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Leader (1850-1860), 10th September 1853, Edition Country of 2, Page 2

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      The Peace Of Europe Now Hangs In Breathl...

      now at 96 f . We have already alluded to the effect of this condition of things at home on wages . Several advances have recently been yielded , a continuance of the previous movement , as in the Thames and other tidal rivers , the stream is seen to be still setting up the mid channel , after it has begun , to ebb along the shore . But there is another reason for the depreciation ot the funds , and , consequently , for part of the general

      pressure in our commercial world , —it is , that the confidence in Ministers , in their straightforward , bold , and resolute conduct , which maintained the funds above par , during the height of the Menzschikoff dispute , appears to have given way . Ministers vacillate , and Consols scarcely touch 97 . Queen Victoria ' s progress is now ended for the present , and she is safely secluded among the hills of Scotland . Before she sailed from Dublin ,

      the young Prince of "Wales made his first essay ra public life . He presented a pair of colours to the boy soldiers of the Royal Hibernian Military School , and made a neat little speech on the occasion , telling these young warriors that they were soldiers' sons , and would know how to value their flag . Of course her Majesty ' s transit through Great Britain was not less marked than usual by the hearty cheers of the groups of spectators who thronged the stations on the line . At Preston her Majesty was within an hour or so of a terrible accident .

      It appears that the " points" conducting the trains on to a siding were so foul , that instead of closing after a temporary use , they remained open , so that the train that followed in the wake of the Queen dashed into the siding and narrowly escaped complete destruction . ^ Resting one night at Edinburgh , the Queen arrived , on Tuesday , in p ' erfect safety at" Balmoral ; but she owes the Railway potentates no thanks for this . As far as they were concerned , England might have been deprived not only of a Queen , but of an heir to her throne .

      Beside the Queen ' s passage to the Grampians , we have had a feast at Sheffield , bringing Mr . Roebuck once more before the public ; a dinner at Gloucester to an Indian hero , Sir Joseph Thackwell ; and a funeral , at Portsmouth , of a greater hero , Napier . The Sheffield dinner was notable for the tone of the speeches , all trumpeting , and justly , our present prosperity ; and for the warlike spirit of a letter from Lord

      Fitzwilliam . Mr . Roebuck , fired by the Earl ' s letter , made some just comments on our foreign relations . He enforced the doctrine , that England , like a gentleman of the olden time , must go armed , must maintain an attitude of tranquil strength , like that taken sit what he called the " Peace Meeting " —at Spithead , the other day , and be ever ready to assert public law , and avenge national insult . He warned his hearers that the continuance of

      prosperity depended on their caution in speculation ; and the way they manifested tho national force abroad , in permitting no public law to be violated . The citizens of Gloucester gave a dinner to Sir Joseph Thackwell , because he was a gallant soldier and a Gloucester man ; and they caught up and echoed the spirit of tho Sheffield banquet , which Mr . Roebuck expressed . It was the same at Portsmouth . Thousnnda left their homes to catch a glimpse of the funeral procession in honour of Charles James Napier ; and all stood uncovered while the corpse ,

      followed by the war-horse of the old General , passed along . Next to Wellington ' s obsequies those of Napier most express the nntionnl feeling ; and all will bo proud "to know" that the body of the hero was followed by public mourners , by the Commander-in-Chicf , the Lords of the Admiralty , and Lord Kllcnborough . Geneml Sir William Napier tried to spcuk a few last words to the troops , before the enrth closed over his beloved brother ; he had barely pronounced ft brief but comprehensive eulogy of immortal services , and said , with a broken voice , * ' God is just , " when his voice failed him . But , to our minds , that brief

      and true farewell is more eloquent , more affecting —sublime even—than many orations which have gained the wOtfld ' s applause . Nor must we refuse a wortl of praise to the common soldiers who lined the streets , and stood round the grave of thei * chief . Theirs was a Voluntary .- attendance ; more , they came at some personal expense , and it is well that this proof of their true-hearted soldier instincts should be known * Sir Charles James Napier may not have been so conspicuous , but he was a more hearty , more sympathetic , and , therefore , a better man than

      Wellington . Among public calamities let us rank the inquiry , still proceeding , at the Birmingham Gaol . So far as the examination has yet proceeded , the uncontested evidence discloses acts of cruelty which we thought no longer disgraced our gaols , and acts of illegality which visiting Justices were put in office" to prevent , and which show that stringent measures of precaution are not needless . Another public calamity is Cholera . One report insists that it has reached our shores at Newcastle ;

      but we still doubt . The news from abroad is more consolatory than usual , and we do not think there is any cause for alarm , although the ^ g is cause for preventive measures . The third calamity is the standing one of railway accidents . The inquiry into the Hornsey transaction is still pending ; but Captain Wynn has shown by actual experiment that there is plenty of distance between the danger signal and the station to bring an express going at fifty miles an hour to a dead stand some yards short of the station . Two accidents have happened , one near Holyhead , and one at Preston . How narrowly they missed being fatal I

      866 The Ljid ^ Csattj Rday >

      866 THE LJiD ^ CSattj rdAy

      Birmingham Gaol. Strange Facts Come Thic...

      BIRMINGHAM GAOL . Strange facts come thickly out in the evidence touching the Birmingham Gaol . The boy Andrews was put , first , on three days " bread and water , " afterwards got the punishment jacket , in which , he moaned , and was restless , subsequently was " deprived of his bed for seven days . " On the 27 th be was again put into the jacket , and he committed suicide the same night . It was admitted , by the Governor himself , that this boy had frequently done more than his share of work at the crank . The admissions of the Governor himself convey sufficient information . The following is the main portion of his evidence .

      The boy Andrews was received at tho prison for the third time on the 28 th of Marcli in this year , lie was thin , but appeared healthy and able to do his work . He was put to tho crank labour on tho 30 th of Marcli with a 61 b . weight . The prisoner did not do his work , but , having broken his crank , ho was put on bread and water for two days ; that food being given to him at night at ten o ' clock , at tho timo ho was removed from the crank cell . On the 17 th of April lie was shouting in his coll , for which ofFenco he wn . R flnntnncnd to bread and wator on three successivo

      Sundays . The witness was asked b y tho Chief Commissionor under what authority that pumshmont was inflicted : tho reply was that it was a practice to prisoners guilty of prison . ofFoncea . Captain Williams rejoined that there certainly was no legal authority for any such thing ; and Lieut . Austin wont on to say that tho prisonor continuing lazy and disorderly , lie was sentenced to tho strait jackot as well as broad and water on tho Sunday . Ho ( witness ) did not put tho jacket water on tho Sunday . Ho ( witness ) did not put tho jacket

      on , but ho saw tho boy in it when it was on . Mr , Wulsby—Is that jacket horo ? Witness—It is . [ This contrivance for punishment and torturo was produced . It consists of a strong linon jnckot , fastened behind by a series of straps ; a strong leather band in panned over tho arms , which aro hold as if they wore pinioned . In addition to this , thoro was produced another contrivance for torturo , in tho shnpn of a collar . Tho ono placed under Androws ' s chin measured 3 $ inches in depth ; it is made of stiff leather , a quarter of an inch thick , and is unbound at tho edgen . ]

      Juxamination of Lieut . Austin continued—On Sunday tho 17 th April had on tho jacket Jor fivo hours . On l . ho lf ) th , uh ho did not do his work , I ordered that ; ho should again havo on the jacket , and broad and water diet . H « said ho couldn't do 1 mh work , and as i' thought ho could if ho would , I ordered him to bo struppod to tno wall . Thoro would undoubtedly bo considerable pain ' round tho arinH from tho compression caused by the straps . Tho boy inoanod a good deal , but I thought that wan hit * dogged manner . Mr . Wolaby—Wan ho on , bread and water diet ut this time P

      Witness—il ' o was . Aa ho had not done- his task he would not get his bread and water until ten o ' clock at night . Mr . Woliaby—Do you think that with such diet hia Btrongth and constitution would bo uninjured P Witness—I do . On the 22 nd of April tho priaonor

      again broke the crank , and was put on bread n ^ , diet . On the 23 rd I forgave him the punishment of h v and water on the two remaining Sundays , and t » . 1 ^ him if he would be a good boy tnatI wouid BeJh ? the reformatory school . Bena mm to Mr . Welsby— -Was he always respectful to you ? Witness—He was * I never heard him shout vinWV 08 ifhewasini > ain . ' . m violentl y Mr . Welsby—Why * the witnesses have said tint V shrieked violently . Was no report made to you of th iact r Witness—I don * t recollect . On the 26 th of Aiml d broke the bar of his cell window ; I told him that I should report him to the visiting justices , and ordered that h should be deprived of his bed for seven ni ghts until to o ' clock . On the night following he destroyed himself Mr . Welsby—Have you formed any iudgment J h . cause which induced him to commit suicide ?

      Witness—I have not ; only last week a man in the gaol made a determined attempt to commit suicide . Dr . Baly—It appears to have been a thing of frequent occurrence that in consequence" of prisoners working at the crank in the dark they did more work than was required . It was so in the case of Andrews ; did it never occur to you that that excess should be a set-off against a deficient day ? Witness—No . ¦ . . Capt . Williams—Have you been in the habit ; of sentencing boys to bread and water simply because they have not completed their crank labour , without hearing their defence ? Witness—Yea .

      Capt . Williams—And are you not aware that that is contrary to law ? Witness—I am now aware that it is . Capt . Williams—Are you aware that you have not complied with prison regulations in this particular ? Witness—Yes .. Capt . Williams— -Was that strait jacket ever used before you were governor ?

      Witness—The same sort of jacket was ; but that kind of punishment has increased since I became governor . The offences , too , have increased since the introduction of the hard labour crank . The regulations in reference to that labour are that 10 , 000 revolutions shall be made each , day : 2000 before breakfast , or breakfast is not given ; 4000 more before dinner , or no dinner is allowed . The whole must be done before six , or the prisoner is left in the dark in the crank labour cell ; and if the work is not completed by ten o ' clock , the allowance is bread and water .

      Mr . Welsby—Can you explain how it is with regard to the 22 nd of April , when , though the pr isoner had done his work , he had still only bread and water ? Witness—He had damaged his crank . Dr . Baly—Suppose a man was 700 or 800 revolutions short , would his diet be bread and water P Witness—Yes . Dr . Baly—Would a prisoner receive his dinner if he had done 6000 revolutions by six o ' clock . Witness—Not as a rule , though I have relaxed that rule .

      It further appeared in the evidence given before tlie commission , that the officers of the prison were divided into two parties —the party following Lieutenant Austin , and that considered favourable to Captain Maconochie , the former governor . Mr . Austin is accused of using his power unjustly and harshly towards the officers supposed to be friendly to his predecessor . Captain Maconochie ' s own evidence is worth attention . tlmt

      He was examined at great length . He deposed he became governor of tho Birmingham Gaol at th « opening of the prison , and continued in that situation for two years . The punishments for prison oflence adopted were the ordinary punishments of bread aij water , ilogging , nnd standing with tho face to tho Wji . Flogging was not ordered without the sanction ot i ^ justices . In one instance , however , he had ^ ttlG . ^ the punishment , nnd reported afterwards to the J

      tices . ]| e ( i Mr . Welsby—Lot mo ask you whether y ou over aw tho Btraifc-jackot ? Witness—Ho had on tho or < h " / n 1 over chiefly to women , for contumacy and violence ; u « (] ifl gave direction for any man to bo strapped ngai wall . Ho did not g ivo directions that Howard ana ^ should bo put in tho jacket and strapped agmnst tu ^^ ho never heard of that accunation until ho cam ^ Tho magistrates authorised him to carry out »' system . . . ii , 0 nct Captain Williams—Is that system according to ^ of Parliament , regulating tho disciplmo olg' « )] BI ness—No ; it is not . „ ,. ft j , nin » t Captain Williams—Then it was decidedly ft < -W n h b tho law ? Witness—It was . , , i flCfc of Captain Williams—Did y ou not know tn » r- ' ¦» ftOl Parliament doon not confer upon the governor * ' t | l 0 th « power of ilogging P Witness—Dut I «»""' aiij . horitY « fth « viHiliiiff jniticoH . ^ * ith i / imams l

      upiam vv —jm you nm »»"'" fnti » ry " mioh general authority , that Ilogging was co ¦ j (] l 0 law P Witness—No ; " I thought that tho juntu *« power . nnvpitnW Captain Williams—Did you undertnko tl f ^^ t A of tho gaol without consulting the not ol J- » ( l ( . < rf WitnosH replied that ho was acquainted wit" , ( 1 i , oa < I « Parliament , but it ; wan scarcely possible that n ^ illtito horod to in all points . JIo , moreover , fl ( ln . , ' olio" « ° ' canon of Collins , Bedford , and others , ho bad upi ^ j , 6 pond puniahmont without lirnt asking tho Hf »» justices . i flv » torn , \ Captain Williams—If you adopted tho mar * ^ t ] i ( , ciwould bo impossible-, would it not , to c » rry « , , jlttim > Jltr plino of tho gaol according to tho net ol x Witnoflu—it would .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 10, 1853, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10091853/page/2/