The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDO, SAIIUItOAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 21, 1863

of the house ! And all right—they may laugh
that win. Mr. POWELL, the member for Gloucester,
said that as the present was only a continuation
bill he would Note for it ; but any elector who
wished to know the law as it now stood,
would have to wade through some sixty or
seventy Acts of Parliament, beginning with the
reign of EDWARD 1., and continue his examinations
down to the act of last year, which was more than
human patience could bear. A consolidation act
was wanted to make election knowledge intelli-
gible—and the true correction for bribery was to
disfranchise every one who took and every one
who gave a bribe, To this Sir G. GREY replied
that in their endeavours to consolidate, so many
amendments were made and debated that it was
almost hopeless to attempt passing such a measure
through the House by the end of the Session. And
thus goes the game of amendment—never ending—
still beginning. But no one seemed to remember
that the true corrective for bribery is the Ballot
—and nothing but the Ballot.

Great credit is due to Lord CARNARVON for the
pains he has taken in bringing the subject of
prison discipline before the House of Lords. Too
much time and attention can hardly be bestowed on
this question. The noble lord showed from various
statistics the extraordinary laxity that has of late
years prevailed in the gaols of England. He stated
that he did not refer on that occasion to the con-
victs, but confined his remarks to those criminals
who were imprisoned in the county and borough
gaols. The latest returns showed a very startling
increase in crime. "In offences against property
with violence, there had been an increase of 11
per cent. ; -various larcenies, nine per cent. ;
malicious offences against property, 18 per
cent.; forgery and coining, 16 per cent. ;
and in miscellaneous offences 19 per cent!' He then
said that there were two points to which he wished
to call their lordships' attention—the first was the
insufficiency of prison discipline that prevailed ;
and the second, the subject of diet. Judges gene-
rally coupled their sentences with hard labour, but
in some of the prisons the arrangements were so
defective that the visiting justices had resolved not
to give hard labour at all with their sentences.
Then with regard to diet, there was much fault to
find. In many of the prisons, meat was given to
the prisoners every day in the week, and also many
luxuries and comforts besides. His lordship truly
observed that the best way to form a correct notion
of this system was to compare it with the plan of
diet in other classes.

" In the workhouses the inmates did not got meat more
than three or four times a week. He was not alluding to
the able-bodied paupers, who ought not to have it, but to
the aged and infirm. Then, the diet in the prisons was
very much in excess of that of the operatives in Lancashire.
He doubted whether during the past winter many of the
Lancashire operatives had been able to obtain meat six or
seven days in the week. Again, compare the diet with that
of the class from which the prisoners were principally
drawn. Forty-four per cent. of them were drawn from the
labouring classes, and the Government gave to the person
who had committed the most frightful outrages a diet six
or seven times in excess of that of the working man ; and
this was so well known that it was a very common thing
for prisoners to thank the judges for sentencing them to a
lengthened term of imprisonment. The chaplain of the
Northampton gaol in his report stated that he considered
that the system of discipline as carried out in that prison
was not calculated to deter persons from the commission of
crime."

Surely no terms of reprobation can be too strong
to denounce such a system of management. It
would seem as if those in authority were deter.,
mined to reverse the object of their office, and
encourage the evil doers at the expense of the
upright. Such persistency of favouritism towards
the guilty members of the community reminds
one of a smart sketch that aetiriocd the mioplaced
kindness shown to prisoners, and compared it
with the studied neglect of the virtuous poor.
" Strange age that thus offers a premium to
crime," exclaims a wise old gentleman, who sur-
veys the scene. It is lamentable to dwell on the
details furnished by Lord CARNARVON in his
skilful summary of tha life within the prison
walls. The noble lord concluded by stating that
he, for his part, " accepted the view which was
taken by the judges, and by a great portion of
her MAJESTY'S subjects, who had heads to be
broken, lives to be lost, or property to
be stolen." His lordship then quoted the opinion
of some eminent Judges on the question ; and, cer-
tainly, the arguments of such men should take
effect, as th©y must speak what they know, and
testify as they have seen, when they dwell on such
cases, to the study of which they have devoted their
lives, and to whose workings and general effects
they have directed the utmost efforts of their skilled
intelligence
When Lord DENMAN was examined in 1850 he stated
that he hold that the only legitimate end of punishment
was to deter criminals from the commission of crime,
though he doubted whether the mode in which it was car-
ried out did not tend to sometimes encourage it. Mr.
Baron PARNE and Mr. Justice PATTESON said the principal
object of punishment was the protection of property by de-
terring persons from crime, and others from following their
example, by the pain and inconvenience the criminal suf-
fered. Mr. Baron ALDERSON expressed a similar opinion.
For his own part he was content to accept the definition of
thoso learned and distinguished judges, and to found his
opinion upon it, taking the view that punishments should
have a deterring effect."
Lord MALMESBURY also made some very sensible
remarks on this subject, and endorsed the opinion
of Lord CARNARTON in regard to the contrast of
the treatment in prisons and in workhouses. While
an out-door pauper received 2s. 6d. or 3s. 6d. a
week, a prisoner was not kept for less than 10s. or
12s. a week. His lordship then said, with great
truth, that the effect of all this upon the lower
classes was most deplorable. He had heard them
say that it was better to be in Winchester Gaol
than to have an allowance from Winchester Union.
It was often said that soldiers and sailors received
very inferior diet to that which was provided
in the common gaols. This was most
unfortunate, added his lordship, for the classes
referred to made comparisons, and arrived
at the conclusion that those who worked honestly
for their living were not so well provided for as
those who were adepts in crime. They should be
convinced of two things—that " punishment was
certain, and that the sentence of the judge was im-
mutable." It would have been much more satisfaa-
tory, and would have given us more hope of the
amelioration of this pernicious system, if Lord
GRANVILLE had adopted the same forcible tone
in regard to this question. He seemed, however,
to hesitate, and sometimes gave one the impres-
sion that he was afraid to agree with the
noble speakers who had preceded him, and done so
much service to an important cause. The noble earl
said that, in regard to diet in the prisons, " the
effect of prison life was of so depressing a character
that the prisoner required more animal food to pre-
vent him falling into such a state of health, as they
were not justified in inflicting on him." With all
due deference to Lord GRANVILLE it is not very
likely that the atmosphere of a workhouse can pro-
duce very exhilarating effects on mind and body,
but never do we see or hear of eminent surgeons
being consulted as to the desirability of any par-
ticular plan or rule for its unhappy inmates. It
appears sufficient charity to let them live, the pauper
•
is not of any consequence, but the erinaihgl