The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-02-19 00:00:00

STATE OF LONDON PRICONS.

- - ---
Alderman %Vous). in rising according to notice,
to move for a Committee nil the State of the Prism a
iu London, said be would not snake use of mans,
arguments to induce the Misuse to tivsent to ti e
inution--they must all see the utdity of it. :to
lloid Aleintscr had already, on foully oceasim,-,
tlevcribed to that [louse the state of the prisun4 ill
the metropolis. There were, undoubtedly,
things requiring alteration, hut not by any inemis
so many abuves as that lloil•
ed. A thing chiefly complained of was gi eat
number of couvicts detained its Newgste. It ivra
fair to state, that the Noble Lord at the lit tit
that depart.. ant had attended most prumistly In
every implication fur the removal of them uu ti e
too great crowding of the gaol, and vemos never
had been neglected when it taus practicable. .11'Oie
repect to the conduct of the solierintencling
Jla-
gistrates, they are not at all afraid of investigat
they wonial be found to have acted with every at-
tention to their duties and the waists of tit& wison.
ers. The country was greatly indebted to the I 100.
Gentleman, who had so much exerted himself on
this subject ; he hail shewn satisfactorily thet the
system required revision ; and had come to the con-
clusion, that nothing s &dual could be dune, by why
of relief, without au addition to the nu,ither iif pri-
sons, or an enlargement of those now existing.
One of the evils in the system sprang films
committing too great it number to one prison—
another evil was the extraordinary nurialser of coo-
virts in Nevrgate : frequently half of the periwig
within its walls were convicts, and, niftier existilig
circumstances and regulations, this was unavoid-
able. fir would state a fact to the flows., that
would impress on every one the necessity of exam..
mtliou and change in the system. Its Febrincy,
1816, 200 convicts were put on boards vessel in tn.-
riser—of there not less than 50 had died on in a d
during the voyage. This great mortality was c.ms-
ed by passing from the most extreme eta., of Ors
cliniate, to the !seats of the places in and ;Moot tt e
Line. New regulations were called for its the !ol-
eo') of Newgite. Magistsates had been cccuseci i
neglect and inhumanity ; they had been neither
negligent nor cruel, but waisted power to at 01111.
plash what tiny wished. The lion. slttnber con-
cluded by moving—
" That a C •ttee be appointed to view the flew
other Prisons of the City of London, and Suntliw.nk,
loupe evidence, and report tbrir observations to the 'louse."

Mr. BENNETT said, he rose not to oppose dot
motion. but in consequence of some observations
with reference to himself, that had fallen f he
lion. Mover. The Ilou. Gentleman had alluil*il
to a publication of his. lie did assert in diet pub-
'mutton, that almost the whole of the abuses re-
sulted from the want of room ; that hence
ceeded the mixture of the young and old, the
ii -
uocent and profligate, the accused cud llie
convicted. But he hail by no matrons said iii that
tract, that there were not other evil., on the con-
trary, lie had exclaimed against a system of winit
of clothing, and in confirmation of that cleiigi,
lie had himself seen hut a few days ago in prison,
a child almost perfectly naked; be had neither
shirt, waistcoat, breeches, shoes, nor stockings,
the only article of dress lie possessed was u coat,
HIM this lie might call iiilaiit, hail been seen by
Magistrates HMI Sheriffs, lie hail also yokel,
against the want of food—their food was most
scanty. The initiallers who had no friend*, and
did not receive supplies of food from them,
were actually iii a state of starvation. Formeilv
white bread had been given, of latc, brown hail
been substituted ; and though the ilium Gentleman
had been a panegyrist of himself and Ins a nod •
jutors, lie inust allow that even this lied hero had,
bail as possible, be intist allow it, for to cui.se-
titmice of this, they have changed their baker. Si.
much had the fears of the Court of A Idelincia
been excited by the attentiou lately given to this
subject, that during Sunday last they loot int-
chattics hard at work in putting the Ncw
into a proper state for visitation. If the Com-
mittee to be alumnae(' lied this prison in a clean,
comfortable condition, and newly
let them consider that they du not *re it in is (riry
day but it: court dress. lie hoped that tins mi.-
tion would cause the prisons and such lonises to be
put lute) a situation male creditable to the metiii-
pulis than that they hail been
Sir W. Cunt ; cr. il that the fat is alluded
to had bee.. pt, es ltd mil u xaggrtattd. As to doe
four pounds of goad meat were allot% td to tudl

I

GAME LAWS.

r-+sorer evert. creek, and fi.mleen out:ea of breed
',tell day. The bread he hurl himself 'felt, and it
i• rich 110 nut• gentleman might wish to live ill
1.4 own Londe. He could pledge himself, that,
lo his knowledge, on alteration whatever W,1,4
WO a hint given in expectation of the
tikes of the new Committee. The prisltitere in
the New Prison had II gist prover to break all
tlie windows of it—the Magistrates hod, therefore.
thought tit to let them suffer the conseqneticts of
their own acts, and refused in repair them till the
wards had been cleared of that (lasi or affelatem
l•I•• Vlll4O estonisherl to hear Gentlemen talk of the
hardships of prisoners, so well fed and taken cure of
met they were in the gaols of London—men who lied
'•ern sent into them for the commission of crime,.
%Vas it that Gentlemen wished such men to live in
luxury I It was not for this they were committed
there, but for punishment.
Mr. BENNtrr replied, that he had seen on Fri-
day last, in the New Prison, and four or five tunes
before, the brearl used • at all these times it was
sosir and heavy. He must repeat, that alterations
hail beets lately made—for. before, the bread used
to he baked in till, but on Friday he was told it was
not to be so its future. Ile hall besides lastly seen
Newgate ; it was then in a state of white-washing
and drawing. Ile knew these things : if the Hon.
Baronet slid his dusty, he would know them too.
11r. W A RRE that he had been one of a
former (7ousinitire fur investigating the state of a
prisms in the Boroughs. The Committee had found
the 'bricklayers. cerp•enters, &c. all in motion to
Treater it habitable, which it was notisefore ; and to
anticipate the visit of the Committee, which, how-
ever, had been too snuck bn the alert. •lle would
state to the native one case on this subject, not
resting on the allegations of a petition, nor the
ipte dirk of any man. but established on incontro-
vertible evidence. It was the ease of John Mullis,
a pri•oiser who died its Tuthill-fields Britlewell.
Oti the inquest it appeared, on the testimony of the
gaoler, that twesity-six persons had beets shut up
with him in the same room—that the room was
only twelve feet by eight (though lie had since
heard it was larger)—The evidence. however, lie
wished to press on the attention of the House re-
lated not to the ditnensions of the room, but to the
state of the food. The surgeon being sworn, de-
posed, that him death was occasioned rather by
want of food 'hail of clothes. From the revert-
cati:in of the man who had charge of him, on the
inquest. it aas recommended that he should be
disclettged. He wished to know whether this re-
comme•udatinn had been carried into effect ? The
Jury had commenced their inquiry at half-past
three, and slid not conclude it till half-past nine.
The verdict they found was---that the deceased
had come to his death by waist of food and medical
attendance. _

....
The get...lion was then pnt drum the Chair, and
the Committee wai appointed with the usual powers.

CLIMBING BOYS.
Lord Nltt.Yos presented a Petition from York
against the further employment of boye in sweeping
cl l ;;; nits. The No'ble Lord then observed, he Wil4
.asfraid Ins Him. Friend (Mr. Bennett) was deceived
if be thought that the practice against which this
Petition was directed could be abolished by one
Act. There were many chimneys that could not be
swept but by a boy. If this were allowed, as it
must, and the House was sincerely anxious to give
ss much relief as was practicable, it would be
fetter to pursue * middle course, and afford en-
couragement to all who used machinery, by impos-
ing a heavy tax on the employing of boys.
Mr. Ilenserr asked, what was the objection
mode to his proposed measure ? that certain chiin-
tiles could not be cleaned by machinery, the chim-
sties of the rich, who could well afford to alter
them, and of the most dangerous description, from
their narrow ilimensious—those by which many
deaths had liven caused in the course of the last year.
`4-epee Rues were made only seven inches square.—
tic had the evidence of the Report for saying that
there was no el6nney but could be altered, and
arlai.U.d to machinery—yet to preserve to the
wealthy the luxury of warminx their houses at the
expense of the poor boys sufferings, was his mea-
sure to be c lensiied.
MILTON .aid he did not object to the prin-
ciple of the mea,nre, but to- this mode of reducing
it to practice, as I.kely to defeat the object of the
mea,iirr. Many Acts passed here are 1101 so easy
to he put lii execution in another place. He had
no wish to support luxury at the expense of suffer-
ing—lie was solely actuated by a wish for real suc-
cess to the measure.

Mr. LYTTELTOX said. that as the Noble Lord
had alluded to the difficulty of executing the Acts
of the Howe. the plan would be to snake the Bill
so I fff ctmd 114 Ilia to be evaded, and without any
tpeahlicis • . As to the tax on estiplopurtat iu
this troy, tie putt lice might for ever be kept up by
persons of efluicity to pay a high price. 1-le wished
the lu ll to pass to its present form, Ind take its
clottice for execution.

The nettle of the Honourable TiIOMAI KNOX
W:IN Alial to the list of the Comuoittee oti the
Ilut ktupt Law'.

Mr. Geo. I)ANKUW the measure he had
to propose, for imposing a penalty on the purchase
of game. was role that had received time approbation
of many Mem In.r* of the 'louse, and he could not
rea-ol‘alile obit (lion to it. Ti.e facilily of
disposttig t (gain*. at present; It'd to rnany intlawltal
set+t. Ity.aso Act of Anne, and to stobstquent one,
on potato', qualified Or unqualified, were afloat('
Aogell-g.tiose; not ml ehuse in a later one gives the
iiiwrty or porchopiog, lost out of selling. This was
out fair.; Ins Bill was Mr4iit inn lila) er null seller
4.11 th s e toic footieg. Ills object ow., that all per-
song, quotienml or titiqualified, slooul.l he rendered
li .ble to rambles fur purchasing. The Ilan. Gen-
tleman throe •ed fur leave to Immo; its to Bill for
the better pirvtlllloo of offences against the Game
1..w0, and the unlawful deotructioto and purclune
of game.
dlr. C IJ %if F. N. thought that this Bill was quite
. indtlrynate iAI the evils of the Game Laws. Game
might hr anode private property to a certain extent.
11,. ass Gentlemen vll°lllll hove every in-
,immetturmit to rtside on their watts, and all meatis
.r Horn game. Hut lie litany& II gist
otilil•log superior in utility and effect to rigorous
on. a. 71*I1ia bast Isms, exemplified itt the full toeticy
al &peed:sums* on turnip and similar productions,

vv:,;;., tile laws were severe, and in thc cessation or
sin,. on the introduction of a milder system. Ile
wished the Hon. Geutlemait would go to the rout
of the evil, and afer some remedy or alleviation
for the no 'nitrous oppressions of the Game Laws.
Toe present Bill would puoivli the poor, soil
would not deter the rich. if the Lord Mayor
of Loude] wanted game for a grand dinner, he
would not he frightened by the penalty fi pro-
curing it. lie looped the Hon. Gentleman would
at once bring iu a Bill to remove the whole fabric—
it was most severe in its operations, and so unwise
in its enactments as to lead to the repented ttin-
mimion of crime.
Mr. Wittft;•: observed, that in the circumstances
of the country, nothing would prevent the sale of
game. Twi years ago the Hum. Mover had curried
a Bill through the House, Many parts of which
were so severe, as to be given up in the'follossing
Session. He looked on this Measure as useless.
Its aim ought to be to rectify the system of the
Game Laws—u Committee had sat on them last
Session, without any practical good whatever. The
reason lie had troubled the House at present wits
principally to read to it the opinion of Blackstone •
mo the subject. That eminent writer retniirks, that
though the odious system of the Forest Laws had
been almost forgotten, yet from this old stock•had
spring a bustard slip, justly the abhorrenex'of the
people of Englund. The only difference. between
the two was, that whereas,the former had only set
up one mighty hunter throughout the laud, the
bitter hail established a petty Nimrod. on every
little manor. Asithe existing laws spewed how im-
possible it was to prevent the sale of game, lie aid
not see why stronger effects should be anticipated
from the present measure.
Mr. N ILES, im explaining, said, that 'there
was a difference made between the unlawful hours
defined by this Lill moil his last, to which allnsion
had been made. To the task of rerunning the Game
Laws he felt quite inatlequite—lie merely desired
to revolve thesis a little better.

Sir CHARLES BURRELL said, it was most unjust
to punish the 'amber foi selling, and nut the rich
man for purchasing; no material alteration could
be made in the Game LIMP without a violation
of private property. ll' monied gentlemen wished
to have game, let them purchase land ; but this
they were unwilling to do, as land brought only a
prntit of 21 per cent. Every cueluew much more
was derived from money..

Mr. WARM; 0166i:rd.
The question was then put, when On a division
thr re alopeared—
For the Motion
Against it

Majority iu favour of illy Notion 311
NORTHERN CIRCUIT.

Mr. M. A. l'A Y LOR moved—

" That a Committee be appointed to take into their eon.
mideratioa whether any and what steps should he taken by
the Legislature, in order to give to the mionties of Durham,
Northuniberlaik Westmoreland, Cumberland, and Mermen
and Cointy of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the same pririteges of
Whiny, Assizes twice in eirli year, as the other counties of
Enelai7d and Walea already enjoyed r
Which motion was agreed to, and a Committee
uot ;; i;; ated for the purpose of examining the same,
and reporting thereon to the 1-I.luse.
Cl.l 31 BING BOYS.
On the motion of Mr. BENNETT, the Chimney-
sweepers or Climbing Boys Bill was re-committed,
sons verbal amendments agreed to, and the Report
ordered to be received to-morrow.

LOTTERIES.
Mr. LYTTELTON withdrew his notice of motion,
given yesterday, relative to the evils arising'out of
the State Lotteries, but ►huuld take an opportunity
of alluding to the subject at the first couvehient
time.
ELECTION LAWS AMENDMENT BILL.
Mr. W. Wv ms moved, that the Report of the
Committee on the Eke Laws Amendment
Bill be taken into fusilier consideration, which
was agreed to.
Mr. WYNN proposed some verbal amendments,
winch were agreed to. lie defended the clause in
the Bill limiting the duration of the poll to two
successive days, unless the candidates polled 400
votes within that splice of time, uud appealed to the
experience of the Muse, in how many cases a simi-
lar clause would have prevented the disgraceful and
pernicious dilatory iiroceedings which had taken
place in former, and particularly the last General
Election.

Mr. BENN.LTT considered that as in the polling
of votes many 'questions of au intricate mature arose
as to points of practice at elect' a, or the right. or
privileges of electors, it was usireasonible to expect
the Returning Officer should lie able to adjust all
these matters of nice and difficult arrangement,
while 200 persons were polled each day. As to the
proposed amendments of the Lax of Election,
respecting residence, payment of lot and scot, land
tax, assessment on freemen, he considered them
generally desirable.
51r. puimed neat to the last speaker that
no inconvenient delay could arise in the manner
lie had anticipated, because 'mother part of the
Bill pito idiot shat those cases wherein the right of
electors was th.poteil, should be brought before
the Returning Officer for determinati 0000 , whilst the
terroptedly proceeded in booths apart
from that of the Returning Officer.
alr. LtmisE saw comideruhle inconvenience, if
not isupriretiemlnlity. in the disuse requiring certain
hers to be polled on certain dor. Mr the 3d
day, this tlaase 'flatted that .101► votes should be
polled to tinnily the Itetiorrimg Officer to keep the
poll (pen. Now iii fact it is well known that the
Alember iiliiiiintely chosen was not nisfrequently
left far behind the other as to Humber or votes poll..
eel in the lirst days of keeping the poll open, and
that, on souse days orati election strongly contested,
before its conclusion there were scarcely enough
polled to keep the poll alive, according to th” law,
as at now stood in this respect. Ile felt the Rouse

would ill discharge its duly it it !tenanted the we-
lsent Bill to pa.s to tln.4 hurried way through the
I lotisc, and suggested the in priety or letting these
lalleged imprinrutruls lie ov, r for the coisaiderution
of nvoither alihotigh some of its clauses
might wove higlily !mullein's
S:r Wu. Butittmutis--Where there were many
non-i.esotent videos, the re.•olistiolot lot to the
Iter of %alerts to be polled each day might effect Chit
tto4franehi4riarat of all, or the greater (met of such
vote's : fur if nut brought up the first day, et au

, s, 1.

ennrtunns and perhaps unnecessary expense In the
Candidate, there might perhaps he no opportunity
to bring them sip aNl►rded, the poll closing after
the first or second day, for want of polling '2OO
voters each dry. 'rile chu.se empowering the Re-
turning Officer. in case of riot or diaurbanee, to
suspend the poll, lie feared would only tend to en-
courage in the disappointed n spirit and tendency
to riot, ►tad vest too much power in the Returning
Officer.

Mr. NVILBERFORCZ —The clause did not re-
quire either candidate to poll 400 votes, it was
sufficient 400 voles were polled in the Iwo first clays,
which it was extrumely natural to expect would al-
ways be the rase. The voters in reserve- would thus
have time given to come forward and decide the
election.
Lord M t LTON defended the conduct of the Com-
mittee which had prepared the Bill, to the provi-
sions of which they had been scrupulously atten-
tive. •

Mr. MARIWATT recommended, as the country
was supposed to be on the eve of a general election,
that tl►e clause now under discussion should be post-
poned.
Mr. JOHN SMITH reprobated the clause, as it
vested unconstitutional powers in the Returning
Officer, who would be thus empowered to do almost
whatever he pleased with the election.
Mr. WeNN—Separate booths were provided by
a clause of this Act, for the convenience of pulling
maul votes at once, e►►d also for the determination
by the Returning Officer of such votes us were
coutested. The House hail already deteri ii iii ed it
was high time to put an end to the pr.ctlee of
keeping open a poll at immense expense, and with
great inconvenience to the public, where a con-

tested election took place for IS days, where only
*even votes had been !tolled per day. It was then
ascertained that at our election in I)rynn:4llre. a
person had 'kept the poll open, who hail only polled
19 votes in three days! In Bristol, another in the
same manner, for nine or ten days:—lii Berkshire,
where ()lily 500 votes had been polled in 15 day«.
One case he remembered where seldom more
than 11 had beeu polled, and some days not one
vote polled, the party artfully bringing up votes
notoriously bad, merely to kill time, in arguing,.
over and over spin, the same question. After what
had occurred nt the last general election, it was nut
very iinprobable that souse persons would, iu the
present state of the country, be ton happy to be
permitted to avail themselves of these means of
keeping, fur 15 days together, the public mind iu
alarm, and suspending or interrupting the course
of ordinary business throughout the country.
Mr. LUSHINGTON thought the p►Hnng of a 'esti
number of votes would be sufficient for the pur-
poses required.

Mr. Buouatiast, although generally a friend to
the Hill, considered it nut w►thout its inconve.
niencies. Lt was tin time to phew the country the
Members of tl►at tiouse w►shed to take any of the
burden of expense from off their own shoulders and
lay it on those of their conssituents. The registry
of votes by assessments under the Lind TUX be
considered incomplete, and might in some instances
amount to a d►sfrancbisement of voters in cases