The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-02 00:00:00

CONVICT PRISONERS.

Mr. PAKENHAM wished to know from the
Right Hon. Secretary for the Home Department in
what manner the prisoners sentenced to transporta-
ition had been disposed of, and what course was in-
tended to be adopted with regard to them in future ;
and also whether any steps had been taken with a
view to the formation of a convict establishment at
Portland. •
Sir G. GREY said that a considerable increase had
taken place in the number of prisoners employed un-
der the control of the Admiralty, and in connexion
with the various dockyards and arsenals of the
country. An increase in the number had also taken
place at Bermuda. Inquiries had been instituted at
Gibraltar, with a view of ascertaining whether any
increase might be made in future in the number of
convicts which might be employed there. He would
also state that 400 prisoners under sentence of trans-
portation had been sent to Bedford Gaol under
strict regulations. A large number had, as usual,
been sent to Pentorville ; and the Government were
taking active measures in granting tickets of leave to
those prisoners whose sentences were nearly expired,
to enable them to leave this country for Van Diewan's
Land, under the provisions of the Act passed last year.
With respect to Portland, the Government had not
lwen able to obtain possession of the laud to erect the
necessary buildings for the establishment, in conse-
quence of a dispused claim which had been set up as
against the Crown by some persons who had a lease-
hold interest in the property.
Lord MAHON wished to know what had been the
increase in the number of convicts confined in the
hulks, as well as those employed in the dockyards
and arsenals.

Sir G. GREY explained, that when he stated that
a large increase had been made in the number of those
employed in the dockyards and arsenals, he wished
to be understood to refer to prisoners confined in the
hulks. He could not state exactly the increase which
had taken place in the the numbers of such prisoners.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTI3.

In answer to a question from Mr. HINDLEY,

Mr. LABOUCHER,E stated that it was the inten-
tion of the Government to introduce a Bill for faci-
litating the collection of agricultural statistics. It
was important to know what amount of provisions
there were in the country, and particularly in Ire-
land, and this Bill would afford the Lord-Lieutenant
the means of collecting a large mass of information
on the subject at a small expense to the public.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN wished to know if the Right
Hon. Gentleman would have any objection to the ap-
pointment of a Select Committee to consider this
question previous to the introduction of the Bill.
Mr. LABOUCHERE thought the appointment of
a Committee would be highly inconvenient.
BANK FAILURES.
Mr. MACGREGOR gave notice that on a future
day he should move for a return of the banks that
had failed in Scotland since 1783, stating their lia-
bilities and assets, and also a similar return of the
banks that had suspended payment in England during
the same period.
ELECTION PETITIONS.
Petitions were presented. against the returns for
Kinsale, Abingdon, and Lyme Regis.:
IRISH EXPENDITURE.

return of the number, nature,
and
expedepartmentsnditure
noffotrhae
various branches of the Government
departments in England, from Ireland transferred to and consolidated with
the
ee cor-
responding,earlBoo to the present timet;hethlaest
case to he the average of years inofe3atchhe
establishment in Ireland, and the dates of the transfer
expenditurethree
to be given, stood first on the list, but did
he not think that there ought to be full discussion
into the state of Ireland before they resorted to coercive
measures, he should have been strongly inclined to
postpone it, in order that the adjourned debate, in
which the House and the country took so much in-
terest, might be proceeded with. He had, therefore,
endeavoured to get a promise from Government that an
opportunity should be afforded him for raising such a
discussion, but he had failed in doing so, and were it not
for the representations of the Irish Members with
whom he acted, that it would be impossible for him to
obtain a fair hearing from English Members until the
adjourned debate had been disposed or, he should cer-
tainly have gonei of his friends he should
on with his motion. In deference,
e
however, to t
abstain from opiniondoing so, and he hoped his example

would be followed by other Hon. Members who had
notices on the paper, in order that the monetary
question might be got rid of without delay.
The motion for the postponement was agreed to,