The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-02-02 00:00:00

CONVICTS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH IN
• .NEWGATE.

Mr. BErturrr moved that there should he Lid
before the House, a return of the number of per-
sons, male and female, now under sentence of death
in Newgiite, distinguishing their ages, the dates of
their sentences, and the crimes of which they were
convicted. lle was induced to make this motion in
consiquence of there being at this moment 65 0r66
persons under sentence of death, in the gaol Mines.
tints ; and from his having understood Gam his Ma-
jesiy's 31inisters, "luring the last Sesl4oll, that an
arrangement would he made fur reporting the per-
sons convicted in one Setotiou before the other corn'
meowed. The situation of the unhappy persons to
whom lie alluded tsar truly miserable, and their
treatnieut
fied together in cells nine feet live inches long by
seven feet wide, and in these places they were shut
up sixteen hours out of the funr-asulstwelity. They
were all mixed together nudiscri. Why, the young
with the old, and thus the young had time opportu-
nity of lea r g nothing but the trade of preying
upon their fellow-creatures. He could not help
thinking that the House had a right to expect that
kir Nlaiesty's Ministers would have attended to
their pledge. If there was nut rotoli sufficient in the
gaol fur the ACCO iiiiii Mat of its inmates, apish-
cation should be made to Parliament oil the sub-
ject. He did not want to interfere with what might
le considered the province of the City of London,
but if they did not think proper to I g the anal.
ter formiiil, lie should feel it his duty to Joao. lie
desired to be distinctly undersumal es not meaniiig,
by his present observations, to tort the least reflec-
tion on 31r. Brown, the present gaoler of Newgate,
who, he verily believed, had done wore for the
amelioration of the situation of his initmiers than
had been dour since the Uwe of Mr. Howard,
On the riiiestion being put from the Chair.
Alderman ATILINS said, 11 we+ extremely to be
regretted that the cusidemned cells in the gaol of
Noviciate were only calculated fur the reception of
Lily persons. It never vas setwillAteti that there

The CHANcELLOR of the F.1(01,41311 moved
the Order or the Day for the House resolving into
a Committee of Sni ply.
Mr. *rhizomes rose and said he did not mean to
oppose this motion.
The Calattelti.Loß of the Exestigetst daiired
it ►sight be understood that the object he had now
in view was merely to adopt the usual form of tak-
ing into consideration that part of his Majesty's
Speech which rtferred to the supplies for the year.
It was always customary to refer this subject to a
Committee of Supply the day succeeding that on
which the Speech itself had been taken into con-
bideration. tie had adopted the earliest opportu-
nity of pursuing this coarse. If it were intended
to enter into any discussion, it would perhaps be
fitter to defer the question till Monday.
Mr. Suave said, he merely robe for the purpose
of referring to the circumstance, that in the Speech
to which the Right Hon. Gentleman had alluded
there was not one word said of economy or retrench-
meta ; there was not the same regard even to ap-
pearances that wits observable at the opting of the
preceding Session.—(Hear.)—On the contrary,
it seemed to he the intention of his Majesty's Go.
vernment to raise the income of the country to the
expenses, rather than to reduce the expenses to the
income.—(Hear.)—lt was important, especially as
that period approached when they were toomeet
their constituents, and when they would be called
upon to describe what the state of the country was,
that it should he understood to which class they be-
longed—whether to that class which had assisted in
adding to the intolerable taxation of the people,
and to the lavish expenditure of Ministers, or to
that class which endeavoured to lessen the burdens.
of the people, and to oppose ■ further extension of
eat ravagance.

The tHA NCELLOR or the EICHEOUrft thought.
after the pledge he had given to bring the state of
the finances of the country before the House in a
substenti•l state, that the HUM Gentleman might
have spared his observations. The House would,
Ito doubt, be as much alive to 0......a0tr. .."
as great a regard to the public interests ■tthe pre.
aeut season as at soy former period.
Mr. BROUGHAM could Hot agree with the Right
Hon. Gentleman, that his Hon. Friend's observa-
tions were uncalled for. It wus true that they
were to have a Committee of Finance; but when
they recollected how much they had benefited
from that Committee before, he was not disposed
to place much reliance upon its exertions.—f Hear,
hear.)—lll the Speech which had been delivered
from the Throne, as his lion. Friend had justly
stated, there nos no allusion whatever to retrench-
ment or economy. All they had to do, therefore,
was to avail themselves Of the experience of last
year, when economy and retrenchment were re-
commended by his Majesty ; and comparing ►hat
with the present year, where there was 1111 such re-
commendation, form a conclusion as to what their
expectati might fairly be.—(Hear.)--He
trusted that the House and the country would
keep a watchful eye upon those Gentlemen (his
Allajesty's Minister►), and that they would, by a
attetitious. effort, during the few weeks which )et
remained to them, endeavour to reduce the tow-
lenthle burdens under which the people groaned.

The [louse then resolved into the Col ttttt
E•liinstes fur the current year were !awl hr.
fore the Committee—soul. on the motion of the
CHANCELLOR of the Excnctiuca, it %es resolved,
Thst s Supply he grained to hi. Nligirsty."
The House theta resumed—Report to he received
031 Nlottilsy.

INCOME TAX.

Mr. thournaam wibheti to lir informed, whether

'prat.
ticability.
•
Sir H. PARNELL complained that there lu►d not
been sufficient notice given of the intended visit of
the Commissioners; and hence those who might
have become candidates for the situations pointed
ont by the Bill, bail no opportunity of atie.lding.
lie trusted, however, that iu the future Bill this
complaint would be obviated.

Mr. V. FITZGERALD said it Wall certainly ilig
in-
tention to submit some measurer upon the stihject
at 'no late period of the Session. He would not,
however, in the Bill he meant to introduce, retain
those provisions which, in the former measure,, were
found to be impracticable.

Mr. PEEL slid he did not know, until the month
of December last, that the Chief Commissioner was
to go over to Ireland fur the purpose of ascertshl.i.s
Wilt-thnr • ..tamGcr OT
could he found to act es civil engineers under the
provisions of the Act. He did not consider it OA
immediately connected with his official duties; but
independent of any consideration of that kind, hail
he known early enough that a Commissioner was to
arrive, he should have taken some steps to render
his mission available.

Sir N. PA RN EL L said he did not complain of the
lateness of the time at which the Commissioner

arrived. He felt convinced that if a further tr:.‘i
were made, a Imfficient number of proper CXIIIII.
dates might be found to fill the situation of Ci‘ii
Engineer.
_ _

Mr. C. BuLlsa was couvinced, that if props
inquiry were matte, remotia might be had w stati-
c:rot inns firer to perfortu the duties contemplated
by the R:11. The truth, however, was, that 'ltch
coliditiunt were regaled as they did out think pro.
per to accept of. There was one Kent lemon. nami ii
Eyre, a person of considerable tbilitv in his ww).
wlto preerittrd himself for the office of Civil Esigi-
neer ; but, upon heil g• informed that he mutt con-
fine himself exclusively to the lubourt of that place,
he refuted to accept of it, stating, that he couitl
earn a great drat more by following his piorestivii
as usual. if the count., stirvei ors were to be c• n.
tinned in the next ine..llllre which it WWI meant to
bring forward upon the tufsjeci, he much ftet. t
to 1; Ireland.•
31 itwould nut be very ~ to the gentleun.

The Hal then went through n Committee the
Report wit% brought the BM way ordered
to be rend the this.l time ass 31unthey nett.
Adjourned till 31onday,

Ii

........., , ..,. - -
..--...• . .
i• ." -- '
N )
I)ii Wil'"Ilil
i
! 4
e, •
1
' L
PRICE SEVEN-PENCE.
. .•
.:.ai
...... . :
..;
.' any steps had b eu for destroying all remains
of a tax which ha en justly odious to thereuple.
and which had been abultslie.l through the eiter-
lions of the House and of the country at large—he
meant the Property Tax ? .
The ClitwctiLLoa of the Exotrgtma was not
prepared to Queerer the question in detail: he would
inquire more particularly, and give au answer ou
Monday.
SUSPENSION OF THE HABEAS CORPUS ACT.
Mr. BENNETT presented a Penn's . from Mr. I r"
Denbo'', a person who was apprehended under the ,
liespension of the Blithers Corpus Act, and confined
fur eight mouths in Coldbath-Relds Prison, pray-
ing for such redre.s as the House in its sti.thilit
could grant him. 'flie Hon. Gent lematistatert the
sobotasiee of the Petition, observing, that the Peti-
tioner was ifille of those persona who had been
dragged, without guilt, and thrust into a prison by 1
his Majesty's Ministers. He said without guilt. • .
because he took it fur granted, from the experience
. 1
they had of those gentlemen** mercy. that if lie •
were guilty he would have been brought so trial.—
.When this person was examined before L•nd Sid.
mouth, that Noble Lord promised that be should
have a fair trial ; that he should bare Counsel i .
assigned him, and be furnished with a copy of I,
the indictment against him, and a Gat of wit. ; 1
nesaes. This pledge had, however, never been
.-.' .
redeemed ; and he. ulong with others. a thing au-
precedeuted, he believed, in an English Court of J us.
tice, were uow found entreating to be tried for hit ii
treason, the crime with which they were etargn. 1
Whale in prison the letters of his wife were sup.
pressed, and, in fact, every species of oppressitme
was heaped upon him. His poverty was such Host
he was uuder the necessity of asking fur clothes I f
his gaoler, who insulted him by °Wrens* him the
clothes apportioned to felons. The Petitioner was
one of those who had refused to enter into recov,-
nizance on the Ist of January, and who was dies 4 i
charged on the 20th of the same month, without . ,
recognizance. If it were just to call 'be his recog Cs. -iii
nizance on the Ist, it was equally just to make the
same demand on the 20th. The demand, however, ~ P
1 '
was not made, and hence he inferred au admission ' r., :
of its injustice.
The Petition was then brought up, read, and or. 1., .
•••.,.
dered to lie on the table. • 10. • ' '
, %4V; ,
IRISH GRAND JURY PRESENTMENTS. -t..4.
;•••• e.--*- ve ' I
Mr. V. FITZGERALD moved the Order of the •••-` ;Ai.,
Day for the House resolving itself into a Cathain-:•
.. :44{, . , !
tee on the Bill for Surpeodiug the Irish Grand Jiseto: ...-'.11,'
Presentment Bill. ~ I • .1--(.- • • • -.,•'..-'l.
Mr. Couirrauxt- expressed .a - hope•••tliat ilia*. •:` '.--' : ''' 1 .
was no intention on the pert of the Right Raise: .•. ' .. • •
Gentleman to abandon all further attempts with re. .7.; 11 ,
spell to this Bill.
• .
Mr. V. FITZGERALD intimated his intention to
•
submit another measure of the like nature to the
House. during the present Session, but not of vo
extended a description. ~.
Mr. ABERCROMBY looped that the Bill would •
be introduced sufficiently early to pass during the
present Session. He also referred to the Civil En- •
gineers' Report, and objected to the concliision
drawn on that document us to the utter impracti-
,;cability of carrying the provisions of the Act into
sgecution. He thought that this Repoli went ass
ettraordinary length.
Mr. PURL said, that the feeling of the Commis. • ,
sioners was in favour of the measure ; but that they
found so much difficulty in effecting its objert,
that they had come to the couclusion of its impraca
1;.-,isaie., 1