Voor ons is het de vraag, of kerkelijke diensten en sacramenten, veel
hadden kunnen bijdragen aan zedelijke verheffing. Wij zagen bij Thomas
Culver het weren van nieuwe gegadigden voor de 'charities' uit de Poor Side.
Wij zagen ook hoe gemakkelijk het was drank te krijgen. Het profijt, dat
gevangenisdirecteuren en gevangenispersoneel trokken van de verteringen
van de gevangenen, was uiteraard al niet bevorderlijk voor matiging. De
chummage was geknoei. Dat iemand met geld kon ontsnappen, terwijl
directeur en personeel 'niets wisten', tekent de situatie. Mr.Jones van King's
Bench durfde het Comité te vertellen, dat er wel op tien plaatsen in die
gevangenis drank werd verkocht. Er was een plaats, vertelde een gevangene
aan het comité, waar men 's-avonds bijeenkwam om te drinken; hij zelf was
'disturbed by the riotous intoxication in his vicinity' en vanwege de reuk van gin
was die plaats gemakkelijk te ontdekken.
Job Trotter (The Pickwick Papers) laat Mr.Pickwick een 'whistling-shop' zien,
waar men gin kon kopen:
"Would you like to see a whistling-shop, sir?" inquired Job Trotter.
"What do you mean?" was Mr. Pickwick's counter inquiry.
"A vistlinshop, sir," interposed Mr. Welter.
"What is that, Sam? A bird-fancier's?" inquired Mr. Pickwick.
"Bless your heart, no, sir," replied Job; "a whistling-shop, sir, is where they
sell spirits." Mr. Job Trotter briefly explained here that all persons being
prohibited under heavy penalties from conveying spirits into debtors'
prisons, and such commodities being highly prized by the ladies and
gentlemen confined therein, it had occurred to some speculative
turnkey to connive, for certain lucrative considerations, at two or three
prisoners retailing the favourite article of gin, for their own profit and
advantage.
"This plan you see, sir, has been gradually introduced into all the prisons
for debt," said Mr. Trotter.
"And it has this wery great advantage," said Sam, "that the turnkeys
takes wery good care to seize hold o'ev'rybody but them as pays 'em, that
attempts the willainy, and ven it gets in the papers they'ra applauded for
their wigilance; so it cuts two ways - frightens other people from the trade,
and elewates their own characters."
"Exactly so, Mr. Weller," observed Job.
"Well, but are these rooms never searched, to ascertain whether any
spirits are concealed in them?" said Mr. Pickwick.
"Cert'nly tshey are, sir," replied Sam; "but the turkeys knows beforehand,
and gives the word to the wistlers, and you may whistle for it ven you go to
look."
By this time, Job had tapped at a door, which was opened by a
gentleman with an uncombed head, who bolted it after them, when they
walked in, and grinned; upon which Job grinned, and Sam also; whereupon
Mr. Pickwick, thinking it might be expected of him, kept on smiling to the end
of the interview.
