Thoughts on prison labour, &c. &c. ... / by a student of the Inner Temple.

  • Student of the Inner Temple.
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thoughts on prison labour, &c. &c. ... / by a student of the Inner Temple. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/488 (page 21)
    admissions, all tending to prove the distressing, dan¬ gerous, and, according to their own concessions, but partially applicable nature of the labour —when to these casualties, and consequences so early allowed to have attended upon the discipline, are added those of which there is now incontestable evidence; that, though too palpable* to be overlooked, and too important to be con¬ scientiously omitted, the returns from certain prisons contained no mention whatever,—we may fearlessly aver that the Tread-wheel discipline began to develop some of its multifarious mischiefs as soon as ever it was adopted. That no link in the chain of evidence is wanting, but that successive crops of evils have been maturing ever since the cultivation of this new dis¬ cipline, the documents which will shortly be given cannot fail to substantiate. The foregoing examination of the deficient returns must conxnnce the most obstinate champions of the Tread-wheel labour, that it would be cruel in theextreme \ to advocate its continuance, without conceding to the in¬ creasing excitement on the subject, a THORO.UGH and HONEST inquisition Into the state of affairs as connected xmth the punishment of the Tread-wheel from its intro¬ duction up to the present moment I! This necessity will receive tenfold corroboration from the depositions, &c. which it is next in order to bring forward, and which will be arranged according to the date attached to each. It should be understood, that the Official returns, with Mr. Jackson’s, and Mr. Hutchinson'’s exclamations, are the * The government returns contain no allusion to the \ery serious mutinies, or refusals to tread, which had taken place in some prisons before the date at which they were sent in; and two or three, if not more, fractures of machinery were also passed over without notice. See Appendix, pages cxxxiii, cxxxiv.