Discipline Of The Surrey ...
The Times, 1824-06-24T00:00:00

The following are copies of the memorials transmitted by Mr. O' Callaghan to the Secretary of State for the Home Department:- To the Right Hon. Robert Peel, his Majesty's Principal Secre- tary of State for dhe Heme Department, &c. "The humble Alemorial of Luke Carlos O'Callahan, a prisoner now confined in tlle Surrey County gaol, for an assault on the Rev. James Saurin - "Showeth,-That your memorialist was on the 14th instant tried at thb Quarter Sessions for tho county of Surrey, for an assault on the Rev. James Saurin. IThat the jury on that otCcsion returned a verdict of guilty, but strongly recommended your memorialist to mercy, on the ground of the provocation given by the conduct of the prosecutor. "That the Court sentenced your memnorialist to a fine of 201., and to one month's imprisonment in the county gaol. "That in consequence of the treatment experienced bv your me- monialist on his imprisonment, he transmitted the annexed memo- rial (martkedl A) to the Court of QHarter Sessions, and was by that Court referred to the visiting magistrates, to whomn he then trans- mitted the annexed memorial (mearked B-) * " That to this memorial your memorialist has not received any answer, and that he still continues to be treated in every respect more like a felon than a mere misdemeanant " That your memorialist hunibly submits, that the imprisonment of eight days, twelve hours in each cf which he has been kept in so- litary confinenient, with no other sustenance than the prison al- lowance of bread and water, and subjected< to many other p-ivations, is mnore than adequate to the crime of which he has been found guilty. " That your memorialist humbly begs to call your attention to the annexed memoriatl (narked C) of the jurors by ivhom he was tried, and implores that, taking all the circumnstances of his case into consideration, you will be pleased to recommend hiim to the mercy of the Crown, and to advise a remnission of the renainder of his sentence. And your memesialist will ever pray. Surrey County Gaol, Horsemonger-lane, Ju ne 21." iIIEAIORIAL OF THiE JURY. The following is the memorial (marked C) above alluded to To the Right Hon. Robert Peel, Hlis Majesty's Principad Secre- tary of State for the Home Department, &c. T he humble memorial of the undersigned, the jurors who tried the case of 'The King at the prosecution of the Rev. James Sau- rn against Luke Carlos O'Callagban,' at the Surrey sessions, on; Mlonday, the 14th inst. "Showeth,-That your memorialists, after hearing the eviaence on both sides, felt themselves bound to return a vernict ot guilty; but, at the same time, they were deeply impressed with the feeling, that thlough the assault committed by the defendant was notjustifi- able in strict law, yet that the provoking conduct of the prosecutor gave to the offence the highest degree of palliation. { That in consequence of this impression they strongly recom- mended the defendant to the mercy of the Court " That notwithstanding such recornmendation, the Court sen- tenced the defendant to one montlh's imnprisonment in the county gaol, end a fine of 201. That your memorialists, being firnly convinced that the pu- nshiment which the defendant has already suffered (considering the severe manner in which convicted niisdemeanants are treated by die rules of the Surrey gaol) is more than commensurate with the slight degree of'guilt wlicA vas proved before them, most humblv and most earnnestly bet leave to recommend his case for the merciful con sideration of the rown, and to imnplore the remission of tuhe rne~ mainder of his sentence. iAnd your memorialists will ever pray. J.ioit *v?DAG r,211, Be emndl-street, (Foreman.) OWE-, '~~~,15,Uintee,Bruh I i J1L.A8t WRiGH, 24, Mlount-street, Lambeth. SEP Ti;Y51 Foar 14, Mlount-street, I,ambeth. JOSEPt RAag~I on.sre aaeth. "WI iLi At FORfEST, H rue.ujig abeth. " JOHN BAYLEY, 11, Rotherhithe..wafl. "JAMES WlHITE' 35,Atotherhrstreet "Ttbomas WA'ood, another of the jurorsi ea forhinim- self, meat humbly begis leave to recammen th eee t to the mercy of the Crown, not on account lof pooainb h prose. ucuor, but int consequence of the over sevrt ofetgupiso tlons to which he issubjecteel. * ua Sge)"Tisos. WOO0D 164, Union-street, Borough." 1,haeben inf'ormedI that the gr-cat mnajority of the jurv, as they signedo the Rbove memorial, expressed their indignation ana as. tonishment at the severity of the sentence after their recommenda. tiol) o merc, founed uVp theDrvioei cnu the le prosecutor. Beoethis mmra vsdtr-ieIuo,i a been proposed by oneof= r,ta they shoultd subscribe to pay thie 201. finie be. twebrinte (should such an offer be acceptable so the defendant,) in ordler to mlark thecir sense Of the unmnerited severity exervised to- wards him. The above memorials were, we understand, presented toMr Peel yestertlay atlernoon, by Lord Mlontford. The-right. lion. gentlemnan, on reading thetn, expressed some surprise at the Conti- nuance of tlie.restricttons, having (as he observed) been giveni to understand that'a considerable relaxation had alreatdy taken Ilce He, liowever promiised the noble lord that a speedy arswer should15 be given to tie memorials. It may not be unnecessary here to Observe, that the relaxations whlich have been made in thie severity of Mlr. O'Callaghan'a treat- ment, by, thebumane interference of Mfr. Deniisor, extend no farther thian the allowing him to supply himself witsh jrovisuns (mneats only) at hiis own eicpense, the privilege of seeing his friends through one iron grating instead of two, and the indul4ence of sending for a nesae.He is still continied for twvelve liours out of the twenty- four its a solitary cel%l, and restrictedI from the use of any othear liquid than water:, and even thecse indulgences are ornly temporary, ad may be rescinded on Friday next, if the visitirng justices shall so0 think proper. The above case is, we understandl, not the Only one in whicht thd severity exercised towards prisoners in the Surtrey Gaol is likely to comne before the public. The debtors confined in the prison have signed a petition to Parliament, COmIni othssfezgso which the r sbjetdb h ii euatosetbihdb h ~he irs onthe16t, ad tese adyappeared In "1The,'ie, 1enon th, DISCIPLINE OF THE SURREY GAOI,. CASE OF AIR. '(V.AT,,A0(tAW