FIFTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PENTONVILLE PRISON, Made in Pursuance of the Act 5 & 6 VICT., SESS. 2, c. 29, sec. 13. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET, FOR HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. 1847. CONTENTS. APPENDIX A.-Governor's Report, dated 13th February, 1847 APPENDIX B.-Chaplain's Report, dated 13th February, 1847 APPENDIX C.-Physician's Report, dated 31st December, 1846. APPENDIX D.-Expenses of Pentonville Prison for the year ending 31st December, 1846. PAGE I. PENTONVILLE PRISON. REPORT, For the Year 1846, of the Commissioners for the Government of Pentonville Prison, made in pursuance of the Act 5 Vic. cap. 29, sec. 13;-specifying the State of the Buildings, the Behaviour and Conduct of the Officers of the Prison and of the Convicts, the Amount of the Earnings of the Convicts, and the Expense of such Prison, and such other matters relating to the Discipline and Management thereof as they shall deem expedient, or as the Secretary of State shall direct. Pentonville Prison, 10th March, 1847. IN our former Reports we explained that the prison had been appropriated, Appropriation of under the authority of the Secretary of State, for the reception of male convicts the Prison. between the ages of 18 and 35, under sentence of transportation for periods not exceeding 15 years. The selection of convicts to be admitted into this prison is made from the great body of transported criminals who, immediately after conviction, are collected at Millbank Prison, the Depôt for transports, and who are recommended for final disposal under certain regulations laid down by the Secretary of State. After being subject to a probationary discipline in Pentonville Prison, combined with moral and religious instruction and industrial training, for a period of about 18 months, the convicts so selected are sent abroad; but the Commissioners, after a careful review of their conduct and progress during imprisonment, and of all the circumstances which have any bearing upon their character, have authority to divide them into classes, and to recommend to the Secretary of State different degrees of amelioration in their condition, after removal from this country. Disposal of Prisoners. The plan for the disposal of prisoners at the expiration of the period of penal Disposal of priand reformatory discipline at Pentonville remains unchanged as regards the Class soners. termed "Exiles," who, appearing to have profited by the discipline to which they are subjected in this prison, on landing in one or other of the Australian colonies, receive a "conditional pardon," the "condition" being, that they do not return to this country during the remaining portion of their original sentence. The prisoners who have not improved in the same degree under the advantages they enjoy in this prison, are, at the expiration of their probationary term, removed to Millbank Prison. As, however, these prisoners are considered, by their conduct in Pentonville Prison, as deserving of some advantages beyond those possessed by ordinary convicts, although not of the privilege of being sent abroad as Exiles" with "conditional pardons," they are informed that in their further treatment this will not be lost sight of, should their future conduct be such as to justify any indulgence being granted them.* 66 Those who are reported as incorrigible are also removed to Millbank Prison, to be disposed of as ordinary convicts during the remainder of their sentence. * Letter from Mr. Phillipps to the Pentonville Commissioners, 8th October, 1846. The following Table exhibits the population of this prison, and the disposal of the prisoners, during the past year :— In the Prison on the 1st January, 1846 Removed as 1st Class Prisoners ("Exiles ") وو Received Free Pardons, not on medical grounds Removed to the "Justitia" Hulk, on medical Removed to Bethlehem Hospital as insane. Deaths Remaining in the Prison on the 1st Jan. 1847 Thus, of the 386 prisoners removed from the prison in the course of the year, after deducting those who have received free pardons, either on medical grounds or otherwise, removals to the hulks on medical grounds, commuted sentences, deaths, and one case of insanity-altogether 12 cases--there remained 374 prisoners to be disposed of, of whom so large a number as 350 were found qualified to be removed as "Exiles"-17 were placed in the Second Class as not having behaved so well, and 8 were reported as incorrigible. This classification, we have good reason to believe, has been properly made, and it strongly exhibits the general beneficial working of the system of Separate confinement, as enforced in this prison. The following Table shows the Classification of the Prisoners who have been Removed from Pentonville Prison, for embarkation or otherwise, since the opening of the Prison in December, 1842, to the end of the year 1846 : NUMBER of Convicts removed from Pentonville Prison, showing the Classes in which they were placed. A further number of about 100 Prisoners have at this date nearly completed their probationary term, and the result of the discipline is such as to justify our recommending to the Secretary of State that almost the entire number shall receive "Conditional Pardons" as "Exiles." We have in our former Reports referred to the statements of the Surgeons Superintendent who have had the charge of the Pentonville prisoners during the voyage to the Australian colonies. Mr. Hampton, who took out the "Sir George Seymour," stated that he had been for years familiar with the convict service at sea, had had the charge of emigrants, male and female, and had served in highlydisciplined ships of war, but that he had never known prisoners to conduct themselves in a manner so uniformly well-behaved and orderly as those on board the "Sir George Seymour." Mr. Baker, who took out the "Stratheden," stated-"That he landed them all in sound health, none being sent to the hospital: that he considers the great cause of their keeping their health so well was, that they were such particularly quiet and orderly men; that he was enabled at all hours to trust them anywhere about the ship; and that six of them, under the third mate, had charge of the provisions during the entire voyage; that they were all constantly employed, and, as they had plenty of carpenters' tools on board, the ship at certain hours looked like a carpenter's shop; that all the 300 Government suits of clothing were made up long before they got to the Cape of Good Hope; that only nine of the conditional pardon men were ever found fault with during the 190 days they were under his charge, and those for trivial faults; that the men had been so well classified that he, who was always amongst them, and knew everything that went on, would wish to change the classes of very few; that no greater proof can be shown of the estimation in which the conditional pardon men are held at Port Philip than that the men were hired from the ship, for about 207. per annum, with their rations; one man obtained 357., and one even 50l.; and that, had he been intrusted with 500 instead of 50, he is certain that he could have procured them masters in one week. A gentleman who had hired some of the men from the 'Sir George Seymour' engaged 10 more from the 'Stratheden.'" Dr. Robertson, who took out the "Maitland," stated that the general behaviour of the prisoners since their embarkation has been unexceptionably good; that he had charge of them for about five weeks, and had not a complaint against one of them worth recording; and that he had no hesitation in saying that their conduct is greatly superior to anything of the kind that he had ever witnessed before. A letter has also been received from the Religious Instructor who went out with the "Exiles" in the "Maitland," in which he states that the "Maitland" Exile ship safely arrived at Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land, on the 29th October, 1846, and that they were to sail for Williams Town, Port Philip, on the 31st; that he has great pleasure in being able to state, that the conduct of the "Exiles," as a whole, had been highly satisfactory; and that on this subject he cannot do better than refer to a Report which he had made to Dr. Robertson, for the information. of the Comptroller-General of Convicts, of which the following is an extract: 66 "I have the honour to receive your instructions that I would furnish you, for the information of the Comptrollor-General of Convicts, with a Report of the conduct and character of the Exiles' on board the 'Maitland,' stating whether they are distinguished from ordinary convicts by difference of conduct or education, and whether I have observed any mental imbecility among them. "In reply to these queries, I beg to state, that the conduct and chara of the Exiles,' as a whole, has been highly creditable to them; and so uniform has been their good conduct, that I have only had the necessity of reporting two men to the Surgeon Superintendent for improper conduct during the whole voyage. 66 Having never previously had an opportunity of observing the conduct of ordinary convicts on ship-board, I am not competent to say whether the Exiles' differ from them in their conduct and education; but from all I have heard, I should infer that there is a great difference in both respects in favour of the Exiles.' I have never seen the same number of men in confinement at Millbank whose educational qualifications equalled, or whose general conduct excelled, those of the Exiles' on board. "I have observed no indications of mental imbecility in any of the Exiles.' "Dr. Robertson, R.N., 66 A desire has been expressed to receive and give employment to the "Exiles" at the following places:-Melbourne, Geelong, Portland Bay, and Port Fairy, in the Port Philip district; at Yass, a place about 200 miles from Sidney in the direction of Port Philip; and at Moreton Bay, in the northern part of the colony.* A Despatch has also been received from Lieutenant-Colonel Clarke, Governor of Western Australia, with a memorial from the Agricultural Society in the district of York, requesting a supply of labourers from Pentonville Prison. Not the slightest difficulty has arisen in the way of the "Exiles" finding on their arrival immediate employment; and the Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, in his letter to Lord Stanley, dated the 23rd of February, 1846, expresses himself in the following manner:-"I lose no time in transmitting to you the letter of the Superintendent of Port Philip to your Lordship, as it is important for your Lordship to be made acquainted with the gratifying circumstance that there will be no difficulty in finding employment in the Port Philip district for any number of Exiles' that may be sent to the colonies. It is also highly gratifying to learn that the conduct of the Exiles' has been generally excellent, their habits regular, * Governor Sir George Gipps to Lord Stanley, 19th Feb. 1845. † Lieutenant-Colonel Clarke to Lord Stanley, 20th May, 1846. C. J. Latrobe to Lord Stanley, 7th April, 1845-Sir Eardley Wilmot, 23rd February, 1846. |