Discipline Of The Surrey ...
The Times, 1824-06-26T00:00:00

A meeting of the visiting justices took place yesterday at theSar- rey Prison. ?here were present Lord Easthor, A.IP. , M1r. H. Sum- ner, A.P.; M tr. Denison, DI. P.; *Mr. Crawford, and Mlr. Hedger. They were attended by the High and Sub-Sheriff, and the Rev. MIr. Mlann, the chaplain. Sooa after the business of the day cammenced, the folowing comn- munication from Mr. O'Callaghar; was delivered in :_ T Tjp the Visiting Justices of the Surrey County Gaol. Gentlemiei,-The undersigned, a prisoner now confined under sentence of the CourtofQaarter Sessions,begs respectfully to callyour attention to a memorial which he addressed to you as a body, or to any of you, on the 1Gth instant, and which was delivered to zlr. Hedger, a mnexnber of vour body. " Tfle undersigned begs to state, that a part of the restrictions of which he complained in that memorial have been since removed; butt that he is still confined for 12 hours out of the 24 in a solitary cell: that he is not allowed to see his friends exceDt for two hours in the day, and that he is altogether prevented from seeing them on Sundays; that he is prohibited the use of any other liquor than wa- ter, and subjected to niany other restrictions and privations not caU. ed for by the nature of his case, or, as he believes, contemplated bv kis sentence, "The undersigned is now given to understand that the noble lord who presided at his trial, aud who promouncet the judgment of the Court upon him, has since declared that he could not have ima- zined at the timne that the sentence would have subjected him to such rigorous treatment as he has since exterienced. I" The undersigned, therefbre, mnost respectfully requests of the Visiting Justices} that as he has alreadv suffiered a greater degree of punishment than the Court inter,ded to award, and that in conse- quence of the prison regulations, they may be pleased not only to mitigate the severity of those regulations to which he is still subject- ed, but to recommend bis case to the Secretary of State for the hiome Departmenm, as a fit one for the merciful interposition of the Crown. " He is, with much iespect, their Worships very obedient ser- vant, "LUKE CARLOS O'CALLAGHAN. " Surrev Gaol, Horsmemonger.lane, June 25." The meeting lasted tiU two o'clock. It was (as is usual) private. But we understood that the case of MIr. O'Callaghan was for some time the subject of discusesion. M.r. DENISON (as we are informed) contended that, under the circumstances of the case, Alr. O'Caflaghan was entitled to a stiU greater relaxation of the prison regulations; but this humane sug- gestion was overruled by the hon. mnember's brother magistrates, whd decided5 that no further indulgence should be allowed ta the prisoner thn those already given by Air. Denison's order. Their worships did not eVen condescend to give Mr. O'Callaghan's com- munication any answer, hutleft himnto infer their decision from the continuance of the restrictions. With respect to the future treatment of the debtors, the magis- trates have recommended some relaxations of the present rules to the Court of Quarter Sessions. In the course of the day, Lord Mllontford, accompanied by Cap- tain Boyle, P N., called on Mr. O'Callaghan to aommui,icate the official answer of M,r. Peel to the memorials addressed to him. The following is Mr. Peel's letter :_ " Whitehall, June 24, 1824. " Aty Lord,-In reference to the memorial of M1r. O'Callaghan, which Your Lordship put into my hands vesterday, I beg leave to express my regtet that I do not feel miself warranted in recom- mending to the King a remission of the sentence passed upon Air. O'Callabhan. " I bave made inquiries into the circumstances which your Lord- ship mentioned tome relative to the treatment of Illr. O'Callaghan in prison, and I understand that at present Mllr. O'Callaghan is al- lowed to provide himself with food, and that his friends have aceess to him. " I have the honour to be, my Lord, " Your Lordship's most obedient humble servant, "To Lord lvlontford, &c. " ROBERT PEEL." Before leaving the prison, Lord AMoatford and Captain Boyle vi- sited the cell to which fr. O'Callaghau is confined for 12 out of the 2 hours. _ DISCIPLIArE OF THE StURRBY GAOL. CASE OF MR O'C.A,TIjA8A N-