besides the residue of another public fund, expected to produce £.3000, it certainly will be expected that the extent and accommodations should in all respects not be inferior to the smallest of those district prisons. On adverting, however, to the proposed site of the Edinburgh jail, we find that the area on which not only the buildings, but the airing-grounds, and all other accommodations are to be placed, extends only to two hundred feet in length, by one hundred and fifty in breadth; and that in no way can this area be increased, without an expence altogether enormous, if additional accommodation should afterwards be required. Further, it will be observed, that this space is surrounded on the north and on the east by public buildings, excluding from it the free admission of air; while upon the south, and still more upon the west, there are situated within a few feet of the boundary wall, a row of high tenements, being those on the west side of Libberton's Wynd, completely overlooking every part of the prison, excluding from it the air, and forming a most convenient mean of conveying into the prison written communications or articles of whatever nature, calculated either to promote disorder in the jail or to aid prisoners in their escape from it. Ill suited as such an area must appear for such a purpose, it has not even the recommendation of economy in its favour; for before this space can be rendered fit for the proposed purpose, tenements of houses must be bought up, which at present are estimated at about £.13,000 sterling, but which, from the value already found to be put upon them by the proprietors, may probably not be got for much under £.15,000 sterling. Before the commissioners shall dedicate such a sum for such a purpose, the reporter conceives that they ought maturely to consider whether some other situa Dec. 1813. tion, better suited for the object in view, cannot be obtained. This is no doubt a matter of very considerable difficulty. In the old town of Edinburgh, hardly a spot is to be found which is not already occupied by large buildings, excepting the Castlehill; and if government could be prevailed on to dedicate the banks for this purpose (which is by no means likely,) the declivity is such that no sufficient extent of level ground could be there obtained. On the south of the city again, no space could be procured of sufficient dimensions within such a distance as would render it all compatible for the site of such a building. On the north, Ramsay Garden has been examined as a site that might be supposed to answer; but here the space has not been found materially larger than the spot hitherto intended for the jail. It is obvious that no building could be erected further north than the wall, which intersects the ground about half way betwixt the North Loch and the High-street. The space from that wall to the street, measures three hundred feet in length, by two hundred in width, whilst the declivity in the course of it is no less than ninety feet perpendicular. Exclusive of the cost of this area, comprehending the houses there erected, it seems difficult to estimate the expence of excavating foundations in that quarter. Further, the exposure towards the north, where, from the declivity, each building, however moderate in height, must completely exclude the sun from the others, forms a most radical objection. In an edifice where so very little fire can be allowed, the admis sion of the sun is essential both to health and to comfort. The distance from the courts of justice, and from the magistrates, forms an additional objection to that site; so that the few advantages which it possesses are so coun counterbalanced, that it cannot truly be considered as preferable to the one hitherto proposed. The same objections will be found to apply to every other area on the northern bank of the city, with this addition, that in none of these would the air have so free an admission, or the jail be so little over-looked, as at Ramsay Garden. The Calton-hill might, at first view, be thought to answer the purpose; but the distance from the courts of law, and from where the magistrates hold their sittings, forms an unanswerable objection to this situation. If persons were sent to prison merely for punishment, as in Bridewell, little inconveniences would be experienced from that cause, as prisoners would have only to be conducted there once for all. But in most instances, persons are sent to prison previously to examination or trial. It would form a serious evil, both from the delay in sending for prisoners, the exposure to the public, and the chance of escape, if such persons were to be carried backwards and forwards for such a distance. The space betwixt the old jail and the court of justiciary, is at present felt as an evil on occasion of any interesting trial. How greatly would this be increased, if those about to undergo trial, or who had been convicted, fell to be conveyed to the Calton-hill! And should it be thought that this objection could be removed by erecting court-rooms adjoining to the jail, the difficulty of access to the Calton-hill would put this entirely out of the question. In this dilemma, and after maturely reflecting on the subject, it appears to the reporter that there is one, and only one situation, which would answer the purpose, namely, part of the sloping bank on the south side of Prince's-street, betwixt the Mound and Canal-street. On this spot, there will be found all the advantages desirable for the purpose-free air, a south exposure, ample space, admitting of the buildings being extended, if the state of society should hereafter require it, and a ready communication from all necessary quarters. The reporter is, however, aware, that there are objections which will be brought forward to the site thus proposed, but which, on consideration, be conceives will not appear material: and, 1st, The distance of the jail from the courts of law and the office of magistrates. In answer, it will be observed, 1st, That the obvious remedy to the distance from the court of justiciary, is to cause a new justiciary court-room to form part of the buildings to be now erected. The judges in Lardon hold their sittings for trying offences, in court-rooms adjoining the respective prisons, and move from one of those court-rooms to another without inconvenience or complaint; and there can be no doubt, that the court of justiciary of Scotland would cheerfully submit to any trifling inconvenience, in occasionally moving to a courtroom at some distance from where the civil courts are held, when an object of real public importance is thereby to be secured. 2d, The office of the sheriff will be naturally erected contiguous to the proposed jail, a sum being provided for by the act of parliament for this purpose. Sd, The court of the magistrates will have communication directly across to their present office, and neither the distance nor exposure will be so great as if the jail was to be placed behind the Parliament-house, as hitherto proposed. But a more formidable objection will be founded on this supposition, that the proposed building will be injurious to the appearance of the New Town, and particularly to proprietors of houses in its vicinity. Were a jail the only building to be erected, certainly this objection would be be of great force. It will, however, be observed, that the county of Edinburgh have agreed to assess themselves in nearly ten thousand pounds sterling, for the erection of county court-rooms; and if this building should be extended so as to comprehend a court of justiciary, it is obvious that the part of the edifice next adjoining to Prince's-street, will form no part of the jail, but will consist of a public building, admitting of an elevation, calculated to ornament, instead of injuring that part of the city. Such a building would probably be placed opposite to the entry to South St David's street, and if thought desirable, its front might be thrown a considerable way back from the line of the present railing on the south of Prince's-street. No one can have seen the building lately erected at Glasgow for the accommodation of the courts of justice and prison, and still less that at Chester, without being satisfied that such an edifice can be made highly ornamental to the quarter of the town in which it is situated. And with respect to the expence, the £.15,000 sterling which would be thus saved in the purchase of old houses, would infinitely more than make up the difference. This sum, added to the one provided for the county court-rooms, would enable the commissioners to lay out no less than £25,000 sterling on this structure in front, and after all, there would remain a residue equal to the whole, which the commissioners will, according to the present plan, have it in their power to apply towards the erecting of the jail. It is surely un necessary to point out how very elegant a fabric this sum would furnish the means of erecting. With respect, again, to the prison, this would naturally be situated behind the other building, and on a lower level, so as to be in a great mea. sure out of sight. The declivity be twixt Prince's-street, and the surface of the meadow on the south, is upwards of sixty-feet; so that the nature of the ground would perfectly admit of this arrangement, and at the same time allow of the area for the jail being raised sufficiently high, tỏ be free from any effects of the wet ground on the south. The draining of this ground would besides form part of the plan, and by this measure a very important benefit would be conferred on, the whole inhabitants, and on the occupiers of Prince's-street in particular. In the respect now no ticed, the nature of the ground would give a decided advantage over the Glasgow building, where, from the flatness of the surface, the view of the prison part could not be excluded: and supposing this part of the proposed edifice to consist of neat detached buildings, similar to some of the English prisons, the appearance would be no ways offensive, even when seen from the Mound, or in any other direction. In surrounding the airing ground, there could be no necessity for any high wall towards Prince's-street; the declivity of the ground is such, that the wall could be made sufficient for the purposes of security from within, without raising it to any objectionable height in that direction; and with respect to the place of execution, the present practice of executing criminals in the centre of the city ought to be adhered to. The mode of execution at the door of the jail, now so generally adopted, may be deemed in some measure merciful to the criminal, and convenient. to those who are officially bound to attend; but it is by no means so well calculated to make an impression on the minds of the people (the real object of punishment) as when it is accompanied by procession, and other ceremony, previous to the concluding scene. In considering any alleged injury to the houses in the immediate vicinity, it will be kept in view, that this part part of Prince's-street is now in a great measure composed of shops and houses for public accommodation, and these would rather be benefited than hurt, by the additional resort that such an edifice would produce: for with regard to the common entry to the jail, this would be behind, on the lower level, noways connected with the streets on the north; and prisoners brought from jail, either for trial or examination, would be conducted through the centre of the building, without at all appearing in public view. The reporter is not aware of any other material objections to the site thus proposed; but if any such do exist, or if any better adapted situation for the purpose can be pointed out, he is hopeful that this communication will lead to its being suggested. The public voice is already loud in condemning the site hitherto proposed; and if it is to be adhered to, it will be necessary to shew that the subject has been well considered, and that no site more appropriate can be found. -On the other hand, if any alteration is to take place, it seems essential that it should now be determined on, as the whole arrangements as to plans, purchases of houses, &c. must depend on the decision which the commissoners may come to, on the point thus submitted to their consideration, All which is humbly reported by WM. RAE, At a meeting of the commissoners of the new jail, held at Edinburgh, on Monday, November 8, 1813. The above report being read, the meeting were unanimously of opinion, that the site hitherto proposed for the new jail is highly objectionable, and that the proposal contained in the report is well worthy of attention. But before coming to any decision on the subject, they directed the report to be printed, and copies sent to the commissioners; and that a meeting be thereafter held for taking the same into consideration. Observations on the Reply to A. B.': TO THE EDITOR. SIR, a person loses his temper in an argument, and descends into personal reflections, there is generally something wrong in the cause itself which he undertakes to maintain, This observation may certainly, with some justice, be applied to the paper now before us. Your correspondent is pleased to insinuate, that I must be a Hireling of the respectable persons in whose defence I have been so bold as to step forward; as he seems to suppose, that it is impossible any disinterested individual could ever have taken it up. I can, however, with great truth, again assure the Gentleman, that I am not in the employ of the Good Town-have no expectation of it— and that I verily believe the Lord Provost and Magistrates have as little idea who the person is that has volunteered with his pen in their behalf, (however ill qualified, he admits he is, thus to appear in public) as your correspondent himself has. to say, The writer of the Reply is pleased "that the Essay by A. B. "treats of the fitness of employing a "church as a Police Office."-No such such thing, however, is in fact there maintained, or was meant to be said. On the contrary, the author of the Defence believes, that the Magistrates themselves, as well as he, would have been better pleased had the building in which the office is now placed, happened to have been erected for any other purpose than that of religious worship *.-But, Necessity has no Law, and there must have been three things which made them resolve to reoccupy these (otherwise) two useless fore shotts of the kirk for a civil purpose. In the first place, its centrical situation betwixt the new Council-house on the one hand, and the intended New Jail and proposed apartments for the Sheriff in the County Hall, on the other.-2dly, A great saving of expence in the erection of the walls and roof of a new building for this office. And 3dly, and chiefly, To prevent in future the families of any of the citizens from being again annoyed with the unavoidable noise and disturbance inseparable from an institution of this kind, but which could not have been prevented in any other equally eligible situation. This last important reason, stated in "the trash" your correspondent very prudently passes over in silence, and indeed falls into a glaring incon After all, it is thought, that some improvement might still, in the mean time, be made on the external appearance of the east wall of the new Office, but of this perhaps the writer is not a proper judge. He is happy however to say, that besides their agreement respecting the improvement of the Exchange, he cordially unites with his opponent, in the first paper of that Gentleman, in his idea of the erection of a new Gothic front to the cathedral when the funds of the city shall enable the Magistrates to spare the expence, and a Piazza of the same architecture could be added, from the above wall to the east wall of the high church.Within the space of this Piazza, a lower set of windows and portico might be made to that church, and pillars above the arcades on each side of the upper windows, united at the tops by Gothic arches, sistency here. In his former paper, he proposes that the Council should purchase the apartments presently occupied as the hall and library 100m of the Society of Clerks to his Majesty's Signet, so as the Magistrates might still transport to these rooms the office, of the present situation of which he so much complains. But, in his present Essay, he at once joins issue with A. B. as to the propriety of buying the whole of the old tenement in which the Writers' Hall is contained, and of rebuilding it for purposes more suitable to the dignity of the Royal Exchange of the metropolis than a Police-Office. Having done this, howeyer, he has completely forgot to point out to the Magistrates where he would, in such case, have them to place that important institution! The illustration of the College of Surgeons trying to convert Lady Yester's church into an operation room, is far fetched indeed, and, with great deference, the cases are quite dissimilar. Besides, it may be asked of your correspondent, Are there any useless aisles attached to this new place of worship, which the medical practitioner could occupy apart from the church itself? Unfortunately for this Gentleman, he does not seem aware to what consequences his premises will lead.-His libel will in fact be found to apply, not only to the Magistrates of Edinburgh, but to those of the other Royal Burghs throughout the kingdom, in as much as these latter Gentlemen lend a hand, as well as the former, to |
