MILITARY PRISONS.
Accerding to Colonel Jebb's report for 1853 to the Secretary at War, the number.ei.prisouers had fallen from 4009 in 1848 to 3331 in 1853, or
447 of the entire force. Of these, 1902 were Englishmen, 424 Scotch- men, 1005 Irishmen ; 1937 were Protestants, 468 Presbyterians, 926 Roman Catholics. The offences were—desertion, 1069 cases, out of an average force of 74,476 men ; absence without leave, 830 cases ; drunkenness, 778 eases ; disgraceful conduct, 111 cases ; other crimes, 543 cases. In apportioning punishment, the offenders are divided into three classes, the third class consisting of the most incorrigible. The fret class are subjected to the least degrading labour ; the second are " exer- cised " with 24-pound shot ; the third carry 32-pound shot, and pick oakum while the other classes are at school. Solitary confinement alter- nating with periods of active labour is spoken of as an effective species of punishment.
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