The Sun.
London, England, 1831-09-07 00:00:00

CROWN DEBTORS.'

Mr. HUNT, pursuant to notice of motion, moved an
address to his Majesty, that he would be pleased to release
all Crown debtors now in prison, at the ensuing Coro-
nation. The Hon. Member said, that in bringing forward
this motion he was influenced by an earnest desire to pro-
mote those feelings of regard to our patriot Sovereign
which at present were so prevalent among all classes of the
people. The releasing those Crown debtors whom he
particularly had in his eye—namely, those who were con-
fined fur arrears of taxes, fines, and other debts to the
Crown, and not those xKlao were confined for a violation
of the customs or exciselaws--would - be, so far from de-
trimental to the revenue, actually-a national saving. Ex-
peri, nee had shown, that in ten eases out of twenty of
those confined for debts to the Crown, of the class which
he had just specified, the revenue never recovered a single
firthing, while the nation was put to the expence of their
support in prison. For example : be knew of one case of
a person wbo was imprisoned in Somersetshire for sixteen
years for arrears of taxes to the amount of 311., all which
time his support was defrayed at the expense of the county
at an annual cost of 301—(Hear)—though ultimately, he
was discharged without, from total inability, paying a far.
thing.—( Hear.) Besides, therefore, effecting a national
saving, the address would, if acted upon, be just now
felt by the people as a special act of grace, in the best
sense of the term. . _

Mr. HUME seconded the motion, on the ground that
he had ever advocated the principle, that debtors to the
Crown should be placed on precisely the same footing
with debtors to priva'e persons—that is, not detained in
prison when they had not the possible means of discharg-
ing the debts.
Lord ALTHORP was sure the House would at once
see the inexpediency of acceding to the Hon. Member's
motion. It was objectionable even in its form of wording
—so far as it included " all" Crown deb'ors ; and was
highly objectionable on principle. If it was right that his
Majesty should, of his own flee accord, discharge the
Crown debtors from prison, it was plain that the grace of
the act would be done away with by the proposition's not
emanating from his own Royal clemency, but from that
House.—(Hear.) And if it was not right it was equally
plain that the motion must appear neither more nor less
than an act of censure on a matter on which Parlia-
ment had no right to interfere.—( Hear, hear.)
Sir E. SUGDEN was willing to place every confidence
in the discretion of Ministers with respect to the Crown
debtors.

Mr. HUNT would not, after the declaration of the
Noble Lord, proceed with his motion.—(Hear.) In
withdrawing it he begged to say that he never meant the
remotest censure on Ministers or his Majesty; and he
thought he was forwarding the humane and enlightened
designs of both with respect to the poor debtors—unfortu•
nately a very numerous class at this moment. He was
one who highly approved of the approaching ceremony of
the Coronation, and merely wished to add to its &bit by
an act of well timid mercy.
The motion was then withdrawn.

Mr. HUNT then Inovad thiat this House will on Friday
next res,dve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to
consider of an Address to his Majesty for the advance of a
sum of money—say 24,0001.—t0 discharge from prison in-
dividuals imprisoned for squill debts.
Sir C. FORBES seconded the motion, and hoped thit
Ministers would take this proposal into their must serious
consideration.

Lord ALT HORP said, that the proposition to which
the Hon. Member for Preston wished to hind the House
on Friday next, was not one to which it ought to agree.
These poor debtors were more a subject of private thin of
public charity.
_

Mr. HUME agreed with that view of this subject
which had just been stated by the Noble Lord opposite.
He regretted that Government had not brought forward
some measure for the abolishment of imprisonment for
debt ; and he regretted it the more, as there never was an
instance in which a creditor got any real benefit front im-
prisoning his debtor. He then asked a question respecting
the intention of the Law Commissioners on this subject.
Lord ALTHORP gave a reply utterly inaudible in the
gallery.
Sir E. SUGDEN hoped that nothing which had just
occurred would lead to a notion out of doors that the Noble
Lord was about to abolish imprisonment fur debt.
The motion was then negatived.
Mr. BERNAL brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee of the whole House on the resolution proposed last
night, authorising the Lords Commissioners of the Trea-
sury to pay the hirristers employed in revising the lists of
voters in counties and boroughs. After a few words from
Mr. Flume, the report was agreed to.