The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-30 00:00:00

REGISTRY OF ELECTORS.

BARBADOES.

Sir ROBERT PEEL asked if the Right Hon.
Gentleman opposite had any objection to produce the
message of the Governor to the House of Assatnbly of the
Nand of Barbadoes, communicating to them the Prisons
Bill.

Mr. LABOUCHERE was undestood to say, that the
message would be found among the papers laid on Vac
table of the li:)use this day.
ECCLESIASTF;AL REVENUES BILL._

Mr. LA1S;i;!;;(1 toascto ;lat day the Noble Lard
opposite intended postponing the Ecclesiastical Duties
Revenues Bill

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, he intended to post-
pone it to that di), fortnight.
.METROPOLITAN POLICE BILL.

Mr. LAW wished also to kn:iw aunt course the Noble
Lord intended to pursue with respect to the Metropolitan
Police Court Bill, and the Metropolis Police Bill.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said he would answer the
question to morrow.
SIR F. B HEAD.

Mr. NPLE AN said that before Sir F. Ili?ad went out
to Canada he was one of the Assistant Poor-law Commis-
sioners. As he bad been recalled, he wished to know
whether it was in the contemplathn of the Government to
take into consideration his services with a view to remune.
ration..

Lord JOHN RUSSELL was understood to say that
he could not at present give an answer to the question.
DISTRICT PRISONS BILL.

On the motion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, the House
went into Committee on this Bill.

Clauses Up to 37 were z,,greed to without any discussion.
Clause 3S was agreed to, with a few verbal amend-
ments.

Clauses 39, 40, 41, and 42, were ar;reed to without any
discussion.

The remaining, clauses were then agreed to.
THE PRISON DISCIPLINE BILL.

Mr. GL A DSTONE presented petitions against the'
14th clause of the Bill, on the ground that it provided for
the establishment of Popish ch.tplains in Ireland.
Captain WOOD suggested to the Noble Lord that it
would be imprudent and unjust to put the rate-payers he
represented to the expense of the separate system. He
therefore hoped at least that the measure would be post-
poned until the evil alleged to prevail in the present sys-
tem should be proved.'
Lord J. RUSSELL said he should be quite ready to
alter any clauses which should be found defective, or of too
compulsory a character as respected the Justices of their
relative districts. At the same time, it was fit that the
legislation of prisons should be improved. The Noble
Lord was understood to say that he should be reluctant to
force upon Magistrates the separate system, when the
present regulations should be found effective ; but it would
certainly be unjust in him to prevent Magistrates, vilio
should desire to adopt the improved system. He should
wish to enable Justices in the latter ease to carry out the
necessary improvements in the classification of prisoners,
according to the separate system ; and in the former case
he should wish as Secretary of State to have the power of
appointing Inspectors of Prisons.
Mr. G IBSON asked the Noble Lord the Secretary for
the Home Department whether any provision had been
made for promoting the emigration of persons who
were discharged from prison after punishment for light
offences, or for their employment at home, and also for
sending discharged culprits boys to sea in the mercantile
marine.

Lord J. RUSSELL said that many recommendations
had been made to the Government about providing for the
emigration of prisoners, and also to establish an asylum for
the employment of discharged prisoners at home, and to
institute a system whereby boy culprits should be sent to
sea. He was ready to admit that those objects were re-
spectively desirable in a great degree. He felt, at the
same, time, that it would to a certain extent be reversing
the order of law and of society, for the Government to
provide for criminals, while innocent respectable persons,
though poor, were permitted to make their way through
the world as well as they could. —( Hear, hear.) It
certainly would be particularly gratifying to him to see
some mode of preventing our discharged criminals from
being driven back, he might say, by necessity into the com-
mission of crimes for which they had just been punished.
But bad as their present fate might be, either as regarded
themselves or society, it would not be fair that the State
should take better care of them than of those persons
who had transgressed the law in no manner whatever. The
same remark applied to the proposition of sending dis-
charged boy criminals to sea—for it was a fact that thou-
sauds of respectable parents were anxious to send their
children to sea—and surely they ought to have a better
chance than guilty children. However it was likely Go-
vernment would propose some measures founded on those
propositions.
Mr. HUME hoped the Government would turn their
attention to affording the means of emigration to young of-
fenders, and then they might afford them a temporary
asylum.
Mr. CRESWE LL complained of the Bill, because it
gave a power to Justices to tax a county for building
a new prison when they chose. He did not think
the House ought to part with their power of taxation
without grave consideration. He hoped the Noble Lord
would not press on the Bill then, but give time for mature
deliberation.
Mr. EWA RT begged to impress upon the Noble Lord
the necessity for taking the suggestion of Hon. Member
for Kilkenny into consideration, with a view to allow
young criminals to gain a new character in some of our
colonies after they had undergone the punishment awarded
to them in this c3untry.
The House then went into Committee on the Bill, Mr.

BERNAL in the Chair. . ---
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON complained of the power
proposed to be given to the Inspectors of Prisons. It was
proposed to make them supersede the Magistrates.. He
proposed that the Bridewell of the City of London and House
of Occupations be exempt from the operations of the Bill.
After a short conversation, the clause was agreed to.
Clause 2 was also agreed toi
Clause 3 was then proposed, and was opposed by
Mr. PA K INGTON„: on the ground of the injury
inflicted on the human constitution by long periods of
confinement, more particularly solitary confinement. He
would divide against the clause.
Mr. HAWES drew a distinction between solitary and
separate confinement, and controverted the statements of
the Hon. Member on the authority of Howard, and the
experience of the American prisons.
C.lptain POLHIL L considered they were discussing
.one of the most important principles of prison discipline.
The last Report from the New Penitentiary of Philadel-
phia was most unfavourable. He had seen that Peniten-
tiary, and should regret to see the introduction of that
system into this country. Ile believed it impossible to
bring this system into operation without affecting the
mind as well as the body. Ho should divide against this
clause giving the power of inflicting separate confinement
without any restrictions. He should move that the clause
be struck out of the Bill.
Mr. II A WES explained, and said the Official Board
of Philadelphia had reported favourably of the system.
After tt few words from Captain Polhill, Lerd John
sell, and several other Members on both sides of the
House, the Muses divided, when there appeared—
For the clause .. ... 117
Against it
Majority
The House then proceeded with Clause 4.
In reply to an objection,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL explained, as well as we
could understand from the low tone in which he spoke,
arid amidst the general conversation, that the object of
this clause was to separate prisoners before trial from those
who had been tried.
After a few words from Mr. C. Wynne. Mr. O'Con-
nell. and Mr. Wakley, the clause was agreed to.
Clause 5 was agreed to, with some verbal amendments,
after a few observations from Lord G. Somerset, the So.
licitor-General, Mr. Hume, and Mr. Hawes.
Clauses 6,7, 8,9, 10, 11, and 12, were agreed to, after
some discussion.
On clause 13, relative to the superannuation of chaplains
and other officers, being proposed,
Mr. HUME objected to the clause, and the House di-
vided, when the numbers were—
For the clause..
Against it
Majority in favour of the clause 123
On our re-admission we found
Mr. BLACKSTONE objecting to the establishmet of
Popish Priests in gaols. If they were admitted to gaols
how could thcv be kept out of workhouses.—(Cheers. )
Mr. JONES supported the clause. He saw no reason
why the Catholics should not have the benefit of their own
pastor's instructions.

Mr. O'CONNELL moved that the Chairman report
progress, and ask leave to sit again. That was not a
proper time of night to dipeuss such an important question.
Lord TEIGNMOUTH resisted the proposition, as
being one pregnant with danger to the Establishment of
the country.
The CIIAIRMAN reported progress, and obtained leave to
sit again this day (Tuesday).
The Seditious Societies Act Amendment Bill was com-
mitted pro.furma, and ordcred to be printed.
The Metropolitan Police Courts Bill was fixed for a
second reading on Friday so'nnight.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of,
and the House adjourned at a Quarter to One o'Clock.

For nearly two months we have had, almost
without interruption, a real winter temperature, and un-
fortunately the cold increases, in place of diminishing, as
the season advances. To-day ( Saturday) the thermometer
during the night, was two degrees below freezing, with a
north wind. Vegetation has suff2red much in consequence.
—Paris Paper.

The Editors of the French Journals, L'Europe
and L'EstiiPtte, charged before the Court of Assizes of
the Department of the Seine, on Friday, with having pub-
lished articles, tending to bring the Government of the
Kieg into contempt, were acquitted.
NON-INTERCOURSE ACT.—The landed gen-
tlemen, it is said, are so much alarmed by the importation
of foreign fruits, by cur steam ships purchasing provisions,
&c. in the ports of Holland and Germany, and introducing
them into England, and by the various substitutes which
high prices make the people use ineead of wheat, such
as rico, that they intend now that the landed interest is in
such full vigour in both Houses to pass a Non-Intercourse
Act. They allege as they can feed the people, and as
everything else besides home-grown wheat is leather and
prunella. o,:ly making us dependent on foreign nations for
the gratification of all idle vanity, that it is far more pa-
triotic to have no communication with other nations, and
that a Non-intercourse Act is now the only policy for Great
Britain. Some of the elderly landlords alluded to wine,
but they were silenced by a reference to the many advan-
tages, particularly as to health, which the tee-totallers
have experienced from abstinence. If their ladies, when
they hear of this project, do not put in a word for silks and
teas, whatever they may say for wines, their lords will no
doubt cp.rry it into effect. Everybody with whom we havo
sinlan en the subject says a Non- Intercourse Act is so
clearly and re cess:rily the consequence of the Corn-laws,
that the landlords must enact it.