Star. — London, England, 1822-02-28 00:00:00

R upwards of ninety witnesses, who gave theni very). information. In fact, they examined all persons within their reach who were engaged in trade or commerce, and whose information might be deemed useftil for any measures that might be adopted on the Report. l —The Right Hon. Gentleman, in conclusion, coin. mended in warm terms the exertions and co-operation of his fellow Commissioners. On the question that the Report do lie on the table,* Sir J. NEWPORT was ready to givi his assent to much of what the Right Han. Gentleman had said ; but with respect to what was understood by the duties commonly called protecting duties, he mould object to the removal of them indiscriminately with out due examination. There were some duties, the continuance ofishich would be of advantage to both countries. He did not rise to make any opposition to the Report ; but he was desirous to.lay claim to the consideration of the question, whether It would not be better to remit those duties gradually. .His object was not to endeavour to prejudge any part of the Report, but to call on the House to give it atten tion, and examine it well, before they would adopt any final measure on it.—The Report was then laid On the table, and ordered to be printed. 'HENRY HUNT. Sir ROBERT WILSON said, that he was re qUired hi 1500 of the 'inhabitants of Greenock, to present to the House a Petition adopted by them, with a view of procuring a mitigation of the punish ment Which Mr. Hunt was then suffering in Lichester Jail. The punishment to which that individual was sentenced being severe enough in itself, was aggra vated by the secret and oppressive arrangements and "rules of the Magistrates, whose conduct towards that individual excited a general feeling of indignation through the country. He knew that the Magistrates Si Somersetshire had entertained feelings of animo sity against Mr. Hunt. There was one Magistrate, however, whom he should except. He was desirous to state that Sir Charles Bamfield, when he came to fill the office of High Sheriff of that county, hi? ' rO, hibited the continuance of those odious and op res tive regulations in regard to Mr. Hunt. The igh Sheriff commanded that be should be treated with ! More propriety, and in the way in which offeaderi . hiskind had been always treated in every prison in the kingdom. He did not fail in doing his duty, and' in iniposing obedience to his directions while he had! the contrail of the jail; but when he went out of othce those regulations were again put in foice by! the Magistrates. It was a :evert sentence on Mr.; Hunt to be condemned to an imprisonment of two years and a half; but it was an aggravation of se verity that he was condemned to that period of im prisonment in a damp, noisome, and pestilential jail; that he was not allowed the use of good and pure water, but obliged to drink water flowing through the sinks and privies; that he was condemned to live in a damp, dark room, where he could enjoy neither the freshness of the air nor the light of the sun; that he was shut up in solitary confinement, de barred of the comforts and servicesof his friends and family. It was most unfortunate for the character of justice and impartiality in this country, that so much severity should be practised against that in dividual, after he had procured an investigation into the abuses which had gone *on for several yettrs, and helped his Majesty s Ministers into that Most important inquiry, which, without his assist ance, would never have been instituted. If his Ma jesty's Ministers, therefore, had any feelings of !jus tice or of humanity, they should have relieved Mr. Hunt long since from the severity of:the punishment to which he had been subjected, or should have re moved him to a place of confinement where he could have had fire communication With his family and friends. He did not Wish to detain the House with many observations at that time '' Mt hid, indeed, a confidesiee isithe eboraiter - of the Right Hon. Gen tle:nine iherhief Sdctetary for the Mime Depart :neat, lad he was inclined to hive that 'that Right Heln.Gentleitinis irtiedd 'give proper attention to the Tinley of the Petitioners.' He would theft move that ihe Petition 'be brad& tip. ' * , . :' Mr.' V/ AARE walk Mations to say a few words on the Mitt of the Petition. He did not wish to ex aftalste linything, aid if the view be taken of ;Wthing *ere: erroneous, ' he 'would submit to or. roctiOnr. As 'far as be understood the case, it was thin* b the regulations established hi Bebe:ter Jail bilis* Misnames (whoa: he did not know and for whose 'character and principles, 'let them 'lse Whit they eight, good or bad, he was not concerned), the individual, Hunt, was • pot on a level with felons— (Plestr;* hair).—:-He understood .thilt among those re gulations was one which prObibited Mr. Hunt from seeing any one, whether en *business or otherwise ) , =leis be went . into the common Main, which 'was the visiting-room for Mims. Mr. Mint objected to ge into that room, Usages be *visa sure he should meet felons there . ; and with thesis be was unwilling to associate, being punished only for a ididetneanifir o r political offence. The only person" whom be wished to see were his Surgeon, his Attorney, and his fatnily, and those - certainly should have access to him. The. mitigation of punishment claimed was al free and unrestricted communization with thine per.' 1101 a in some part of the prison where he would not be subject to the intrusion and company of felons. He (Mr. Warre) had no wish to visit with blame or censure any person, but he was certain that a dis 'uttion should be made in everypriqm between per. , eenvicted of felony, and persons guilty of poli- Mr. DICKINSON Sold, he had always stated, that when be saw the rules in question, he thought they pressed too severely upon Mr. Hunt, arjd had menuoned the circumstance to Mr. Justice Best , who, hov erer, returned the rules Without any altera tion. He ( Mr. Dickinson) feared that as they were now signed by the Judges, they became a part of the law of - the prison, and mild not be altered. Upon this subject, which had undergone sn much discus sion, he had td express his acknowledgments to a WorthY Alderman (Mr. Wood), for a courtesy which 'was to be contrasted with the conduct of the Hon. Member s for Aberdeen. That Hon. Meinber had, the; other evening, without having apprised him (Mr.] Dickinson) of his intention to bring the subject for.' ward, presented a Petition relative to Mr.'Hunt, and bad taken that opportunity of speaking of the l'lller i gistrates of Somersetsbire as if they were the elmia unfeeling of men. He (Mr. Dickinson) did smith& , have in this manner when he had a Petition *pre- I sent personally affecting the Hon. Member himself, but had spoken to him on the subject; though be believed in doing so he had only observed that courtesy which was Considered at due from one . Member to another. Mr. IiUME was surprised at what had fallen fros 1 thittlOn.Gentleman. Was it to be expected that he was to wait until the Hon. Gentleman,. or the Hoe. Barbiet,pir Thoinas Lethbr*ekappeared in their trces,.? -AI ; submitted to the House whether the on. Member had a right to complain of want of con:telt in ; him or any of his Honourable Friends near him? . He ' believed the authority of the Magis trates was not well founded. 'The Hon. Baronet (Sir Tbontai Lethbridge), .th - e • other night, denied that Mr. Hunt was in solitary confinement. He- could satisfy the Hoa. Baronet of the fact. He held in his - hand the'affidavits of two perscms who demanded ac elms to him, and were refused, until an order came . Wdwil &PO the JOdlrs of `the King's Bench, autho risiaga fr .ft Cotisinutticatinu with those perions. He 'held in his hand'an affidavit to that effect, sworn by Mr. Hunt's &Wean ;MO Solicitor. * Besides that af fidavit, he had also the letter of the High Sheriff to Mr.' Hunt, which he would read, to thew the House that he was kept in solitary confinement. The Hon. Member thei read the letter from the High Sheriff, who 'expressed Ids opinion that no one ought to be condemned to 'solitary confinement except by the judgment of law; 'that it was not, he believed, the intention of the'Judges who passed sentence on him that :his confinement should be solitary; but he was sorry to be obliged to inform him, that he could not any longer afford him that free communication which be (Mr. Hunt) so much desired—t Hear, hear). —After that letter, and the affidavit which he held in his hand, he was surprised thit the Hon. Member should still deny that he wa s in solitary confinement. Did the Hon. Membet intend to Maintain that no blame attached to the Magistrates ? If 'be did, he would request of him only to read the Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into that Jail. One paisage in that Report stated that Mr. Hunt was confined to a small, dark, and damp room ; but it was said that thOe on whose authOrity such severity was practised were not objects of blaine I Those were the Magistrates who did all that: fie would refer them to the 19th page of the Report, .which stated that Mr. Hunt and other prisoners were prevented from getting the clean river Water, but were under the necessity of using the water filtered through the common sewers. The • whole of the Report only prOied the grossest and most culpable neglect of the Magistrates. He, wonld call the attention of the House to that part Of the Report which contained an account of a weight of ten pounds of iron being on the wrists of a prisoner, and, if left on a few days longer, would have 01140 h'im. • Let the House look to the Commissioners' Report, and let the evidence given before them be brought forward. It was ihipcks sible the matter could rest where it then was. He was ready to acknOWlesigl that it was of the greatest possible a4vantagii-4n advantage-which no ,other count% in the world possessed—that the Magistrates of ihisi country beatowed their time, and talents, and labimr, Withnut fatsor reward. But wits it be cause their, cut} uCE' was gertsral,ly good and upright, that they were no( to be Oen:tired when they acted wrong? —4ll4UT;ipar.}4.le thought that Report was a good and sou .teni COntirfa(ion — for instituting a criminal prosecution against the*Magistrates- Sit THOMAS LETHBRIDCiE said he was not repa . red, itfier all be had beard, to admit that the Individual wai in 'solitary' confinement. He was ra- ther Mote cinitmedin his opinion that he was not. 'He wished to nvi What the Hon. Member for Aber •deen meant by' solitary; confinement? In his (Sir T. Lethbridge's) opinion, solitary confinement was that 'ln which the prisoner; was interdicted from any com munication with others. That was, in his opinion, 'the Ituelifinition of solitary confinement. Was it because he could not see perions of a certain descrip tion, and could not see them when he chose, that he , • was said to bein . solitary confinement? Petitions were presented to the noise complaining of what he knew not, unless that 'Hunt vhs treated in an extraordinary inannerlfear). It would, however, appear on in. quirt', that he was treated with kindneu. Hunt being in prison in purivance of his sentence, ought to be content with the rules applied to oche! prisoners. If it could be proved that he was subjected to any un due severity, he :would then be prepared to reprobate, N much as any other slan t the condyct of the Mar ititaate. eye on the conduct of . the Magistrates. He bad not the honour of knowing the Magistrates of Somerset shire; but be they who they might, he had no hesi tation in saying their conduct was extremely repre lamsible. Mr. BENNET said, the Hon. Baronet had caught hold of the phrase 4 , solitary confinement." The Hon. Baronet appeared to think that nothing . was solitary confinement but four walls and the receiving of foga l, through a wicket. That, however, was but a degree of solitary confinement ; and if a man were told be milt submit to insult, or remain within his cell, it was not too much to call that also a degree of solitary confinement. He ventured to say that, except in Ichester, there was no prison in England in which a maq confined for a political offence was compelled to associite with felons, and - submit to solitary confine ment. This, however, had been accomplished at Il chester by thetegulations of these Magistrates, con firmed by the order of Mr. Justice Best. He wished for the production of these regulations, in order that it might be seen whether he was borne out in his opi nion that they were the most arbitrary and cruel that ever could be devised by the most arbitrary Magi strate or the most arbitrary Judge. The fact was, that no written rule of the prison had been acted on till the other day. Under all the circumstances, he thought it was the duty of the House to address the Crown to remove these Magistrites from office. They had neglected their duty, and be strongly suspected they bad done so criminally. There was a case re ferred to by the Report, in which it appeared that a poor girl, with her infant in her arms, had been con fined, in a season of severe frost and snow, within a cell in which for two days she was allowed no fire. Her food was nothing but bread, and cold water from a bucket, her milk failed in consequence, and the health of the infant at her breast suffered materially. (Hear). He knew that all comment upon these facts was unnecessary ; he knew that they must strike every feeling man with horror ; yet this he contended had been caused by the negligence of the Magistrates. It was them that be blamed, and not their miserable tool the jailer, or his underling; and if he had the power to discharge them they never should held ma gisterial office again as long as they lived—(Hear). Mr. Alderman WOOD, alluding to the observa tion of the Hon. Member for Somerset (Mr. Dickin son) sold it was a mistake to suppose that the Magi drates had no power to soften the rigour of the rules as they applied to Mr. Hunt. Some of them were the same as the rules adopted for the regulation of Newgate and they applied to the admission of per sons within the walls of the prison to see the prisoner. The Magistrate, had the power of taking him out of the walls without endangering his safe custody. This natation of the rule had been observed at Newgate in several instances where respectable persons had been ordered to be confined there. He could mention the case of a Noble Marquis, and that of a Noble Lord. The rules in question, as they affected Mr. Hunt, had been most capriciously altered by the Ma- Cates, although no charge had ever been made list Mr. Hunt; and it was worthy of remark, that until Mr. Hunt had brought forward his charges, he 'had not . been exposed to his present suffering. Mr. DICKINSON explained.—The Magistrates, tas repeated, had no power to alter the rules. The Member for Durham (Mr. M. A. Taylor) ap peared to think nothing whatever had been done by the Magistrates ; hurdle fact was, that on their first hearing of the abuses of the jail they set on foot an inquiry, and turned away the jailer and the surgeon who were complained of, and whose conduct appeared to have justified the complaints. Mr. LENNARD said the Magistrates bad done no- thing until the abuses in question had been brought under the notice of Parliament. He fully agreed with the Hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Mr. Bennet), that Treat suspicion attached p the conduct of the Ma gistrates for: omerset, and that it would become them endeavour to disprove the charge against them. He could not vouch for the -fact ; but it had been published and not contradicted, that one of the Ma gistrates, on occasion of the late inquiry, had been lieard to say, 41 We must defend our jailer." Yet this 'jailer was a wretch discharged from the hulks, a de frauder of the miserable objects placed within his power, and one altogether as infamous in character as he was brutal in - conduct.—The Petition was read, ordered to lie on the table, and be printed. ILCHESTER JAIL. Mr. Alderman WOOD moved, that the evidence annexed tothe Report of the Committee for inquiring into the state of Ilchester Jail should be printed. Mr. PEEL said,. he thought it was desirable that the evidence to which reference was continually made by the Report, should be in the hands of Members, and he therefore did not object to the motion.—The "notion was then agreed to. • Mr. Alderman WOOD wished to know whether the Right Hon. Gentleman had any objection to the printing of the evidence, taken before the Coroner on the 19th and 20th of January last, in Ilchester Jail ? Mr. PEEL said, there might be a criminal pro ceeding issuing out of this evidence, which would come on for trial at the ensuing Assizes, and he was anxious that the question should not be prejudged.-.. He, however, should not oppose the motion. Mr. Alderman WOOD and Mr. NAL mutually ex plaiiedi and the motion was then - agreed to. • ther their two years' service was performed at ono* or off and on in jobs !--(A laugh).—lf the .vtck were anode up lone how or other, the servant was en itled to his pension. Now, one would think that this was enough in all conscience; but it seemed that all thwe of the first class were to be entitled to one thousatull pounds a-year for life, even though they did not perform the two years' service !—(Hear, The framers of the Bill seemed to have relented, to have thought they were too hard at first, and, there fore, two minutes' service would entitle the pergon in question to his 10001. a year. In fact, he might tress hands for the place and the pension at the same time. This principle of the miner pension —the 64 one ever" ran through the whole ofthe Bill. The second class of persions, was for another set of Offi cers, who had served five years, and was to be eOOOl a year per man. The third was for a like service at the rate of 15001.-a year per man; and the fourth w as f ur service of ten years, and was at the rate of 10001, a year per man. Up tothe year 1817 the King had the Privilege of discovering merit in his servants and of rewarding it; and if he were crippled in his pe cuniary means of rewarding it, he applied to the House for assistance. These old-fashioned practices had now been done away with, and neither the king nor the House would have any further trouble, for merit was regulated by Act of Parliament, and ve ted in certain official stations!—(A laugh).—Hon. Mem bers might laugh, for some of them had very good reason. TO be sure, the King's Sign Manual was ne cessary for the granting of these pensions, but the applicant for the pension" was the constitutional ad viser of the King; the King himself was bound by the charter.' It really wonld have been more manly 'in the corporation to have put their own seal to it and saved his Majesty the trouble of being secretary to his own servants ! The Bill had been in roduced by three Hon. Members, whom he might name ; as he took their names from the Journals. They were Mr. Davies Gilbert, Mr. Bitokes, and Viscount Cas tlereagh—(A laugh, and Hear, hear). The B;l1 itself had been recommended by the Finance Committee: and it was worthy of observation what that Com mittee, on being formed, had been directed to do. They \I ere directed " to inquire into the public eipenditur', and to state the best measures to be adopted for relieving the country from some of its "ourriens"---( Cheers aid laughter). To a super ficial observer the pre-ent Bill might certainly appear a comical way of relieving the country. Three or four of the Committee were them selves to be benefited by this Bill. The corporation say 1" That it is necessary, and is consistent with polity ! and economy to devise this measure." lie would try them upon their own title. The first Act of Parlia ment given in exchange for the Pension Bill, was ait Act to regulate certain offices in the Exchequer. This Act directed the abolition of some, and the regula tion of others, after the expiration of the " existing in terests," that is to say, not a hair of tl.e head of the sinecurist was to be touched, and the Public were to be touched. The Act went on to state, that these offices should, at the expiration of those interests, never be performed by deputy. The patronage was to be transferred to the Treasury, and the fees (Ilan)) were to be paid to the Consolidated Fund. Honour able Members knew very well what was meant by the words " if any." There would be of course none at all—(A laugh). This was a part of the benefit we received in exchange for the 42,0001. a year. The second act was for the abolition of the offices of War den and Chief Justice in Eyre north of Trent and south of Treat. After the expiration of " existing interests," the duties of these offices were to be per formed by the Clerk of Woods and Forests. Now, if their Clerk could perform these duties, what became of the boasted efficiency of the public set vants ? (Hear). The third act was for the abolition of some offices, and the regulation of others, in Ireland ; and this 42,000/. a year was, he supposed, granted upon the principle of compen s ati o n— a p r i n ciple so utterly untenable that, if this measure were to be considered thework of any other persons than Members, he would call the Bill obtaining money under false pretences; a species of Parliamentary swindling! In these of fices, the thing was, as usual, a transfer of patronage to the Treasury, and to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The Crown was robbed, and we were to pay 42,0001. a-year for the robbery. The next Act related to cer tain offices in Scotland, and declared that the Keeper of the Great Seal should not he paid more than 2,0001. a-year ; another of the privileges for which we were to pay 42,0001. a-year—(Hear, hear).--It was tit that the Public should know what they had for their money—(A laugh).—The Act went on to declare, that the duties of these Scotch offices should be per formed in person—what a calamityl—(A laugh And that the salary of each should not exceed 1,0001. a-year—what a hardship !--(LangAter).--The nest Act related to the Board of Trade, which had been professedly abolished before, but which 'was now re vived by an Act of Parliament, beginning thus-" Air Act to amend ' ? Bte.—(A laugh).—And it provided that the duties of the office of Comptroller should be performed in person I The Scotch Mint was also sold up. The Mint of Scotland sold Here wits another bargain for the country No wonder, to ire sure, that we paid 42,0001. a-year for it—(A laugh). —The last Act was for regulating the Exchequer in England and Ireland, and far providing " a more economical execution of the duties of the several offices belonging thereto." The duties were.ag4a , . , . , • . .- . • . • - • . .., - . . • , . . .i $ mo w , •. 5 . . . , .. . 14. . '. - .' f . ~.4 , ,,,,,A . : ~.c ;, ...* ' A- '-‘-- - - 2 s . ' 4411.1 l o kar 4 11 :7 9 ." 1 " the other '• '. • " "111.14 lie . 1 / 1 " 64. ► ee1" - 'lir. CREEV I TY E , P pu U rsu g a i nt ° ti l itritice " , 7019 to c a li .. )'' - ' - He - ~ • , . , ..... 1 , - rngn flies was • .'' • .. - - • ,vouvemi.L. I . w hic h erswere the ' calm.— rh°llll4lllll '. -- 1 . - •• 2 "fill ' s ' • 411.. ... "1.1 H :..„4. ' ► bleir _ h tb: lig he ri : :ver - " : 14r .,: t° . 1 1 , .. 7 i_ aggra rh _ adi.. -li . li" • * .,. ; A t .1 . : -/. '.;,:: • i i : is ,' ` hiCh t:ar h l is l i o ilmid h pals i ' s t d ie t i b e ei a ll y ilthe t7i 7 reas eawr u l nerata lthBl4ll, etell the arneer ierv :l:llA i an ce lbelitA s of et . .. to stalewthat t 1 - - - •*-* that fi%ight have fou , i '7 . in the " ' of the menue in Ireland, They hail . : ibe ~ • , have held high and efficient situations."... . 1 •..4,.., receied laokelpent • 41.1' from many able . , , - , , cfljnfi ~ - was , , ' t ~ : • wn ee• The_ at 1, . . .. issionsso ng r Cr air so fat .... . . * a.„,, t I I cr Act little understood by the Members o f ,;-,..„-„, 6 ,„ 02.0 Iv i lk i --- 2 V 14 - 1 that House, and as little by the people of this CO ws, stanoe intelligin wu lshr it Vantsneeesseorythfeorptuhbesolic to. have and en i o„ n n. , -.. tiy - r w . Jr - ohllf ivm ed to j _sak - A u - 14.ispai a :lien : this_e in t he ri. ....... ......_...„______.... , i.. . 0., ----,----- Iwo. , . - - Ms welison it was Ile gtessly awaits He i sms the great powers with which that Douse Vag ed. rn sn_ _ . •.)__-_, . 4 . , s not in England at the time of -the passing of da l measure, . which he understpd hactonly lately b atik misted them. They had directed• their attention little hole he beid commum wi a • taken care that the brought intoross!tien. the Ki The h tt i le o of oth er Bill it s elf w as siaed 3 1 1 . .lof the into - game - That sort of sevatiry TCSIL net &NNW *Mad Vi m, ' to blame= ress i t 3 n an trie to tw the o co d ut ties ' aris i nt il l a also the duties which aa.d. P rr , t i l l i ng itit i •-• . :M i t I thi k- I =L. gia ! f r e Prismers.' not were laid on since . the Union. They would 'advise - Wan tbe,un. , ~ •r* „, . . ,L • „ -vrzz-s---- Bible to alleviata b. thei elit'tl2-1471"d r stagings. They should of this Jill was;to embody to y dt°heutraithdejurs tit p. 'lab . ' given dash/ mead goodlionar of clesalatessi is politics lt:aal4at iuto a corpormiod i and be would prn t e e d the removal of all countervailing duties, and 01US 4 -- ,Ifah. ger " - I- --. t e4t tio r i tig li e t i t " and lib Pa i e s rl'i a of purified air, to evety-part 01 - 14sPrifon• and wbar - to state /any the profits were divided—(A huigh),, give to Ireland the benefit of the free trade , which ~ ws i th tha_ ut, , eoMent . .. ,..,;,iit , ~. . was promised by the sixth article of the Union.-- .nted su , !No. Jd De.„ L ....... .aY ~ of ever comforts could beeeadered, they should, in ha- The joint stock of the consisted company -rs,yeaanr according to class i From the investigation which he And his brother Coin- ,Elartyr. lb , Rean.--r h isa rer; was ltd minipi,afoid theta.' I:i o !.. i td read the Report of the • ' --..2 ''..2 With his 1 res:11"1--• faided•"alo' nh fo l tcl charter, it w missioners had made, great benefits would result to rat ird •on %eh c tit ak 5 was tax in at c a nnisaA . 4 . :ii i d a -- i both England and Ireland. He expected that it , oa ,_ 93 Ott a late even n s • ~ '.. ~..,1 , 8 . 1 r **7,... • • 441 . 6 doubted 'Fn - end the • . "" - "Member ... rot Aberdeen . innuw-s i Welt 1-1-4 " sense P r: a t e h h e , o s t f p 4 r were .:32vid aci so' . the First Lor a tof se, the Treasury, the three principal Sea- -1 dig. how fat Iheictsrs Magistrates that A s .. ct woOld go in audio. lag would lead to the.removal of those commercial al .ought unctions which were ecivally injurious 4 both coon- rising the to make ?thou • regulations. to be. Intlnded was on d it. ie hilenedmilw the e Howe " ho e : ali o pen " °f sions forlrof ie Boo me a be a Hon. Airetary who at . thh:e it re wa mai e n:i he tw e v hs y ere ear ed s , in the th t the w e:To ne r:l ol a: re . , „i t! - ' tries. While they were in Ireland they hid exainined He Omagh! adists •- netH • , .distraction shaal_d • lle. :awl . _ Yt tirade h e ' peei!irtiaent in his Place, and had a firm reliance on .... ;..i..sr ..;,,.iw uritnesset. who rave them very full tween Convic_tdieloas and political offenders. his vigilance. 7 'HeAnew be Would keep a watchful _ • _ . -- . , . ' min 1