The Sun.
London, England, 1828-03-07 00:00:00

MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.

A Messenger from the House of Lords delivered a
message requesting this House would be pleased to
send to their Lordships copies of the Report of the Se-
lect Committee appointed by the House upon the subject
of Emigration from the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, together with the Minutes of Evidence taken
before that Committee appointed last Session by this House
upon criminal commitments and convictions.
The Messenger having withdrawn, and the Speaker
having communicated to the House the objects of the mes-
sage, which were agreed to, called in the messenger, and
informed him that the House would order copies of the
reports, &c., to be forthwith sent to their Lordships.
Mr. BERN AL obtained leave to bring in a Bill for
building and improving the Town Quay and landing place
of Gravesend, in the county of Kent.
Mr. DUGDALE presented a petition from the Magis-
trates of Warwick, stating the increase of crime in that
county, and praying that this House would apply such re-
medies to check the evil, as in their judgment they might
think effectual for that purpose. The Magistrates of that
county, about ten years ago, founded an Asylum for
receiving juvenile offenders after conviction, and had
since that period discharged from that asylum
many youths who had since become good members of
society; but notwithstanding their efforts, crime was still
increasing ; and as an instance of that fact, he should
mention, that at the last Quarter sessions for the
county, there were one hundred and fifty prisoners, of
whom not lees than from 70 to 80 were mere boys.__
The Magistrates, although well aware that an Asylum,
supported by private voluntary contributions, could not
have the effect of checking crime to any great extent, yet
they did not attempt to point out any plan for the consi-
deration of the House. In a very able pamphlet, upon the
subject, by Sir E. Willmot, a Magistrate of that county, the
author attributed the increase of crime in some measure
to the indiscriminate committing of boys, and suggested as
a remedy the propriety of giving power to two or three
Magistrates to punish boys in a summary manner for cer-
tain offences, and he (Mr. D.) thought that such a power
would produce beneficial results.
Mr. LAWLEY bore testimoney to the increase of crime
among juvenile offenders in the county of Warwick, and
of the number of persons committed by Magistrates in
that county, half were less than 17, and one-eighth less
than seven years of age. He did rut blame the Magis-
trates for this, as they had no alternative between
discharging and committing such persons as happened
to be brought before them. Some of those youths
were confined in prison for three months previous
to trial, and in consideration of such imprisonment, were,
when convicted, dismissed with a very slight punishment,
and the comequenc,e was that, instead of being better
members of society at the expiration of their imprison.
merit, the language which they had heard, and the ex-
ample set by those whom they associated with, made them
ten thousand times worse than they were when they en-
tered the prison.

Mr. LITTLETON said he had a similar petition from
the Magistrates of Staffordshire, and stated that during the
last three years the number of persons coasreitted by those
magistrates, under 15 years of age, were as follows :
In 1825
1826
1827
Coder 20 years of age—
In 1825
1826 137
1827 164
lie thought the power of summary punishments granted
to Magistrates for certain offences, would produce benefi-
cial results.

Sir T. LETHBRIDGE said, crime among juvenile
offenders was on the increase in Somersetabire.
Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY thought the increase of
crime was principally attributable to the habit of paying
wages out of the poor-rates, and of giving, pursuant to a
late Act of Parliament, the expenoes of witnessas and pre-
secutoll• _ _

Mr. PORTMAN thought that giving such summary
power to Magistrates would operate as a remedy.
The petitien was then referred to the Committee on the
Increase of Crime.

Mr. LITTLETON presented a similar petition from the
Mrgistrates of Stafford.—Referred to the same Committee.

JONATHAN FOX.
Mr. LUAILEY presented a petition from Jonathan Fox,
who had been committed to Newgate by this House, for
having attempted to suppress the truth in his evidence be-
fore a Committee of the House relative to the election for
the borough of gut Retford, praying that he might he
brought to the Bar of the House, and discharged.
Mr. WlLLeucater and Mr. DAwsoN supported the
prayer of the petition.
Mr. SPRING RICE suggested that the present motion

should be withdrawn, and that a notice should be given
that the subject would be brought before the House to-
RIOITOW.

petition given.
fromven; the After a few words from Mr. aim LEY, the motion was
wi3thicir.raHw. Nn,GaßnAd
Ta
TnoAtice presented a totliateffect was
Go-
vernor and Directors of the Hibernian Joint Stock Com-
pany expressing their surprise that a petition had been pre-
sented to the House, praying for the dissolution of that COM-
pany. The Hon. Member also presented petitions from the
parish of Bray, in the county of Wicklow, St. Paul's, in
the city of Dublin, and several other other parishes in
Ireland, praying for Catholic Emancipation.
The petitions were ordered to be printed.
A new Writ for the election of a Member to represent
the borough of Sandwich in Parliament was ordered, in
the room of Sir Edward Owen, who has accepted the
office of one of the Council of the Lord High Admiral.