The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF LORDS, MAY 18.
At a few minutes after three, the Earl of Shaftesbury took
his seat on the Woolsack, when Barons Ashburton (Mr.
Baring) and Glenelg (Mr. C. Grant) were introduced with
the usual formalities by Lords Farnborough and Wharncliffe.
The Earls of Northampton, Suffolk, and Glengall, and Lord
Wallace took the oaths and subscribed the Parliamentary Roll.
The St. James's, and St. George's (Westminster) Lighting
Bill ; and several private bills were read a second time.
Mr. Buller, from the Comptroller-General's Office, in
the Exchequer, presented papers.
The House then adjourned during pleasure ; and having
again resumed,
The DUKE of GORDON presented a great number of
petitions from parishes in Scotland against any grant to the
Church of Scotland.
Lord ROSEBERY presented several petitions to the
same effect.
Col. Powell, and other Members of the House of Com-
mons, brought up the Bill for making a new Quay in the
County of Cardigan.
Mr. Campbell, from the East India House, presented pa-
pers which were ordered to be laid on their Lordships' table.
The Earl of HADDINGTON presented a petition from a
parish in Scotland, praying for enlarged Church accommo-
dation.
Lord MELVILLE presented two petitions to the same
effect.
The Duke of SUTHERLAND presented a great number
of petitions to the same effect, from Ross-shire and Sutherland.
Earl CAWD OR presented petitions in support of the
Church of Scotland.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented petitions from the
County Meath in Ireland against the proposed plan for taking
away the Church revenues from parishes in which there are
only a few Protestants, and praying for protection to the
Established Church. . .

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The Earl of HARROWBY presented similar petitions
from the County Clare in Ireland.

PRISON DISCIPLINE.

The Duke of RICHMOND begged to present to
their Lordships the first Report of the Committee upon
Prison Discipline, of which he had the honour of being
appointed Chairman. Although the Committee had not
brought their enquiries to a close, they had felt it their
duty to lay their opinion, upon a part of their evidence brought
before them upon their Lordships' table, as they felt convinced
that it called for the immediate attention of the Legislature.
They had inspected the various prisons of the me-
tropolis, and had examined the officers of these and
of other prisons in various parts of the country. Some of
them had been greatly improved in their discipline and ma-
nagement, but they wished to impress upon their Lordships
their opinion that the prisons of Newgate, Giltspur-street, and
the Borough Compter, must have the effect of corrupting the
morals of their inmates rather than to suppress vice. The
Committee had also found that the provisions of the
Act of George. IV., chap. 85, which direct that
certain returns should be made, have not been
complied with ; they have also drawn up certain resolutions,
which they recommend to the attention of their Lordships.
First, they recommend an uniform System of prison discipline in
every prison and House of Correction in the kingdom ; secondly,
for the purpose of securing that uniformity of discipline, they re-
commend that the rules and regulations of the several prisons
should be submitted to the Secretary of State for his approval ;
instead of as at present to the Judges of Assize. Thirdly,
that inspectors of prisons should be appointed to visit the
various prisons and make their reports to the Secretary of
State. Fourthly, they recommend an entire separation of the
inmates, except during the hours of labour, and the attend-
ance at Divine Worship, as absolutely necessary to prevent
contamination, and to secure prison discipline. Fifthly,
that silence should be uniformly enforced among the prisoners
both before and after trial ; and, sixthly, that the persons
whose trials have been postponed, or who have been tried
and acquitted on the ground of insanity, should not be im-
prisoned in the House of Correction. The Committee
further observe, that the order of reference having confined
their enquiries to the prisons of England and Wales, they had
not been able to extend their enquiry upon this subject to the
gaols of Scotland, but request that they may be authorised to do
so. The course which he (the Noble Duke) felt it his duty to
pursue was this, to move that the evidence should be printed
and distributed among their Lordships ; and when that had
been done, he would take an early opportunity of calling
their Lordships' attention to this important subject. —.
Agreed to.
On the motion of the NOBLE DUKE, power was given to,
the Committee to extend their inquiry to prisons of Scotland.