JB/124/026/001

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Panopticon Bill Escape
Objections and
Answers

Observations on a passage or two in the Panopticon Bill, by a
Mr Romilly. friend.

Sect. XI Escape

Art. 6. This is most outrageously severe: and it seems contrary to all principle
of practice Justice to leave it in the power of the prosecutor, that is of any body, to make the punishment
greater or less for the same Crime according to the mode of punishment which he choses
to adopt.

Answer

1. As to the quantum — The true measure of punishment is not the degree of resentment
excited by the offence in the mind of any one
who thinks of it, but the demand for punishment for the purpose
Art. 8 of prevention.

A case can scarcely be conceived in which in this
point of view the demand for punishment can be greater. The
punishment provided for the favouring escape in the instance
of a single Art. 14 prisoner, has not been objected to as outrageously
severe: indeed it is less so than under the law as it stands
at present. But the effect mischief in this case may
be a thousand times as great as in that: since from
an act of real or pretended negligence on the part of a Watchman
of this sort may result the escape of the whole number
of prisoners at once; thence the desolation of the neighbourhood
by all sorts of crimes &c

I say pretended negligence: for if a watchman
or a number of the watchmen were to intend to facilitate
the escape of any the prisoners in general either for the sake of the prisoners in general or
what is more natural to facilitate the escape of the
prisoners in general for the sake of some one or
some small part of prisoners, on whose behalf they had
been bribed by some rich accomplice &c, what could
be a more feasible mode of executing such an intention
than

Identifier: | JB/124/026/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 124.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	124	Main Headings	panopticon
Folio number	026	Info in main headings field	panopticon bill
Image	001	Titles	observations on a passage or two in the panopticon bill, by a friend
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	2
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	d1 / d2
Penner		Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	41715
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