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Life of Thomas Eddy

SW_WH1793_Page_187

mentioned, is anxious it should be reprinted in Eng-land; but as this desideratum may not be attained, itwould be very gratifying if I could have it in my power to present to the Speaker of the House ofCommons, to him, and to some other distinguishedcharacters in this country, a copy of the work. Ihave inquired at different booksellers, and also ofMr. Wilkes, but I do not find that it is to be pur-chased. On the subject of prisons in this country, I haveonly farther to call your attention to a work just published by James Nield, Esq., who, following the example of the great, the benevolent Howard, em-ploys an easy fortune, and much of his time, in visit-ing the different prisons in Great Britain. His chief attention, however, has been directed to the situationof poor persons confined for civil debts, to whom, asyou will observe from his work, and also from hisexertions as treasurer of the society, he has been a friend indeed. On the subject of punishments, I send you inclosedthe last statement of the delivery of the gaol at New- gate, which has been recently sent me by the Secre-tary of State, and contains a general view of thedisposal of prisoners for the last year, for the moreaggravated offences tried at the Court of Oyer andTerminer at the Old Bailey. In this statement, how-ever, neither the numerous persons tried at the London, Westminster, and Middlesex Sessions, nor at theAssizes and Sessions in Southwark, which makes apart of the metropolis, are included. I have nomeans at present of ascertaining the amount of these;but I have reason to believe they are equal, or per-haps exceed, the number stated in the last (sixthedition) of the treatise on the police. The only use which can be made of this melan-choly catalogue of depravity, is to stimulate those inpower, in every country, to the adoption of suchmeasures, as shall forewarn the unwary, arrest the