The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-04-08 00:00:00

t . i

riously pleased to suspend thc rtili4 of the Lord 11'4141. 1
tau female eouvict
31r. Wit.nfikrunct rose to trams.' the motion.
Ile recapituhrted AOMP of the arguments at
'why
last spe..ker. He said, i.e 4:141 not fee 'why
31essiheis. who might not he prep:wed to soy
that female convicts should tint he is future
transported, might not yet vote for the motion 4.f
has Hon. Friend, because a Committee was now sit-
ting up stairs, under whose consideration the state
of the Colony of New South Wales would neces-
sarily cone—that Committee might devise means
by %%Inch the evil attendant ou the system might be
avoided. It was& subject of great importance, and
the (louse, lie hoped, would take every means to cor-
rect evils so enormous as those attendant on the pie-
sent system. What evils, indeed, could lie snore visor-
mous thou the violation of every virtue—the Aim.
donment of every moral principle—the .sliaintlese
and open commission of public prostitution? He
hoped the flouie would agree to the motion. Ile
hoped this fresh cargo of female' would not be per-
mitted to sail. The object of the (louse mast he
to put a stop to vice and misery, and they C4nuld
not, in this instance, more effectually do MO (hats
by voting for the Address.
Mr. R. BATHURST denied Hull it would be Con-
venient or practicable to keep the number of fe-
' male convicts in the country, because, from what,
ever cause, it was clear that the increase of crime
was an great, that even the best constructed gaols
were not able to contain the !prism's'''. There were
three classes of female couviets—the first, between
45 soil 50 years of awe, were 1101 to be transported.
The second class were females who afforded hopes
of reformation: tbey were not to be transported.
The third class, amounting to about ninety women,
the Government of the country, snider all circum-
stances, thought it right to send away. The Right
!lon. Gentleman raid, lie was not prepares! to COW
tradict the statement of the Ilan. Gentlentan (Mr.
Bennett), as to the scene which he dtscribed as
having taken place on board a convict-ship till its
arrival at St. Helena. lis New South Wales, he
said, the isiliabitant, first selected servants from the
female convicts, and the remainder were sent to a
factory at Pahraenatta. Ile admitted that there was
not for these that accomniodation whist was steers.

that, in mat.y instances, instead of n law to alter I,
InIMOII 1111t011'. all that was !Weel,4lry was to re-
move some of the laws that degrade it. Hear.)
There was H 'cork in (mum or publication (we be- I
lieve by a Mr. ('ollins) which presented such a pie- I
tore of the miseries of the ill-fated persons sent out I
to New Smith Wishes, as he believed 110 other colony
ever furnished. 11'roilil the House believe that
part of the crew of the first convict ship sent there If
in the year 1757, float convicts had been
sold as places to the Dry of Tunis ' Thousands
(note perished m the statement since of &mice
and disease ; hut lie did tint inehtion the Ist'er farts
na ,sure of the prcsrot Nlinistry, fur none of
thrift at that time in (Aire..
The questnm on the motion was then put, and
negatived withc.it
lIREACII OF PRIVILEGE.
Mr. TYNNystin begged terve to call the atten- '
lion of the House to a question of a most im-
portant nature, as involving a breach of their pen. I
vileges. Ile had been intrusted with a Petition
f several most respectable Electors of the City
of (bawd, complaining of the critaduct of the
Duke of Marlborough at the late election for that
place, A Petition to the same effect bad been
presented a considerable tune since by an Honour-
able Friend of his IMr. Denman', which had been
construed to be a Petition complaining of an
undue election :and ret inn. and therefore set
aside for the consideration of a Select Committee.
The Petitioners, however, feeling sits great interest
for the opposite Candidate, had been unwilling to
go to the ex prose of prosecuting inquiry in that
way, and neglecting to miter into recoginz mere, it
had fallen to the grossed. The Petition in his hand
' alleged that the Duke of Marlborough had openly
interfered at the last election, by Itiititieff and by
his agents—distributed money in both ways—pro-
posed one of the Candidates himself, and procured,
by such means, his return. If this were brought
tip, he had two more to preseid: eite from revtain
inhabitants of Oxford, staiiirg the cilcuinstances
inure in detad—tlie oilier from the Mayor of the
City, confirming the allegations of the first. It ill
became a ceiv Member like him to press on the
House the strong claims a Petition like that iti his
hand had ou their attention ; at the came tune he

----- .... _ _
sery for them. lie said that many women, how- should take the liberty of obtieriiiig, that no coin-
ever, married at New South Willett, and did not plaint could be brought before them more (lettere-
wish to return. He denied that they had no other mg of full and strict investigation than that of
means of returning but those of prostitution—for the interference of Peers to procure the election of
men, by their earnings for four or five years, might Members to sit in the Commons !louse of Portia-
be able to put together as much us woutil defray the ment. The Petitioners strougly pledges! themselves I
expense of their passage, hut he admitted that to prove the truth of their allegations, and fr heir
women had not the same facilities of eating money. respectability lie fully believed them to lie perfectly
Mr. IV. PARNF.I.L said, that the single fact of well founded. At the same time, he begged leave
160 female convicts being employed at a factory, distinctly to disclaim any of the responsibility at-
of which 120 were sent out every night nithout any tached to such a pledge. It would afford him
means of providing food and lodgiug but prostitu. I the greatest satisfaction to find that the Noble 'milt-
lion, was a sufficient ground for agreeing to the p virtual in question, whose name was intimately con-
motion. sleeted with the military glory of Gieut Britain,
Mr. B. BATHURST said, lie had made no such should be found ionocent of the charge brought
admission as that supposed by the last speaker; on against him—and that lie had not been so uninind.
the contrary, he had expressly stated that the ft- i ful, as the Petition set fend', of what wits due to his
males were possessed of means of emolument by the name amid station. But if the enormity should turn
exercise of industry, beitig allowed every day from out to be the fah, be trusted the House would find
three o'clock to themselves, and one holiday tech means of letting him understand their sense of the
week, he believed Saturday. part he had acted—and vindicating those rights of
Mr. Buzzost begged leave, in confirmation of their ovrit, on the preservation of which, unimpaired
wheel had been alleged by the mover, to state, that and entire, the constitution of Parliament and
one of the witnesses before the Committee on the liberties of the country essentially depended. The
Hon. Member then '
state of Gaols, !mein been asked how many con- moved that the Petition be
victs might support themselves by prostitution, an- brought up.
swered nine omit of ten. ' Mr. B. BaittußST said, that if the allegations of
Mr. GouLtlettti was persitadedb that if leo other the present Petition were entirely the same as those
good resulted front the• prevent motion, it et least of the former one referred tee, the law of the land
would demonstrate the inconvenience of founding afforded no other remedy, as the parties hail re-
motions on, and quoting evidence from, the state- glected to toilette the fit one. If the saute patty
meats of witnesses, whose examination had nut come forward to complain of the seine evil Ilse( hail
yet been concluded. I already been judged proper for the consideration of
Sir 'l'. B. MARTIN did not mean to follow the • Select Committee, the House would not be jos-
Hon. Gentleman who had brought forward the titled in elites seining their Petitithi. To do so
motion through his rambles in New South Wales. would lead to great i"CifilVellieneeS. lie "Pea at
lie could not believe that the state of prostitution least, that wet/ions to Insolent' it up, time would
was half SO bad in that place as in the streets of he given to compare its ullegations with those of
Loudon ; mid, in his opinion, if the Hon. Gentle- the former.
oleo succeeded in his object, the effect would be to Mr. Serjeant Otestniv agreed that it would Le
keep the convicts at home for their whole time, Illid advisable to postpone the debate. He referred to
then turn them adrift on the streets once more. Ile the well.knowri ease of the Bishop of Worcester as
gave every credit to Gentlemen opposite, parti- one in polio, whereto the flouse hail nut only re-
cularly the author of the inotiou, for the humanity solved to present an Address to the Crown, to de.
of their intentione ; but lie feared that its the height prise that individual of the office of Almoner, but
of their zeal, they funned expectutious by far WO also directed the Attorney General to lirosecrite his
sanguine. Indeed, their first step towards realising (we believe) son for being concerned in the trans.
them, would be to bring in an Act of Pa: hament actions complained of. If the Noble person ac-
to alter human nature. chimed in the present Petition were guilty (which he
Mr. CLIVE (as we understood) spoke briefly 'could scarcely biiiig litinself to believe), the House
against the motion, would abandon or ditty to its constituents in
Mr. M ARRY ATT said, that the motion supposed omitting to proceed against him. The lion. Gen-
his Majesty's Ministers incapabte of devising pro- j tlenian their moved us an amendment, e. That the
per regulations for convict ships going out. If such further &kite on the Petition be postponed till
were the fact, the proper course would he for the Tuesday the 27th April."
douse to present aim Address for their removal, or at i Mr. B. BATHURST said, that to whatever extent
least to pot their powers in abeyance till the Com- I the charges of the Petition might be established, the
make up stairs could supply the 'desideratum. As [louse could roily punish the guilty individual—lt
lie could not be brought to adinit the justice of j could lint repan the injury door to itself by petting
such a supposition, lie should oppose the motto's. aside the election of the sitting Member. whose
After akw words from Mr. Cutts, and a Mem- return had, on this supposition, been obtained by
'Ler whose name we could not learn, b unwarrantable means.
Mr. BENNETT rose to reply. Ile said, dist the ship I The question having been put on the amend.
to which lie hail before referred, which had suffered meta—
so moch from the want of water, from prostitution, Mr. %V. Wirt( N said, that the case of the Bishop
and other dreadful evils, had been sent omit under of Worcester was not analogous to tier our bekire
the identical orders which the Lord WelliNgtors the House. Here the question of breach of ',mi-
lted received. He held in his frauds the Minutes lege (lid not arise on the presentation of a Petition,
of Evidence taken before the Committee up stuns but on a complaint made by it Member in his
(on Gaol.) ; and us there was a difference between place, Sir John l'ackingion. lie thought obis caw
his statements and those of the Itight llon. Gen- could not cousistrollv o lilt law rod usage he in.
thanaii (opposite (Mr. Ilattiuno), lie should beg testigeted by the llotise. li laid • 1 I 1 1 la-croons y t Cella 4.
have to read aim extract therefrom, though lie did I flint a itelim,, of iti, a mit. Wittily as the present
not krone whither it was quite regular:— was a proper one for the con-idr ration of a Select
U. Have the female coileieis ally uther wan* of obtain- i commit". as c plainim; of an tin fur election
ire money bat by prostirati )))) ?—A . None that I kituw of.
Q. Do you Houk toast
wouwa
who
wish to „tyro after maul return ; unit when the ',awes had not cla to
I lilt 51{1141316011 ..f their period of tisaisporisliun, have the rival' themselves of the remedy 'milord out by law,
awaits of doing so ?—A. In very few eases. lie did hot think the Hon-e should allow them to
It time rippeartd, cout ttttt ed the nom Gentle. follow this of their UWO adoption. There was
mail, that the matter was precisely as lie had stated i scarcely airy ..charge which would Waite an
i', and that those women who had undergone a re. I electiunb if proved, that might not be look, (1 on us
formetion of character, stud who heed buvbands rind mailer in breech of privilege ; alid, therefore, if' the
children iii this country, to revisit whom they would House cousented to seceivitig this Petition, there
give all they could evrt hope to make, were desti- was not u charge relating to ittatue elections, which
lute of all opportunity of returning. lie did not did not go liefure a Committee through the nego.
lay claim to any particular merit for listening to grove of the portier, that might not be ottani
the story of the uriforturiate awl °ppm-wird, nod Is glut forward before the 14,,115C.
I earring( Itioaacif to allet late their stal'e.iiiimit but, Nlr. TLN NINON rota u few words, which we did
smith such an object in view, he should williugly nut hear.
i submit to whatever sneers Might IA thrown OM by Mr. DENMAN said. it woul.l perhaps he better
Gentletneti opposite—(Hear/—and lit believed to withdraw the umerulthent fur adjournment till