To The Editor Of The Time...
Sir In illustraiion of the valuable remarks in you. paper of this day, genclose (in Ihc hose that tey may be considered worthy Pour publication} cxtraetfrom the fourth and fifth Report" of the hrisonDiseipline Conmmittee, on the disgraceful practice of mnarch- iing prisoners for trial, handcuffed, through the populous districts of ?VestTainster afld the Borough, and prevalent in the W)rest Riding of Ynrkabire_a eeCeiCe wvhich 'laudlv calls for reform. I amn, Sir, voar mlosit obedient servant. A. UJ.biblu XU. No. 18, Aldernmnbury, Oct. 23, 1824. TOTMILL-tIELDS BRIDEWELL, WESTMINgBL- It has long been the practice at this prison (Tothill-lields), on conveying the prisoners for trial at the sessions, to lead them in par- ties of half a dozen to a dozen at a time, attended by two or three officers: they are haRdwiff'ed two together, an d a light chain Is passed through the hand fetters of the whole party. In this way they are marched througb the streets to the Sessions-house, ignominli- ously exposed to public view before they are tried and known to be g-ailty as public offenders. The same treatment is adopted, but in a stiU inore extraordiaary and disgraceful style, on the discharge by proclamation of prisoners, at the close of the ses- slons. A few days before tiis visit, (Oetober, 1823), a party of prisoners, amounting to the unusually large number of 102, were marched handcuffed in paizs, and chained all together into one gang as above described, from the prison door through the streets of this ponulous district to the Sessions.house, about a rAile distant, where egy were set at Tilaervy by proclamation. Females are treated in the hsame wasy. Surely such a public grievance calls loudly for reform. THRE BDO5ttGH CO3StTER. The prisoners are conveyed to the sessicns, for tral or for ais. charge by proclamation, in the same manner as described at Tothill- fields prison they are handcuffed and marched through the streets in a party of lOor 12 at a time, a chain connecting ther together. WEST RtIDING HOUSE OF CORRECTION AT w,SEEFXIELD, .ORJESIIRE. It is the practice in this Riding, peobably from an e=rly period, for the prisoners committed to this Eouse of Correction for trial be. fore the court oc Quarter Ses3ions (which is held by adjourn- ments eight or ten times in the year, and at different p1aceg,) to be marched from Wakefield te the place where the Court is to sit, chained tewo tegether by their necks, besides the usual heAndcuiEs on their wrists, in this way they are marched soaietimes to Skipton, nearly 35 miles; to Knaresborough, 25 railes ; and other places of shorter distance, to take their trial: the expo.ure of 50 or 60 prisoners on the high roads in these populous district, is certainly a great evil, as regards gIe prisoner himself, who is not yet proved guilty it is very much to be wished that this practice could be remedied. T12e use of the neck fetter, in ad- ditioi to the handcuff, doe. not agpesr to be at all more necessary In this county than in London where prisoners are safely led hand cufred only, through the crowaed streets, although exposed to great confution and attempte to rescue. TO TIHE EDITOR OF THE TlAIMS.