The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-28 00:00:00

inquiry, complaint, end report of persons interested, or
whether it was introduced upon the authority of the govern-
ment. It was a dangerous thing to multiply new measures.
TI is one did away with many existing customs, and he
should be glad to have his doubts satisfied with regard to it.
Zdr.BAINES said that he who bad charge of this bill, had
brought it in on his own observation and expel ienoe of up-
wards of 20 year,. (Hear, hear) He had consulted many
gentlemen with regard to it, and believed he might say that
it met with the unanimous concurrence of all who were Nat

qualified to give an opinion upon the marten to which it re-
ferred.

Sir J. PAKINGTON expressed his approval of the bill.
Mr. HUME said he was perfectly satisfied with the ex-
placation which had been given, and thanked the bon. and
learned gentleman for the trouble he lied taken in intro-
ducing it.
fee clause was then agreed to, as was clause 5.
Clause 6 was struck out, as was also clause 16.
The remaining clauses were then agreed to with verbal
alterations; and the following additional clauses were
brought up and added to the bill :
And be it enacted, that none of the provisions hereinbefore con-
tained relating to notices of appeal shall be construed to affect or alter
the law us to notice of appeal against a summary conviction, or
against an order of temoval, or against an order under s.ry statute
relating to ppaauper lunatics, or against an order in bastardy, or against
any pproceeding under, or by virtue of, any of the statutes relating to
her Majesty's revenue of excise or customs, w.mrs,taxes, or Posts
office ; but the law with regard to notices of all such appeals shall be
deemed and taken to be the Name as if the mitigate hareiabeforc
contained had not been enacted.
Arid be it enacted, pat no recognisance entered into pursuant to
any statute or statutes for the prosecution and snot of fine appeal
shall be deemed to be forfeited by such agreement as aforesaid for the
statement of a special cone without previously going to the Court of
General or Quarter Sessions, or by any submission to arbitration
under the provisions of this act.
And whereas by an act passed in the third year of the reign of King
George IV., intituled " An act for the more speedy return and levy-
ing of fines, penalties, and forfeitures, and reorginsanees tstreated,"
ptovision is made for authorising the 'evying and recovery of tines,
Wens, amerriaments, and forfeited reeoenisances, set, Imposed. lost,
or forfeited, by or before any justice or justices of the peace in Eng-
land : and whereas it is expedient that the subsequent proceedings in
much =lves 14101.111 i be uniform, be it enacted that the prow ding. snit-
& fluent to such authority given for so levying and recovering as
aforesaid, shall and may be the same fn all respects in the esse of such
fines, issues, and amerciaments, as are by the said act provided, per-
mitted, and required, in the cm of such forfeited recogniminces.
The house then resumed.
PROTECTION OF WOMEN BILL.

Several petition having been presented,
Mr. SPOONER rose to move the second reading of the
bill, pre miring that as he had receivrd no intimation of any
opposition to it, he should content himself with a very brief
outline of the measure. The preamble of the bill stated that
the treffic in the prostitution of women was carried on to a
very enormous extent, and it simply provided that any per-
son, on conviction of having, in shy way, caused carnal con-
nexion between man ard woman for the sake of lucre, should
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and be liable to impr:-
aotaitent nut exceeding two years. This woe the simple prin-
ciple of the bill; and be should now wait to hear any obj.c-
tion there might be against it.
Mr. ANSTEY opposed the second reading. It was one-
sided in its operation. It did no• at ell provide spinet the
crime of reduction, which was, in point of fact, thy great
evil.
Mr. HUME inquired whether the House of Lords bad re-
ceived any new information which bad led to the in-
troduction of this bill; for surely, if not, it would
not be desirable to bring in a new bill to meet
that for which the common law already provided.
He wished to know whether the promoters of this bill had
taken the trouble to conbult the proctors and leedirg men of
the uniensities. The ur,iversitirs were places in which all
clergymen were educated ; they ought to afford an t xample
by which other tenons might be guided. He should cer-
tainly vote with the hon. member for Youghal if it shou!d
appear that the parties, knowing the opinion of this house in
former years, had not taken precautions to eac.rtain the ex-
tent of the evil.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL hoped the hon. member
for North Warwickshire would not deviate from the strict
question by replying to the inquiry. He agreed in the pro-
priety of considering a well digested p:an for the suppression
..f prostitution, but to thought that this hill, instead of being
for the protemion of women, relaxed the present law, end
was in favour of free trade. As he understood the law now
it was this., that if aLy two potions conspired, or one prey
employed another for the purposes mentioned in this hill it was
an indiouble cfferce ; and it they sclicitt d by false pretences,
although untie tes.fullv, it was still an (4U-flee, aod they
might he punished by fine cr imprisonment or both ; but by
this bia the fine was taken away, and the punishment was
limited to imprisonmcnt only. He doubted whether they
ought to afford to parties the means of extorting money by
making false chews of this description. He scoMd stop
this hfitce.pathic dose for a great evil, rani vote against
the bill.

Mr. SPOONER said that the object of the bi I was not to
meddle with persons iu a state of prostitution, but to prevent
the trade in prseuring. He had the authorily of Mr. Diron
Parke fur saying that the ac: 3 Otero IV. eil no: i.ppl7
in cases where c-.uncut was (given. He had heard it stateo,
on good authority, that the two daughters of a toble baron
had been sent to Pars fur their education ; that on their
return, the vessel having met with sane accident, they were
detained at the seaside, where they made the aegusintmee
of a lady of genteel uppetrenee, with whom tie y departed,
and from that day to this the two girls had never been
heard or.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL observed that the 9th
Geo. 111. cap. 31, si o. 21, enacted that any pasen who
should, by force or fraud, take away a child from its parents,
should be guilty of felony.
Mr. ELLIS thanked the bon. member for Warwickshire
for bringing in this bill, and hoped the house wend allow it
to go into committee to correct any defects.
Mr. LAW said that es the bill at present steed, it certainly
was a most imperfect attempt at legislation; but he thought
it wee capable of being improved, and he trusted the house
would give it every attention for that purpose.
Mr. NEIVDEGATE raid that he had many petitiens
from a numerous body of the clergy, in reference to this bill,
mei trusted that no detects in tne hill would preclude the
Louse from acceding to the principle.
Sir G. GREY did not think that anything that had
passed in the house ought to be taken as an indica-
tion of the opinion of the house, that the enor-
mity of the offence was nut fully appreciated. The hon.
member for Warwickshire bad made an appeal to him, and
Lad said that he had formerly given viduible assistance in
support of • bin of this kind; he Beni el that it was a
bill of this kind ; it W 414 a biil which he thought
really adapted to meet the evil ; the bill was r jetted in the
other i.Ol/113 of parliament, and they had sent down this bill
which was confessedly periectly inefficient. The hon. mem-
ber for Warwickehire had said that the bill was recommended
by a high legal authority. He suspected that the au-
thority must have taken the bill out of the hands of the right
v. prelate, and induced him to assent to alterations
which must reader it entirely nugatory. They might be
suppueed to assent to the proposition that some alteration of
the law was shakable, but they would stul:ify themeless by
giving support to a species of legislation which would only
degrade and bring legielatieu into contempt. If the hon.
member eculd promise that ho could propose amerdmenta
which would make the bill really efficient, he should not op-
pose the second reading.
Mr. SPOONER was willing to give that insurance.
The house divided—
For the amendment
Against it
Mr. M. GIBSON complained of the Attorney General
leaving hon. members in the lurch in not having voted
against the bill, after having mated that in voting against it
gentlemen voted against an imperfect bill.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL stated that he approved
of the principle of the bill, but it was upon technical grounds
that he did not vote at all.
Sir G. GREY said that he did not hold hiniseU responsible
for making amendments in the bill.
Mr. H. BERKELEY said that he was one of those who
voted iu the minority. He certainly made wood the Aet irney-
General as making out a case against the second reading of
I the bill, and therefore he was coneiderably astonished when
he saw his hon. and learned friend make his exit without
voting.
Colonel SALWEY moved the adjournm•nt of the debate
until the hon. member for Warwickshire introduced his
amendments.
Mr. HUME seconded the motion.
The SPEAKER interrupted the hon. member, and, it
being 6 o'clock, ice house adjourned.