Surrey Quarter Sessions.
The Times, 1824-02-27T00:00:00

Yesterday being the adj urlnen day Of the Qagrte Scsiois for the county of Surrev, a numerous meetingof Iastnatest co lace at the Sensions-houSe. 'Mr. GaiFy BTWNEIrrz, hX.P., in the eair. MIr. RAN-DLE JAcKsow ittquirei whether it was comp,tet for Ihin-., before the next sessions, to move for a revision of the order of sessions for enclosing certain wados of Horiernonger-lane gaol in art iron grating. He thought it would be vey expedient to revise such an order. Mr. HOL3ME StraexXE said it wasincompetent to rscind tile ordler, without giving4 a fresh notice ata succeeding ses&iotls. IMr. DEXisoN was anxious to haveshe order recoonsdered., as le understood *Mr. 11audalay had invented a chcevas-e de frize, which would be an adequate security to preve=t escape over the walls of the prison, and could be constructed at a comparativdy trifling ex- pense. After some conversation on the point of form, it Was dedded that the Court could not receive Mfr. Jackson's proposition without a Sessional notice. The CLE.ICI Ot the PE1ACE said that thlis Court was mnet, by %A- |journment, to consider of certain rules for the government of the prisons wvithin the county's jurisdictlos, in purspance of the last act of Parliament. He then proceeded to read the rules already sub. mitted, which relatedto tae internal arrangreent forthecjeaaulinere and labour of the prisoners. On the rule being read for authorizing the magistrate to put certain prisoners to labour for a time not exceeding ten horrs each day- Mfr. RARDLE JACIisOx stated that the Chapsin att the Brixten House of Correction, who was humanely anxious to give the benefit of education to prisoners in want of it, complained of the operation of these hours of labour, as disabling the parties from dlevoting the necessary time for receiving instruction. Several magistrates pointed out a dispensing rule in the list, whicit enabled the visiting inagistatea to reduce, in sueh case as they deemel epedient, the hours of labensr. Mr. BRir3coE conplained, itt the wprmest terms, of the ht. mneatable ignortnce which he found among some juvenile offende;, at the Brixton House of Correction and eariest;r augge ted s some time for necessary educntion sIould be allowed. Row cutlo that be affurded to persois exhausted by ten hours' labour ax trhe. tread.wheel, where they were worn dowin and exbauszted bt art unna. tural antd irritable species of' labour, which ought from its inWorisoa conaeqoences to be discountenanced ? He pressed very mlach upor, the consideration of magistrates the hardship of esposang prisoncrs to the severe and cruel inflict-on of such a mode ot punishment. Mr. 11OLME UMNXER, Mr. GP.Ey BT:-WRT, xnd several other mapstrates spolte highly of the value of' the prison discipline report which furnished data for supplying a sufficient quantity of diet, ard apportioning a Severity of punishment, without risking tke prisonier's health or sarety. A conversation arose about the particu'sr nature of the diet o& convicted felons, when Il r. Drummond remarked, that it was rather hard such persons should receive a larger share of allowance (nearly 3sb . of meat, vegetables, and bread per day) than coulil be procured by an agricultural labourer. Mir. GREY BENNET remarked, that the prisoner was exposea to many privations from which the man at large was exempt. 'Mlr. 11. Su rRER replied, that according to the preaeitstere of gans? prisoners could enjoy in them many oDmforts which -hey were unabie to procure in their nwn houses. lir. Bl3isco g said, it wvas admitted that the agricultural labourer could, from the poors' rates, obtain that aupply whi.ch his own wages, were inadequate to procure. A complaint was made by Mr. BRISCOE, that no comnmonun br even bhr writing, was allowed in the House of Correction, tetween the famnily of a convicted felo * and a prisoner, whether by open let. ters through the Governor, or otherwise. !11r. (JtRY mty',ENxT said. thatboth in the Pentitentiary and th, hulks, letters could pass to an4i from, under the iospection of thio Governor, anid oc did not believe it was legal to ob0ntruct such conin miuications, when made under the exartinaiion of the ofi5ers of time prison. Somne magistrates said, that although on the face nf the letters nothing improper shouldl appear, yet contrivancei might be adopted by cencealed niarks on the paper, which stieht to be prevented. It, was, after sonne conversation, agreed that leiters xhould be adnmit;. to pri-oners so situated, under the eye of the Governor, who w4not to deliver the manuscript, but to read its contents when not tmu.per - and a rule was drawn up to that effec.C The sn.bject of the treadl-mill was again resuMed, in diKcuLsismg the rle whlich empowered imagistrates to enmploy Paorrs betfo Itrial, who were wivlling to work, and to restrict thowse w ei run- willing froim receiving mnore than the gaol allowance., .Mr. G(BEY BE?N.ET remarked, that the law eD?fined the spil- cation of the tread-mill to those who yere exposed to the iunir4s, ment of hard laboulr, and said, that in a coWAYeneation about the. w- trodiction of the words " labour, not severe,' in tlhr ast of lt ae. sion with the Attorney-General, the di4tkn6tion enjoined hby ne 4r whicil forbadle the introduction ofthe words to whicb be aheds,was explained to him. Mr. Dauastmmo.D complained of the hardship uprx counties, of introducines a new imotruaent to regulate labourmin ;eir prions, fit7r persons ni ing to werk before trial, while thmey had the tread.n-ill in operation, arid rho scale of which could be redluced to meet mitigLated crrcurnstanceL ir. H. Sir-maEryt said that the iWprovcmemrs which new inransa, tuin ancl experienice furnished, -bowed that the triatd-rmil' co-uld beh applied as Mr. Drumimond had said; why, then. should Lhe cOujn,1tis be put to an extra exne'mse to suit various de ree g f oflahr, w:n-n by a nolification of the p!an which they had now iti titoD they couild apply a mnitigated degree of it to anv SUpposAbje casa, .Mr. RANDLE JACESON said that puiiihmnenr of th) d'e s was as Lord Lamsdown had truly srid_the inflictij,l 'm a. tsKr o miny as vellas,acorporaistifPL'ringK Surly, tleii, tersona ot de. serving the former, ought not to be expofer tosuch a Stiga,L dIr. BR1SCOES airl, that with respect i' tLhc operati.mil ai ime tread wne:l, wharever orinions prevailed on ui'e genealtr.estion there could be but one t ha it was a severe Puni-shment, antI ther..forte al. togcther inapplicable to cases WhWerca mollderare degree of' labour was only intendedl. dir. ll. SL'ntrXEiR reNlied that the libot;r might be on a re.luo1e scale as well as. on an argrava:ed one, Aftersomne further con%,ersatorn tipon r.rsolutions of inure to. bu,re- speciung prison discipline, arcertn au?l.'ber were carried, ttJmc.n the provisions of the new -tr.ind the Crnert_adjourned SURREY QUR7'ITRI XslYoN's.