shall appear expedient; and they shall provide materials necessary. for that purpose, andt no such prisoner who shall be of-safficient ability to iarn, and who shall have the means of earning, orofothtr- wise nroiding for his own subsistence, shall have any claim to-be- supporred at the expecase of the county, or of the shetiffor keeper,. provided that when such ability shall cease-by reason -of sickness, sinfrmitv,thewantofsuficient work, or from any other calue, every such person shall, duing the continuance of his inability, scceimo the county allowance," &c.