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be very glad to obtain information of the kind ofwork carried on; if the product is sufficient to payfor their support, clothing, &;c. I expect there areprinted accounts of them; and also some late books,or pamphlets, on crimes and punishments, and on prisons. I therefore take the liberty to request ofthee, to be so obliging as to give my good friend, Charles Wilkes, a memorandum of such as in thyopinion may be worth my procuring. I should bevery glad to obtain the report of the Committee ofthe House of Commons, on Bentley's plan; also, anyor all of his writings. I have Howard, and the firstedition of Police of London and Thames. If thouhast published any thing lately, be pleased to insertit in the list. My friend Wilkes will take the trou-ble of procuring from the booksellers, and forward-ing to me, such books as thou wilt be so obliging asto recommend. I enclose the last report of the inspectors of thestate prison to the legislature; they passed a law tobuild a prison, for solitary confinement, on the planrecommended in the Report. I have often thoughtthat this would be an excellent plan in the city ofLondon, for the punishment of petty offences, andfor preventing greater ones. I am clearly of opinion, that all prisons intendedfor the confinement of convicts for a term of yearsshould be so constructed as that they should lodge inseparate rooms; by being kept thus solitary and sepa-rate from each other, it would be more likely toproduce reformation, and prevent escapes. There are in the prison 145 of the convicts employ-ed at shoemaking, and that business has hithertobeen carried on, by purchasing leather, &;c., and dis-posing of the shoes and boots when manufactured.As this required a considerable capital, and wasalways attended with inconvenience, we have latelydropped conducting the business in this mode, andhave agreed with shoemakers in the city, to take in