Original Correspondence.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 19, 13 December 1843, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Auckland Chronicle. Bir, —I have remarked in the " Southern Cross" of the last week, a carious Statement relative to Flogging, which appears to me so entirely erroneous, that I cannot help addressing you a few Hues of enquiry into the matter, and I shall be glad if any of your leaders or yourself can solve the question. The Editor of the ' Cross' says,— We have never heard of any free man who ha< been Flogged even in JN>ew Sooth Wales,'' Now when I was in England, only a few years ago, I u»ed to re> eive occasionally copies of the Aylesbury Calender, in which I have often seen sentences like the following : "Six months hard labour at the Tread=Mill and to be twice wnipped," appended to the name and crime of some man equally free with the Penitent mentioned in the «* Cross." So that not only in New South Wales, but even in England are such sentances common. Much of the power of the Court in England before whom such an offender would be tried, is here in the hands of -the Police Magistrate, so that I, and many other* like me, with whom I have spoken on the are something at a loss to know what there is incongruous in this act of the Police Magisuafe 1 — I am, Sir, your humble servant, PLEBS. „Queenssireet, Dec. 11, 1843. [The Letter of Plebs touches on a subject on which the " Southern Cross - ' has been very noisy, and in our opinion sadly below its usual force in it* remarks. A parcel of declamatory sentences have >been heaped together by our contempoiary, which are only to be characterised by the word "Twaddle." If other modes of punishment fail with a delinquent, why flog him by all means. Our Jails are not yet sufficiently spacious to admit of the appropriation of many cells for the solitary con= fioement of Prisoners. Rome was not built in a day. And moreover, we are of opinion that the solitary system would uot have mucb effect on some of the young gentlemen who have been turned loose upon us from Paikhurst. But the difficult point in the whole matter, is one to which our correspondent does not •advert, that relative to the dismissal of the under Gaoler Mr Somerville. If prisoners are occasionally to be Flogged in the Gaol it is clear somebody must do it. Accordingly when the Sheriff engages a man who is to add to his other services thst of using the Cat, we say that a stipu'ation to that effect should undoubtedly be "in the Bond," The man should be engaged clearly on that understanding, and then there is an end of the matter. Ed A. C ]