Sect.

25.-Malice against the owner not essential to any offence under

this act.

26.-Principals in the second degree, and accessories.

Abettors in misdemeanors.

27.-The court may, for all offences within this act, order hard labour or solitary confinement.

28.-Persons in the act of committing any offence may be apprehended without a warrant.

29.-Limitation as to summary proceedings. Competency of witnesses.

30.-Mode of compelling the appearance of persons punishable on summary conviction.

31.-Abettors in offences punishable on summary conviction. 32.-Application of forfeitures and penalties upon summary convictions.

33.-If a person summarily convicted shall not pay, &c. the justice may commit him.

Scale of imprisonment.

34.-The justice may discharge the offender in certain cases.

35.-Pardon to person imprisoned for non-payment of

money.

36.-A summary conviction shall be a bar to any other proceeding

for the same cause.

37.-Form of conviction.

38.-Appeal.

39.-No certiorari, &c.

40.-Convictions to be returned to the quarter sessions.

How far evidence sufficient in future cases.

41.-Venue, in proceedings against persons acting under this act. Notice of action. General issue, &c.

42.-Not to extend to Scotland or Ireland.

43. To extend to offences committed at sea.

NOTE.-Referred to at page 36 of the Report.

In prisons constructed on the circular or polygonal plan, (as shewn in the diagram, fig. 1.) the range of building (a-a), containing the prisoners' departments, is placed at a considerable distance from the central station (b) which is occupied by the governor and his officers; and the possibility of inspecting the interior of the pri soners' rooms is thereby precluded, unless the officers expose themselves to constant observation;-they must, in fact, cross the airing courts, (c-c) before they can enter the wards, (a-a) during which time their movements are discovered, and the prisoners are enabled to prepare for their approach:-thus, the advantage of secret and continued inspection is destroyed, and the requisite facility of access to each department precluded. These objects are, however, to be

In the diagram (fig. 1.) the distance from the centre to the surrounding building is about eighty feet; but at Brixton, and some other prisons recently built on this principle, the distance is one hundred and fifty feet. FIGURE 1.-CIRCULAR, OR POLYGONAL PLAN.

secured by buildings properly constructed on the radiating principle, (as shewn in the diagram, fig. 2.) in which every day-room, workroom, and cell-gallery, may be brought very near to the central station (a), and the interior can be placed under the constant inspection of the governor and officers, by means of large windows at the ends of the prisoners' buildings, (b-b): the officers are also enabled to make immediate and unobserved visits to the several departments, without having to cross the airing-courts (c-c), as in the former example.

The circular arrangement of the buildings and courts (fig. 1.) is considered injudicious, as it affords great facility for communication between the different classes of prisoners. The walled enclosure, on three sides of each court, will render a prison thus constructed much less airy and salubrious, than when a thorough ventilation is obtained by means of the open or iron-railed enclosures (d-d) placed on the opposite sides of the courts, as in the radiating plan, (fig. 2.) whereby the interior of the prison can derive the benefit of free air from every quarter. The position of the circular building (a-a, fig. 1.) is also detrimental to the general security of the gaol, as it materially diFIGURE 2.-RADIATING PLAN.

minishes the extent of inspection in another important particular. The prisoners' buildings conceal the external wall from the officers' station, and become, as it were, a screen, behind which preparations may be carried on by the prisoner for escaping over that part of the boundary, should he succeed in breaking through the back wall of the cell-buildings. But, in prisons on the radiating principle this defect is obviated, as the ends of the buildings present only a small obstruction to the officers' view, from the centre, over the grounds in the rear. The airing-courts (c-c) also have this advantage-that no prisoner can attempt to pass the intermediate boundaries without the risk of being seen by the officers; and even if a prisoner should succeed at night in breaking through his sleeping-cell, and entering the court, he will then have an additional barrier to arrest his progress, as he must surmount the lofty iron-railed enclosure (d-d) before he could make his way to the grounds in the rear.

In the radiating plan, much convenience will be found to arise from the contiguity of the officers' residence to the prisoners' departments: the daily provisions, materials for work, &e. can in consequence be distributed to each class with order and facility. This arrangement of the buildings also offers the best method of access to the chapel, as the various classes may pass from their respective cell-galleries into the upper part of the central building, (designed to contain the chapel) without the risk of communicating together, -by means of iron galleries, or bridgeways, placed across the central area; but, in the circular plan, each class of prisoners must be taken out of their ward, and marched across the court and area, before they can enter the chapel.

The converging form of the radiating buildings, (fig. 2.) pos sesses the advantage of conveying sounds to the centre at night. It also presents the most eligible and economical mode for an enlargement or extension of the prison, should the same be required at any future period.

In the radiating plan, each building should be divided by a middle wall, from end to end, so as to form two distinct wards, or classes, in each building. The plan shown in the diagram is intended to accommodate twelve classes of prisoners; and to contain 240 separate sleeping-cells, on the two upper stories.

ERRATA.-IN APPENDIX.

Page 70, line 6, for "waking" read "working."

74, in Kirkdale Report, for "1816" read "1826."

line 14, below ditto, for "works" read "work."

148, line 17, after "Number of prisoners in confinement" add

'during the year ending at."

SINCE the publication of the Society's last Report, a separate ward, containing a day-room, two commodious bed-rooms, and an airing-yard, has been added to the debtors' compartment of the gaol, for the separate confinement of female prisoners of this description. A turnkey and an under matron have been appointed.

New rules and regulations, for the management and discipline of the county prisons (founded on the Acts of 4 Geo. IV. cap. 64, and 5 Geo. IV. cap. 85,) have been printed; and copies are placed in the wards or day-rooms of each prison.

One division only of the gaol, containing male prisoners for trial on charges of felony, &c. is under inspection, and that from a room which is used by the governor's family. But a walk or passage-way surrounds the several yards or airing grounds; and in going round them the officers can observe the conduct of the prisoners in the yards. The officers, however, cannot see from thence into the day-rooms.

No means of employment are provided for prisoners before trial who may be willing to work.

B