" iNtertator " September 29, 1849
THE first stone of the great City Prison at Holloway was laid by the Lord Mayor on Wednesday afternoon ; many members of the Court of Aldermen and Common Council, with most of the City officers, taking part in the formal procession, and a numerous general company being present. On the plate inserted over the deposit of coins was a corn. memorative inscription, finishing with these words: " May God preserve' the City of London, and make this place a terror to evildoers.' " The stone having been deposited, with due manipulation of trowel, hanuner and plumb, the Lord Mayor made an excellent speech. He had been invited, he said inter die, to lay the foundation-stone oe perhaps the largest and most expensive building ever undertaken by them. The Corporation of London, desirous to do all in their power to promote the public welfare by adding to the security of life and property, yielded to the wishes of the Govzrnment in undertaking to erect the building. " It is no source of congratulation that there exists a necessity for a prison of more than ordinary dimensions: far otherwise. But it is a source of gratification to be assured that the moment the melancholy necessity had arrived, the City of London entertained too deep a sense of its duty to hesitate as to the adoption of measures calculated to meet the exigency. . I hope and trust that the structure we are now engaged on raising will afford us facilities of improving the prison system, by enabling us to classify, so that the reformation as well as the punishment of criminals may be more satisfactorily carried into effect." The Reverend Mr. Catley, Chaplain to the Lord Mayor, then read a prayer, specially composed for the occasion, in a benevolent and hopeful spirit: it was read with emphasis and heard with deep attention.
Previous page
