The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-27 00:00:00

Sir J. GRAHAM _ _ _
there wee ne more really meritorious -genius amongst the
many distinguished seniors of the noble lord at the head of
the government than the foundation of the prison at Park-
hurst. (lieu. beer.) While he (Sir Jame.) wu ia office,
• number of these boys had been sent to Australia, where he
hoped they would be able to earn an honest livelihood by
their good conduct.
Lord J. RUSSELL said ho had not had sufficient experi-
ence in connexion with the institution to entitle him to
SPISWItt the question of the hon. member for Monter:4i; but
he hop. a •hat, alter what had been said, the hon. gentleman
would he induced to think that the institution was • useful
see- In founding this institution he had gone upon the
principle that the reform lion of old offenders was pot much
to be depended on; the penitence of men of 25 or 30 years
of age often turned out to be a studied system of hypocrisy
and the best behaved convicts when th y left England tre-
quently turned out the worst when they relapsed. But in
boys of 10 or 12 years of age, their bad principles might be
indicated. ( Hear, hear.) Such was the principle on which
this prison bad been founded; and he considered it one
' which the public ought to uphold.
Mr. HUME said he doubted the success of the institution
at first, knowing how apt thieves were to assume a hypo-
, eritical penitence. Still ho had no objection to their being
sent out to the colonies, where a fair field would be open to
their industry. But it was objectionable for these parties to
be transported at the public expense when honest men c ,uld
not he assisted to emigrate.
Mr. V. SMITH said these convicts were only acceptable
in the colonies on account of the discipline to which they had
been subjected at Parkhurst. It wee a doubtful and fearful
question how far this distinction ought to be made between
honest and vicious young men, in favour of the latter ; but
ma the question of economy he thought some reductilin
might be made in the vote for Parkhurst, by calling oa the
parents and parishes of the children, where they could be
found, to defray a portion 01 the net. The expense might
be reduced in another way ; by requiring the colonists, who
were greatly in want of labourers, to defray a portion of the
cost of their conveyance out.
Mr. A. HENRY said there were SOO prisoners at Park-
hunt, and the annual expense was 13,0001., of which ,000
1.
went in establishment Outran ( Hear.) Ile thought it
little better than • means of creating patronage and giving
Wariest.
Sir J. GRAHAM thought the hen. gentleman spoke from
an imperfect acquaintance with the matter. Considering all
the circumstances, the arningement was a most economical

one.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he had been very anxious fur the
reform of juvenile offenders, and had framed the institution
with that view, not out of any desire to increase the govern-
ment patronage. In selecting the governor hie choice had
been entirely guided by the Mum of Captain Woolfurd for
the °dice. The other departments had bee. filled up under
the recommendation of the inspectors of prisons' some of
them by individuals whom he (Lord J. Russell) had never
seen till he met them at l'arkhurst. hear.)
Mr. HENRY repeated that the expense of the es•ablish.
mutt was quite out of proportion to the good it was calcu-
lated to effect.
The vote wu then agreed to, u were the following :
6,0001., fur the Model Prison at Pentonville.
16,00 W., expenses of the prison at Millhank.
4.0001., expenses of the general prison at Perth.
30,0001, fur law expense* in Sue land.
35,0001., for the expenses of criminal prosecutions, and
other law charges in Ireland.
10,0001., expenses of the metropolitan police of Dublin.
30,0001., to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to issue money
for the sulvancement of education in Ireland.
3,0001., for the School of Deign, and for aiding provincial
schools.
30,0001., towards the charge fu consular establishments

abroad.
10,0011, towards payment of the extraordinary disburse-
ments of her Majesty's missions abroad.
10,0001., for superannuation allowances, and compensation
to persons formerly employed in the public service.
011001.,
expenses of non•conforming, seceding, and pro-
testsnt dissenting ministers in Ireland.
Mr. HUME hoped this vote would b t postponed till cer.
lain returns were published, which might assist the house in
making a fair distribution of the money thus granted.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER mid it had
purpose, the practice for many ears to vote 36,1. for this
of which only one fourth was now ask oedoo for.
Atter a few words from Mr. BRIU HT, the vote was
agreed to.
100,0001. for the commissariat department, 10,0001. fur
half-pay pensions and allowances in the commissariat depart-

mrnt.
The house rein= d, and the Chairman reported the reso-
lutions.
Mr. BRIGHT said that when the vote for ecclesiastical
purposes in the colonies came before the house, he would
make a motion on the suect. If they were to pay for the
religion of the colonists, they might se well pay for their
bread and butter. (Laughter.)
QUALIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF
ELECTORS (IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Capt. JONES said he did not mean to object tothe second
reading, but he saw no reason for hurrying it on till certain
returns which had been moved fur, and which would throw
light on the subjeet, had been laid on the table.
Col. CONOLLY said the only objection he entertained to
the bill was as to the amount of qualification.
Mr. HUMS thought the government had taken a step in
the right direction by introducing the bill. His only regret
was that it did not ro tar enough.
Sir R FERGUSON thought that the psor-law valua-
tion should be also introduced in borouvbs. lie hoped the
government would likewise consider the aubject of joint
occupation in counties.
Sir J. YOUNG said that it was most important that the
qualification should be plaved on a cert tin basis. Its amount
might be safely discussed in committee. The shortening of
the durttion of the elections would be a great boon to

Ireland.
Mr. 11. A. HERBERT said the subject of valuation was
so important that it could not be too strongly pressed upon
the consideration of the governmect. The house could not
be aware of the extreme inequalities which existed on this
point in the south of Ireland. Ile would give the home one
extraordinary instance of this in the district with which he
was more particularly acquainted. There was a kind of
scramble between two unions for a particular parish which
had but few paupers, and the boards of guardians of each
onion gave orders to their respective valuators to value the
district. It was 'rattled by one at 2,5001., and by the other
at 1,4.001., making a difference in a small district of 7001.
(Hear, hear.) Great dissatisfaction existed in consequence
of the want of uniformity of valuation. That dissatisfaction
was already considerable where it affected pecuniary inter-
este, and he had no doubt it would be greatly increased
when it extended to political privileges. lie hoped the go-
vernment would give them some assurance that this import-
ant subject would be taken into their consideration.
Sir D. NORREYS thought the bill should be made ap-
plicable to boroughs. The most disgraceful scenes tookplace
in the registration courts from the want of certainty with re.
spent to the valuation. He thought that this uncertainty
should be removed.
FREWEN thought that a franchise, founded on an
41. valuation under the poor law, was toe low, and that the
fixing of polling places ought to he left to the grand jury.
The limitation of the duration of elections to one day would
be a great boon.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE was glad to see that the bill
seemed acceptable to the house. The suggestions of the hon.
member for Kerry, with respect to the valuation, would re-
ceive the consideration of government. The question
whether the borough franchise should be dealt with in the
same way as the county franchise would receive the atten-
tion of government in committee. (Hear, hear.) lie hoped
that the bill would be productive of social as well as political
advantages to Ireland—that it would do away with the con-
flicting swearing respecting valuation which existed at pre-
sent, and induce landlords to grant leases to their tenants.
Mr. R. M. FOX hoped that the government would not
delay the bill, as the conetiteencies of Ireland were decreas-
ing till they became almost ridiculous.
The bill was then read a second time.
BOROUGH ELECTIONS (No, 2) BILL.
On the motion that the house resolve itself into cora-
mittoeon this bill,
Cal. SIBTHORP moved that the bill be committed that
day six months. The hon. ban. who introduced this bill
bad thought fit to include Lincoln amongst the nine
boroughs with respect to which inquiry was to be made. lie
had no far of investigation as far as Lincoln was concerned.
Ile considered thb bill tyrannical, unjust, and unsatisfactory.
The bill gave a most tyrannical power of searching the books
of a gentleman's banker, and even the papers of his solicitor.
Ile could tell the hon. baronet that there was far more
money spent in Hull at one election—he did not say by the
hon. baronet—than was spent in Lincoln from the year 1711
to the present time. (Laughter.) If such a bill as this
was allowed to pass, where were they to stop ? He hoped
the honourable baronet in introducing this bill was not
acting under the advice or direction of the government.
If this bill went through committee, which he should endea-
vour to prevent, he should at another stage try to secure n
better attendance of members than ordinarily could be ob-
tained in that house. If they were to have inquiry at all,
let it he a general inquiry ; don't leave out the Flint die.
trice, Hull, Shrewsbury (laughter), London, Tavistock,
and (said the right hon. member in a shout) Bandon-bridge.
(Renewed laughter.) It was a shuffling, mean, miserable,
pettifogging, dirty, villanout measure, and that was but an
imperfect expression of his feelings.
The question having been put,
Mr. C. PEARSON said his accidental absence from the
house had prevented him from moving the amendment of
which he had given notice. This circumstance placed him
in a sornewhat peculiar position. In his judgment this bill
looked in the right direction, but his objection to it was that
he feared it would not be efficient for the purpose it contem-
plated. Bribery was of all others the crime for which the
penalties were most stringent, but yet the number of the
offences proved and punished bore the smallest pomible pro-
portion to the number of the offences committed. It was •
crime which had increased, was increasing, and he feared
would continue to increase, unless a new law was applied.
Human nature seemed insufficient to bear up against the
temptation. The Reform Bill had been far from curing
the disease. In many cases bribery had been greater
since the passing of that bill than before. (Opposition
cries of Hear, beer.") if they looked into their clue-books,
they would lied Mr Parka, Mr. Coppook, and other

EVENING, MAY 27, 1848. ...
t
ipe in , , Opuses of the prison for Merectile telknaars at
aniit ~ kr, u askad Ilii21,812; 'wini_ile i"Ce
%La learonta r "He Calved t;,
y0„,0..r.. ITA tie': ,so ot itnitt,l7..
_,___ ' ; to
the A Vid, ere they n tali tas ntowers, on
42, to -account of their moral dine ISO and ea:olnd physical
11l and condition.
. f4,e J. ORAH.2II was bound to say that he believed