The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-27 00:00:00

PROTECTION OF WOMEN.

Mr. CHARLES PEARSON presented petitions from
the congregations of Grove Chapel, Camberwell, and of
several other Dissenting Chapels in Lambeth, in favour
of the Bill for the protection of women.
Lord GEORGE MANNERS presented a similar pe-
tition from a place in Cambridgeshire.
Sir E. BLXION presented similar petitions from
Waltham Abbey and several other places in Essex.
BANKRUPTCY LAW.
Mr. CARDWELL presented a petition from bankers,
merchants, and others in Liverpool, in favour of the Bill
for the consolidation of the Bankruptcy laws.
IRISH MAILS.
Mr. GROGAN inquired the reason why the Govern-
ment afternoon Irish mail was not to be allowed to carry
newspapers? The greatest inconvenience would result
if this order of the Postmaster was to be carried out.
The people of Ireland were deprived of six hours later
intellig( rice than they might otherwise receive.
Mr. HAYTER entered into an explanation, from
which it appeared that the train in question—the
North-Western five o'clock rm. express—was
not a mail in the strict sense of the term,
and was not in any way under the control
of the Post-office. Letters were, however, sent
by it in order to facilitate their conveyance; and it was
thought by the Postmaster that the bulk of the news-
papers would be too heavy to be conveyed by that train;
if, however, additional facilities were proved to be ne-
cessary, the Postmaster-General would take the matter
into his consideration; but at present he did not think it
right to incur additional expense. There was no inten-
tion to put an additional mail train to Edinburgh and
Glasgow. He had no objection to produce the cixres•
pondence that had taken place on the matter.
The matter then dr.pped.
PRISON DISCIPLINE.
The adjourned debate upon this Bill was resumed by
Mr. BItOTHERTON, who fa,ad thot the gyctoma of
prison discipline that bad hitherto been tried had failed
to repress crime, since at least 3,500,000-1 in 72 or 8
were paupers; 1 in 133, criminals; and 2,000,0001
a year were expended in the punishment of of-
fenders. The number of criminals was on the
increase, and he feared that they must erect
additional cells for their reception. When the money
expended in wine, beer, and spirits ameunted to
19,000,0001.—greater than the who!e of their exports—
when the public. houses outnumbered our churches and
schools—they could do nothing by prison discipline to
repress crime. They could do nothing unless they
struck at the root of the evil, the suppression of intem-
perance; and the up[.er cl.asses set the example, as he did,
of temperance, crime would continue at its present amount,
and all their reformatory works would be altogether
abortive.

Sir HENRY HALFORD said, having been a visit-
ing magistrate in Leicestershire, he could s:ate that
there was a less number of prisoners in the gaol which
was built in 1845 at the present time than when it was
originally opened, which he attributed to the silent sys-
tem recently introduced. He thought the necessity for
a purative system had been shown by the crowded state
of the gaols of the country, and no one could doubt that
the separate system was not inconsistent with hard
labour. He thought the more the subji ct was considered
the more necessity there was for a system of separation.
Was it to be tolerated that a poor boy for robbing an
orchard was to be made the associate of the worst felons;
and that a poor servant girl for leaving her place should
be made the associate of procuresses and prostitutes?
The Honourable Member concluded by moving the ap-
pointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the
prison discipline of England and Wales.
Mr IREWEN opposed the motion and supported the
amendment.

Mr. Alderman SIDNEY thought that nothing was so
prolific of crime as the state of the prisons in this
country, and the sooner their state was altered the
better. He would vete for the amendment, believing
that if it was sect ded to it would effect everything that
was contemplated by the motion of his Hon. Friend the
Member for Lambeth.

Lord MAHON thought it impossible to refer to the
subjrct of prison discipline without congratulating the
country en the great improvement w hich had taken pfaca
of late years. lie thought that great praise was due to
the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the flume De-
partment, and also to the Right lion. Baronet who had
preceded him in that office. The system of inspection
and of frequent returns being made to the House had
been productive of great benefits to the prison system.
He wished to call the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet
at the head of the Home Department to one particular
point. He had said that great praise was due to the
system of frequent returns to the House, but he ques-
tioned whether these returns were not often so volumi-
nous that they discouraged lion. Members from look-
ing into them.--(Hear, hear.) With respect to the
plan of the Honourable Member for Lambetb,
ho thought that a self-supporting prison would
be a great desideratum, but ho agered with an
observation which had fallen from the opposite
side of the House, that the Hon. Gentleman had not suf-
ficiently considered the question. He also thought that the
Hon. Member for Leicestershire would much better
servo the purpose he had in view if he withdrew his
amendment, and renewed it at the beginning of next
session.

Mr. DENISON wished to read a report from
the visiting justices of the West Riding of
berof Yorkshire,c
the adoption of the separate system. Much had been
been appeared much t hreduceda that
th
e undernum
said about the increased expenditure on the county
mbmyittwal which
chhadit
rates, but he must call the attention of the House to the
fact that this increase was not caused by the greater
amount of crime, but by the expense of building these new
prisons. He thought great credit was due to the Secre-
taries of State for the last 10 years. Ile thought it was
absurd to appoint a Committee in July for such a pur-
pose. He should vote against the original motion.
Mr. HARRIS entirely concurred with the Hon.
Member who had just spltken.
Mr. It PALMEtt read to the House a comparative
statement of the present and past expenditure of the dif-
ferent prisons in Berkshire, which showed the great
superiority of the separate system. He thought this
system had worked well, and he should be very sorry to
see it ran down.

Sir G. GREY said that as he bad stated his views on
a former occasion, in reply to the Hon. Member for
Lambeth (Mr. T. D'Eyncourz.), he sht,uld not trouble the
House with many observations, but there were one or
two points to which he must advert. In the first place
then, with regard to the system of prison discipline, it
had now had several years of trial under every variety
of circumstances, and the result had been cue which was

quite satisfactory to the public officers.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

MANSION-1-10USE.—The invi!ations to the banquet
in the Egyptian H•,ll this evening, are for seven o'clock
precisely, at which ly air dinner wall be announced.
DREADFUL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH- WESTERN
RAILWAY.—Last night, about ten o'c!oek, an accident oc-
curred on the South- Western line. It appeared that one of
the porters, while engaged by the si,le of the line between
Richmond and London, slipped off into the road, and,
unfortunately, an upward train was proceeding towards
London, when, before any person was aware of the pow
man's situation, a portion of the train had passed over
him. He was taken on a s're teller to Guy's llcspital,
but his death is 119erly exFeeted.
Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Co-
lonial- offiCefor the Governor of Gibraltar.