The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-07 00:00:00

the substitution of other penal discipline, and the repeal
of the Vagrant Act. The Noble Lord concluded by
moving for the returns in the usual form, to be furnished
by the Inspector of Prisons.
Earl Gl-',EY said that the Noble Lord had assumed
throughout his speech that the removal of convicts
ircm Ireland under sent, rice of transportation had
been disceninued. The Noble Lord had stated that
circumstance, and other circumstances, as facts, but
they were only imaginary facts. So far from the
removal of convicts having been discontinued, the
numbers had gone on increasing, as was apparent
from the returns which he held in his hand of the
transportations during the five years ending in 1845, and
the three succeeding years. The sentence of transporta-
tion, indeed, had been exercised of late very indiscrimi-
nately. The grand jury in Ireland, he must say, had
not exercised the functions placed in their hands by the
Act in a proper manner, and were much to blame in not
having provided increased accommodation for the pri-
soners, a neglect of duty with which they were charge-
able. He might communicate to their Lordships that
prison establishments were in course of erection at Ber-
muda and Spike Island, owing to the defective accommo-
dation at Van Diemen's Land and Norfolk Island. The
number of prisoners transported from Ireland to those
two List-named places was so great, that many of them
died from overcrowding. On those considerations Port •
land appeared to be a desirable place to send transports
from Ireland to. But there was great misdirection with
regard to the class of convicts sent out from Ireland,
many of them being truly unfit for transportation, so
much so that, on their arrival at Bermuda, the governor
of that island reported that they were truly unable to
stand the voyage, arid that fever to a great extent had
broken out amongst them.
The Duke of RICHMOND said it was very inconve-
nient that when one Irish Peer made a statement, another
rose and contradicted it. He was surprised how the
magistrates could commit persons to gaol whose condition
was such that they were likely to die on the voyage out,
and who seemed to him to be more objects for an hos-
pital than for the severity of
Lord MONTEAGLE replied, and expressed his sur-
prise at hearing the Government cast blame in this mat-
ter on the grand jury, whereas blame—if blame there was
—was chargeable against the Government officer whose
duty it was to make out the returns. He (Lord Mont-
eagle) made his statements on the official documents
which had been laid on the table of their Lordships'
House—those documents, consisting of returns, were now
said to be erroneous; they were on the table of their
Lordships' House since the last session, and although
complained of as erroneous, no attempt was made by the
Government officer whose duty it was to make them up,
to correct them.

Earl GREY explained his statement with respect to
the documents on which the Noble Lord (Monteagle)
founded his motion to the House.

The motion was then agreed to.
On the motion of the Marquis of L EINSDOW NE, the
Irish Distress Bill, the Vice• Guardians Bill, and the
Buckinghamshire Summer Assizes Bill, were read a
third time.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Marsh 6.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at ten minutes before
Four o'clock.

PRIVATE BILLS.

On the motion of Mr. WILSON PATTEN it was
ordered, that in the case of petitions against private Bills
deposited pursuant to Standing Order No. 107, the peti-
tioner may withdraw his petition on a requisition to
that effect being deposited at the Private Bill-office,
signed by him, or by the agent who deposited such peti-
tion; and that where any such petition is signed by
mare than one person, any person signing such petition
may withdraw his opposition by a bimilar requisition,
sigaed and deposited as aforesaid.