The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-03-14 00:00:00

EDINBURGH POI.ICE BILL

Mr. ABERCRUM RY presented a Petition from the City
of Edinburgh and its surrounding districts, praying. that the
Edinburgh Police Bill might not pars into a Isw ; and in
doing no he wished to correct a mistsirment which had gone
abroad, respecting an observation which had fallen from him
us a former evening. He was represented to have said, that
an application (or redress had been made to the Lord Pro-
vost, nud that the Petitioners were treated with indignity sod
Instill. He wished to take that oceasius of sieving that he
made use of that expression.
After a few words horn Mr. DUNDAS, the Petition was
ordered to be referred to the Committee on the said Rill.
CRIMINAL LAW.

Mr. LAMBTON presented a Peed ion from erriain Free.
bolders in the County of York, praying • 'minim of Hui
Criminal Laws.—Ordered to lie on the table.
HENRY HUNT.

Sir R. WILsoN presented a Petition from a per-
son of the name of Joesph Healy, iu Lancashire,
praying some mitigation of the sentence of Henry
Hunt. The Petitioner stated one circumstance.
which was important us connected with the ques-
tion so often discutged in that House, namely.
the mode of treatment adopted in Ilchrater gaol.
The Petitioner stated that lie was imprisoned for
one year iu the Cantle of Liaeolp,aud he was there
treated with the humanity which the law contem-
plated, and which conkrred lasting honour upon
the ildagistiates of that town. He had smother Pen-
tion on the same subject, signed by 2,100 Inhabi-
tants of Rochdale, in Lancatbire.

. Mr. BUXTON said, that hawing on a farmer ocea-
siou taken 'spars in discussioos upon the subjert of
Ilchester Goal, he hoped the House.yould escu.e
:him for a few_nionsesiA.ssinte snattn.a. few
observations. In the first instance, then, he beg-

_
gad leave to say, that it appeared to him that at
the charges which had been brought forwurd by the
Worthy Alderman (Wood) had beet, hilly and
clearly substautiated.-4Hear. hear.) A cape had
been made out against the gaoler of Ilchester
of extreme and flagrant cruelty. The Honour.'W.,
oetiilentad then enumerated some of the exancjil,i
of severity mobilised in the Report of the Cotinow-
Stoners. One of the privoners was loaded with irou,,
which weighed on him to heavily that it was hypos-
, aible for him to stand upright. The Ccitionslutou-
eri very properly had the irons placed on the man,
to see the effect they would produce; end they
fogad that, even in that short time, they pi/educed
such indentures as his neck, as that the conting-
ence of them must be considered little short of
buddy torture. The Hoene had no doubt heard of
the one bf the uoforianate woman with her two
children. placed in a damp clerk room, without a
vessel to Ithliak foam bat a large bucket of water.
He considered that one of the most flagrant clove
of tyranny he had ever heard of.--(Hear, hear.)
He considered the conduct of the gaoler Both
as made it the duty of the Government to order
him to be prosecuted. He considered all the allege-
Wont sufficieotly eetablished, and the House end
the country, and all those gentlemen interested
in the management of gaols (and lie, Mr. Buxton.
amongst them), were under great obligations to the
worthy Alderman (Wood) fur hit steady perseve-
rance, in spite of the obstacles which were thrown in
his way by many individuals, and by hone (Mr.
Buxton) •roongst other,. And he hoped the mind
of the worthy Alderman would be freed from any
uneaeitiess lie might feel on account of the state.
ments that had been made last Session. He wish-
ed now to state to the Floose the circumstances in
which he stood. He knew it was the general opi-
nion that, because there was such a discrepancy in
the statement he had given of Ilchester gaol, end
that of the Commissioners, he (Mr. Buxton) must
have been wrong. But he would beg to remind
the House that lie had visited that gaol in 1818;
the Commasioners had inspected it in 1821, and
he was justified, from the very Report of the Com-
missioners, in stating that all these sisal-practices
were carried on to the interim, for the Com-
missioners stated that they had reason to think
these practices had commenced lately. They
further stated, these practices had not coin.
menced in 1817, but that since then the condition
of that gaol was considerably deteriorated. Now
the House would perceive that 1817 was but a
short time previous to the period lie had the honour
of visiting that gaol.—(Hear, hear.)—One word
now with respect to Mr. Hunt. It appeared front
the opinion of the Judges, that they. had selected
Ilchester gaol on account of its superiority;
foe the sentence was, that Mr. Hunt should be
imprisoned thirty months in • wholesome and
well-regulated gaol. So far, however, from
being • well-disciplined gaol. Mr. Hunt suf-
fered great persecutions, which were clearly art
aggravation of the sentence of the law. Out of
600 persons in that gaol. it appeared that 400 Inal
been visited with severe sickiires. They had the
evidence taken on the inquest held in Ilchester
gaol, and it appeared from the verdict of the Jury.
that the deceased came by his death from the sac-
tation of God, but that it it was considerably ac-
celerated by the cold and damp of the prison. It
appeared in evidence, that three was no room for the
deceased to sit in, the floor of which was not cover-
ed with six inches of water ; they had also the
evidence of the surgeon, that the death of the de-
ceased was accelerated by walking in that watet.
Mr. Hunt, then, was in that situation, and it was
quite clear that the Judges vever intended he
should be punished in that manner, and he hoped
the House would take the very strong case of Mr.
Flout into their rerious consideration. He did not
plead for Mr. Hunt from soy private friendship. or
from any approbation of his principles or conduct;
that had nothing to do with the present question.
Be him • good man or the worst man in the em-
pire, he was entitled to justice, which required that
he should suffer no more than the seutence of the
law. It was clear, howevar, that he antlgred that
which was not contained in the sentence.—(Hear )
Sir THOMAS LETHISHIDGIC mid, if Mr. Hunt suf-
fered any aggravation of the sentence of the Court,
that would afford grounds for something like a re-
mission of the sentence. He was glee,, however. he
find, from the Report of the Counniesioners, that
in 1818 there was reneon to believe the practices
lately complained of did Hot exist, which welt ma-
terially to lessen the local responsibility attached to
the management of that gaol. Wherever the Wattle
was due, there let it fall. He ahem), understood
that gaol was conducted in a praiseworthy manner.
However, his Hon. Colleague, who welded niucit
nearer to Ilchester than he did, would be bettor
able to speak on that part ache subject.
Mr. Dicatosoa cif
defended the conduct of dm
Magistrates. It appeared that when the Huts. Gen.
drama (Mr. Buxton) visited that gaol, the inutieg
meat of it was praiseworthy, but the very main.,.
the accusation was brought against the ruder. the
Magistrates gave Mr. Hunt every facility to obtain
evidence, both written and oral, to substantiate the
charges.

Mr. Secretary PzEt. said he was unwilling to
remain silent, although he was reluctant to elticr
into details. In the first place, he considered the
ditcut-ion premature, because 11 motion had been
trude and agreed to, to have the evidence taken at
llcheste► gaol printed, and lo a very few days airy
might expect its production. In any thing he was
shout to ally, he begged distinctly to guard latnrrtt
optima befag supposed to defend any of the prac-
tices stated to have token place. lie bud toot that
Helton with the deepest regret, atuf with that in-
diguation which the treatment the priseii6i had re.
milted was calculated to extite.—(Flear,
It was impossible for any man to read the tsar ttf
the prisoner to whose head the blister bad been
-applied as a punishment, what the/ 'foutitl
,wibusitig that Am which should ntlVrtbelleiptli:l ei-
cept to admicmiter rth►f, and not feel the greateht