The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-14 00:00:00

pense of works in Portland, recommended by the Commis-
sioners of Harbours of Refuge, in their report laid before Par-
liament in the last session. _ _ _

Mr. HUME said, as he understood convicts would be em-
ployed on these works, he wi•hcd to ask the Right Hon. Baronet
( Sir G. Grey) whether the plan of marks for good conduct
would be introduced?

Sir G. GREY said the harbour would afford excellent means
of employment for those unfortunate persons. He hoped they
would be able to adopt the plan referred to by the Hon.
Member.

The Vote was then agreed to.
On the vote for a grant of 10,0001. for the erection of a
model prison in Ireland,
Mr. HUME said that the Government seemed more intent
on providing prisons than on taking measures for preventing
crime. He wished to know where the plan of that prison was.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that he could best answer
that question by referring to the substance of a letter which he
had addressed to the Treasury 'on the subject. It was the
custom in Ireland to ship off the transports as soon as possib:e
after the sentence. The letter contained a recommendation
for the erection of such a prison ; but it did not state whether
it was to be in Dublin or elsewhere. The Government would
shortly be better able to give more explicit information on that
subject.
Mr. WILLIAMS was sorry that the present Government
was about to take up the crotchets of the late Home Secre-
tary on this subject. The expense they had been at in erect-
ing model prisons was very large, and there had been no evi-
dence whatever produced as to their utility.
Sir GEORGE GREY vindicated the vote, and showed the
necessity for such a prison as the vote was required for.
Mr. HUME thought there was no use in having a model
prison in Ireland, seeing that they had one at Pentonville,
which was intended for the United Kingdom generally.
Mr. DUNCONIBE said that the prison at Pentonville was
conducted in a most admirable manner. The solitary system,
as carried out at the prison at Alilibank, inflicted the greatest
miseries upon those who were subjected to the process. When
those individuals were admitted to the sight of a fellow creature
they became so much affected that, in several instances, they
fainted.

Mr. HUME wished to know whether the same system as
was carried on at the Pentonville Prison was to be carried out
in the proposed model prison for Ireland? Because the expense
of keeping each prisoner was between 14s. and 15s. weekly.
Sir G. GREY—Twelve shillings.
Mr. HUME—And at the lapse of three years they put
this eountry to the expense of sending them to one of
the penal settlements abroad, whilst they refused to advance to
virtuous and industrious yoong men sufficient to enable them
to go abroad for the purposeaof obtaining employment, which
they could not meet with here. Such a system was an abso-
lute encouragement to the criminally minded young men of
this country, and he should be sorry to see such a system
carried out in Ireland.
Mr. HAWES said that he had seen letters that day which
spoke in the highest terms of the good conduct of the convicts
who had been lately transported, and he thought it most expe-
dient to extend the benefits of the system to Ireland.
Mr. HUME said that there were many persons who desired
to get out far the purposes of emigration, but that they could
not go, by reason of the expense, unless they committed some
offence. The system appeared to him to give an encourage-
ment to crime instead of doing anything else.—( Hear. )
The item was theh agreed to.—The House resumed.
In reply to a question from Lord LINCOLN,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was
his intention, the first thing on Monday, to call attention to
the distressed state of Ireland, and immediately after that
question was disposed of the Small Debts Bill, and Navy Esti-
mates, would be proceeded with.
The report on the Small Debts (Salaries and Compensation)
Bill was brought up, and agreed to.
The report on the Lunatic Ayslums and Pauper Lunatics
Bill was brought up, and agreed to.
The following reports were then brought up and received:
—County Works Presentment (Ireland—No. 2) Bill (third
reading to-morrow)—Public Works Commissioners' Bill (Ire-
land) ( third reading to-morrow ).—Public Works, Fisheries,
&e., Bill—Publio Works (Ireland—No. 3) Bill (third time
to-morrow— Public Works and Fisheries Bill
The Public Works and Fisheries Bill was then read a third
time and passed.
The House then went into Committee on the House of
Commons Officers' Bill.

The clauses having been agreed to,
The House resumed, and the CHAIRMAN reported progress,
and the report was ordered to be received to-morrow.
NAVAL AND MILITARY DEPARTMENTS BILL.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that
this Bill should go through Committee pro forma.
After a few words from Dr. BOWRING and the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the motion was agreed to.
The Bill then went through the Committee pro forma, and
was ordered to be rect.mmitted to-morrow. _

The report of the Contageous Diseases Prevention Bill was
postponed till to-morrow.
PRIVATE BILLS BILL. _ _

This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com-
mitted to-morrow.

..... .—..._.._...
RATEABLE PROPERTY (IRELAND) BILL.
The House then resolved itself into a Committee on this Bill.
The clauses, with a few verbal amendments, were agreed to,
the House resumed, the Chairman reported progress, and the
Bill was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow.