The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-19 00:00:00

dressed the House, that the subject was one of very
great importance, and they would be satisfied to know,
from two papers which he had just laid upon the table,
that the subject had not escaped the attention of her Ma-
jesty's Government. They would find in them that the
views which had been so ably put forward by
the Noble Lord were concurred in by the Government,
and that they intended to bring forward a measure
bearing especially upon juvenile offenders. Accordingly
a Bill would be brought in for the purpose of effecting
a reform in the criminal law, which all seemed to admit
was so much wanted. The great difficulty which
attended the present system, and which prevented them
from attaining such results as in France was, that the
boys, if sent out of prison, must necessarily be par-
doned.

Lord BROUGHAM observed that they were sent
back to prison if they misconducted themselves.
Earl GREY—Exactly so. If they misconducted
themselves in France they were sent back to prison,
but in this country there was no power of that
kind—they had no ether resource but to turn
them out. That was a great difficulty, which
at present existed, and to remedy which the Bill pro-
posed was intended. Further, their L)rdships would ob •
serve, from the minutes of council on the subject of
education, it was proposed to establish a penal school in
London, to which were to be sent, not only juvenile
offenders, but vagrants also. The whole subject also of
transportation had been under consideration, and in-
deed, he might say, that the measure proposed had
extended as far almost as the abolition of that punish-
ment. The Bill of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Home
Secretary, which was laid on the table, would fully
explain the system, and the details which it gave of
those transports who had been sent to Norfolk Island,
were such as would make their Lordships shudder. He
thought it right to make these observations in conse-
quence of what had fallen from the Noble and Learned
Lord with respect to the reformation of the criminal law.
The subject should continue to have the most serious
attention of the Government.
Lord BROUGHAM explained, that by the Ist and
2d of Victoria, the institutions alluded to by the Noble
Earl were constituted in the way mentioned by him.
Captain Maconochie who deserved much praise for his
exertions, proposed that the nature of the punishment
should not be by time, but by the conduct of the pri-
soner, that he should receive marks for good conduct,
and that, after obtaining a certain number, ho should be
set at liberty. Mr. Hill's plan was not so efficient, but
jet it was a very good one. Atter the conviction of a
uvenile offender (Mr. Hill is the Recorder of Nor-
wich) lie sent for the parents, guardians, or master of
the boy, :and after having obtained a pledge that they
would watch over his future conduct, he set him free,
after the imposition of a fine, or merely an admonition.
He had adopted this plan for four or five years,
with wonderful effect, as they had seldom been brought
before him again, as appeared to have been the case at
Liverpool. Of course he (Mr. Hill) could not tell
whether or not they had gone elsewhere and committed
like offences.
The subject then dropped.
DISTRESS IN IRELAND.
Earl GREY laid a dispatch on the table from the
Government of Nova Scotia. stating that the Assembly
had voted 1,000/. for the relief of the destitute poor in
Ireland and in the Highlands of Scotland. He (Earl
Grey) was sure their Lordships would rejoice at this
proof of the interest manifested by that Assembly in the
welfare of their fellow-subjects at home.—(Hear, hear.)

KAFIR WAR.
The NOBLE EARL also laid papers on the table on this
tsubject.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
There being only twenty-seven Members present at
four o'clock, the House was adjourned.

THE ~NO HOUSE" LAST NIGHT.
The following Members were present when the House was
Counted out (27) :
Mr. Thornely
Sir A. Hay
Sir C. Napier
Sir R. Inglis
Mr. Greene
Major Macnamara
Dr. Bowring
Captain Layard
Mr. R. Currie
Mr. Brotherton
Mr. M. Forster
Mr. Barnard
Mr. Munt z
Mr. C. O'Brien

Mr. Stansfield
Mr. B. Escott
➢lr. Plumptre
Mr. Grimsditch
Mr. Spooner
Mr. S. Crawford
Mr. W. Patten
Captain Lindsay
Mr. Finch
Mr. M. Milnes
Mr. R. Trevor
Lord Sandon
Sir John Hope.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.
(From the Vites and Proceedinos of the House of Commons.)
NOTICES GIVEN AT THE 'PRIVATE BILL-OFFICE.

THU RSDAY, FEB. 18.
The following Railway Bills are appointed to be read a
second time :
MONDAY, FEB. 22.
Lynn and Ely (Lynn and \Vormegay Navigation).
Lynn and Ely (Deviation and Lynn Docks).
Airdrie and Bathgate Junction Amendment and Deviation.
Portadown and Dungannon.
Sheffield, Rotherham, and Doncaster Junction (Maabrough
to Doncaster).

WIDNESDAT, FEB. 24.

Eastern Union and Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's Amal-