The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-13 00:00:00

JURIES.

On the motion of Sir EDWARD KNATC/IBULL, an Address
to the King was agreed to, for a return of the number of persons
liable to serve on juries upon the home circuit, as far as the
same could be made out from the Sheriffs' books.
ESTIMATES. - -

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER presented the
extraordinary Army an„t Miscellaneous Estimates, which were
ordered to be printed.
Sir H. HARDINGE presented the ordnance estimates.
Mr. IIERRIES postponed until Wednesday next, the Com-
mittee on the rates of postage; and also presented accounts of
the public expenditure of Great Britain, up to the sth January
1824, comprising the details of the debt and expenditure of
the funded and unfunded debt.
IMPRESSMENT OF SEAMEN.

Mr. HUME postponed his notice respecting the impress-
ment of seamen, from the 19th of February, until Tuesday
the 2d of March, when he intended to move for the appoint-
ment of a Committee to take the whole subject into their con-
sideration. _ _ _

Sir. JOHN NEWPORT gave notice, that on the 19th of
February he should submit a motion respecting the Irish burial
Act.
111 r. HUSKISSON presented copies of papers relating to
certain countervailing duties on vessels trading between Ame-
rica and the West Indies.
TREAD-;II

Sir F. BURDETT rose to present a Petition from Mr.
Martin Stapylton, one of the Justices of the Peace for North-
allerton, in Yorkshire, on the subject of the tread-mill. The
petitioner complained that he had, in his official capacity, in
vain remonstrated against the practice of sending prisoners,
before trial, to the degrading and laborious punishment of the
tread-mill. After the general explanation of last Session, that
such was not intended, it was astonishing that any set of Ma-
gistrates should persevere, before trial, in so oppressive and
illegal a punishment. He hoped that some effective measures
would be adopted, either to amend the law, if a mistake pre-
vailed upon the subject, or to correct the practice if it were
illegally persevered in. It ought not for a moment to be suf-
fered to exit after this exposure of ite oppieseion and injustice.
Mr. PEEL said, that the subject had been recently before
the Court of King's Bench, and it would be premature to dis-
cuss it at present, more particularly, as the Hon. Member for
.Shrewsbury had, three nights --ago, given notice of a specific
motion upon the subject. He readily agreed, that if the appli-
cation of the tread-mill before trial were not illegal, it was at
all events decidedly impolitic.—(Hear, hear!)—The chief
benefit of its discipline was, that it inflicted a stigma, and a
disgrace, a moral punishment, which would be lost if it were
used before trial.—(Hear, hear !)—Upon a principle of justice
as well as expediency, he thought the punishment of the tread-
mill ought not to be inflicted before trial.—(Hear, hear!)
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT could not conceive the slightest
doubt upon the illegality of the punishment before trial. It
was a compulsory punishment upon men not proved guilty of
any offence. The Judges of the Court of King's Bench had
evaded the real question, and not determined upon the main
point at all ; they had merely said that a prisoner was only en-
titled to the county allowance if he refused to 'work. But
suppose the case of a person so -refusing' to work ; the mis-
chief of this sort of punishment was worse in its principle-to,
society than the injury sustained by the example of the ina-.
bility and obstinacy of any prisoner. He would repeat, that
the practice was highly illegal, because the prisoner was in ge-
neral entitled to bail before trial, if he could obtain it. If
it were his misfortune to be unable to obtain the necessary-,
bail, was it not quite enough that his lot must be imprison-'
ment, without painful labour being coercively superadded ?
(H ear !)—lf it were the lot of a prisoner to be long committed
before trial, his confinement and this tread-mill might amount
to a far greater punishment titan could be inflicted upon him,
even if guilt were legally established against him. Besides,
they should bear in mind, that the new system of prison dis-
cipline precluded the prisoner from receiving whatever susten-
ance his friends could afford him ; and was he before trial to
he so placed, as to have to encounter the privation of a gaol al-
lowance, inadequate to fair human sustenance, or to be expos-
ed to a severe personal punishment ? After this, he hoped that
common sense and decent feeling would prevent a repetition of
such injustice.
Mr. PEEL begged in explanation to say, that in his opinion
the Prison Act of last year did not authorize the sending to the
tread-mill, without their own consent, prisoners committed be-
fore trial. Perhaps if a doubt prevailed upon such a point, it
would he well to have it settled by law.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY said, that the Magistrates al-
luded to in the petition conceived they were acting legally, and
were to a certain extent fortified by the opinion of the Judges
of the Court of King's Bench.—(Cries of " No.")—At all
events, he was glad to hear that therewas a speedy prospect of
having the law clearly settled upon that matter.
Mr. JAMES said, that if the Magistrates had the power of
starving a prisoner who refused to work, it was pretty much the
same as giving them an absolute right to his labour.
The petition was laid on the table.
On the motion of Mr. .ThEarA Y NE, accounts were ordered
of the exports and imports of corn during the last year.
On the motion of Colonel DAVIES, the excise accounts of
last year, distinguishing those from Ireland, were ordered to be
produced.

THE REVENUE.
On Ote motion of Mr..SIABEILLY, certain returns ware order-
ed, shewing the net and gross revenue of this country from the
sth January, 1791, to the sth January, 1824, the charges for
collection, &c.; and similar accounts from Ireland, from sth
Jan. 1816, to sth Jan. 1824.