April 1796.

and deliberation but the result was that altho there were
some particulars which in their Opinion deserved to be
reconsidered it was a matter of such magnitude and
Importance as to require the united Consideration of His
Majesty's Justices in Session assembled.

8th. At the Eighth Meeting of this Committee held on
Thursday 31st. March 1796. Michael Gamson< no role > the Task
Master attended and laid before the Committee (as directed)
the several Bills and Demands for Articles Ordered by
him for the use of the House of Correction such as Wool for
spinning working Utensils Etc. amounting to the sum of
£72..2s..8½d which Bills are Ordered to be laid before
his Majesty's Justices of the peace in Session assembled
in Order that the Sum may be Audited and paid: at
this Meeting the said Gamson also laid before the
Committee certain Books and Papers which he called
an Account of work done by the Prisoners in the House
of Correction from December 23d. 1794. to March 21st. 1796.
a Period of Fifteen Months.

The Committee bestowed much time and Labour in
examining the Accounts and enquiring of the Task Master
concerning the same but they found it utterly impossible
to bring him to any satisfactory Account of the produce
of the Prisoners Labour there was but one thing which
Alas was but two evident that their Labour had been
extremely unproductive in general the Task Master was
either utterly unable or altogether unwilling to state in
any way that was intelligible the profit and loss by the
Materials on the one part and by the Labour or the other

This only was the result of a long and painful
Investigation that it is the Opinion of this Committee that
the Office of Task Master< no role > at the New House of Correction
has been of no Advantage to the County sufficient to Justify
the Continuance of such an Officer at an expence of nearly