The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-02 00:00:00

Which had been acted on in many large towns. At this mo-
ment in Hertford a new gaol had been built. At Bath a new
one was just completed. In Hertford, Peterborough, Scar-
IT°„rsTitsghks Wilts, Bucks, Chichester, Reading, Penzance,
a,nThessuttrY, and Plymouth, new gaols were about to be built.
-and."o'ethi
ee'rrdplaeCitesr,fisle, Leicester, Wakefield, Stafford, I3ucks,
tai the gaols were being enlarged. This showed
t the matter was not stationary, and that there was a desire
nninnstthetnpart
the of the Government to do that which would tend
ireprovement in prisons. The Hon. Gentleman
°PPosite dwelt With some emphasis on the variation in the
lPneishment of hard labour and diet. With regard to the
earelicifr in bred labour, he (Sir J. Graham) admitted that
the different eomstruction of the treadmills in the country, and
considereare i 4 lsbe time of rrmainine on them, did cauos a
matter into viriatten and punishment ; but this was the very
gradually awlioirir the Government had instituted inquiries, and
sa
witheduced Progressively the variations would be.
r s 83 at ' least to be unworthy of notice
from inquiry,e Peet to diet also, the Government had not abstained
Afember
, of. The very' cases quoted by the Honourable
b", 11 made h..ere,lY showed how vigorously investigations had
soled the ", toe Government. The lion. Gentleman men-
eiewing e.11%,s " a mother with a child at the breast not re-
ins seerBerallesent support, but he stated, sari the same time, that
vestigates
.TY of State for the Home Deperit actuall in-)
did not -4
in
Intl.,_ einatter-( Hear, hear)-and he (Sir J. Graham
tiito.toizthat a stronger case could have been adduced to
Government was not allowing this matter to re
elitist, 51`esr- He did think it a strong proof that a case so
autsorit tould be brought under the inspection of a supremo
fete. i' and that the supreme authority should inter:-
shine, Gfiro.the course of the last two months, he (Sir
":'Petters-suarn) had received Reports from the Prison
i." too teumtlainine that the diet iii some prisons
.o the r....w. These . cases he had always forwarded
bel'itie.g tofuat accompanied by his opinion that it
fesent
.destrable ake inquiries into the diet at the (fif-
ths asPlisceisr and in ever - case he was happy to say, that
to his 4,lting Magistrate, had shown' every disposition to attend
re his
ggestions. There was another very important matter
"led oti° solitary confinement. He was sure that having
Posits h : Matter, as he could see the Hon. Gentleman op-
;,i.rt, 1114.4'., 80 done, he might, perhaps, be allowed to read la
''ght sfs'ned by the Commissioners on that point. Te
e(Mtais,P- Gentleman proceeded to read the circular, which.
rnetitof, rules and regulations for the carrying the punish-
Prison
stanary Confinement into effect. It stated that every
111°111d be contain a certain number of cells; that they
"e %h tight and well bedded ; that the prisoners should
Itith Zet to the discretion of the surgeon, and Le provided
the 1;178, 'while those who could not read should be visited by
he °t;:itwaster, or such person as might be capable
.of
th„8I ths 0 them instruction - that they should take exercise
eV. Pen air and be ' lied with work at the discretion of
hel4'istra- t 7.1.1' Now, continued the Right Hon.
fleab sefthe reimeed at ethe policy had led to the diminu-
91t the the inflfction of capital punishments in this country.
ts.tos amelioration of criminal punishment might be carried.
ktsa,_ Es, elt an extent. They might go on relaxing their
sntltsho;"'Pline till they arrived at a point at which crime
oflrellaa,-,,t be receiving a premium. He was quite opposed
,LlSlsish,se resembling cruelty, but their prisons must be places
,stslatios•gent, and they must not carry the mitigation of their
Pd'ads ens 3 beyond that point. The Hon. Gentleman had
thtt-nir Peitson between the prison discipline of England
sesrd, %see' Ameriea. Now he had understood from Mr. Craw-
,ne„ of 1 the Inspectors of Prisons, that the prison disci-
-47:2 witi`teerica was more severe than our own,. espe•
to"" at",Lregard to corporal punishment, which was. in-
%Litt, extent
discretion of the officers of the prison,
ton,..'qie: -`llt that would not be tolerated in England.
-wet e 4 that th of gaolers like all other arbitrary Zestrh:itilauhli!bille tod abuse,(allchicrh)-cou'ld only be checked by
840.. %kr' ten ence-- ea and from all that he had
it ...most auperintendence was for the most part sufficiently
plated 4 astnd-the system of prison discipline generally, while
;talks. 41,-„Pted to intain the rigour of the laws, r't to -r°ll Principmleas of mercy.-( Hear, hear.) kith re-
14eas
;UM silent system he was not prepared to give a decided
„15Ppolitt he was not inclined to agree with the Noble
ossts:7sel ae •,;e2.thrartitatth.ere ere eat objections to it, that it
4,i stssu‘ari ion, andw couldg not be enforced without
'll the 'Punishments.-( Hear, hear.). He. had learned
e were . ,
.akefield House of Correction _ prisoners before
tt,;, the
~i4Djeeted to the silent system. Now
.he thought
ohm ineresamption should be that the untried persons
Nitat °cent, and should not be subjected to pu-
aie ditoetil t. Whereas compulsory silence was a serrou
oil:: to „"--(flear; hear, hear.) He communicated this
hit.. 4 tc,,.." Magistrates, and the practice which he
rth t Caa, immediately given up.-( Hear, hear.) With
rtr,'t i"st;H°ll gaol, in which there were
.many Catholics, he ,
to fl,l.'sko deed any report of the abuse which the Hon. Mem-
itotoN7th:lie-clergilyut he must say that if admission was refused
men to visit and administer spiritual comfort
asittl)eNtni of their persuasion, it was not only cruel, and
Gott ts ss,serated for an instant, but it was absolutely unlawful
fete's/Is zest the express provisions. of a statute. The re- '
4lose erlaio ted that persons visiting prisoners should do so un-
-1,4 ftertirestrictions ; but if those operated to prevent pri-
44"gt to Ithreceiving religions education, when they did not
ilis, -°,eorpot, e, Established Church, he should condemn them.
et is',was ;a' Punishment, it was true that the power of order-
le "t kraTlen to the Visiting Magistrates, but mark how spar-
toke% itsed- In 1840 the total number of male adults in
1207470°1 England and Wales was 69A28, say in round
tele sales °f The Hon. Gentleman said there had. been
t rto e. eor or Ipunishment in that year, but he did not
s t male _ p a .
. s.',Net s! 41°14, and Graham) realty.thought that lii"tatioen`lileenile prisoner violating rules, a slight personal
tli refrrriet was a very proper and even salutary proceeding ;
ko qt; met
to those 70,000 male adults he found that
est 'attest! °f inflictions of corporal punishment did
Nets,' 'le. H° s"en. So the returns stated.---( Hear, hear.)
Ids'elli.
ueit: pentlernan would ask him, after all, why he
t'esio' that h Y ' Now, he would tell the Hon. Gentleman
tosNe to e, thoufsht the House would have come to the con-
-4), IttZlnieh he himself had come, that progressively,
Ira, ist,. , surely they were arriving at an improved state of
thlpistahrlisi:hlit4ne in this country. The Executive Government
Oiats to that House •he was at that moment afford-
tes,,,;nee of th • el'
He believed that the
at t,. their responsibility: .
kasissYsleso 'l,a Committee would lead to a disturbance of
sedo's4:bsd'. l'Tßibeh he was anxious to maintain for the present.
sro, ft on
eh
e change of persons at the Home-Office, had
4 '''ellt enaTlge in the principles which guided the Go-
kille ootetn 'this 'subject. - (Heir, hear.) He entreated the
it'lese6' to r°isiisPrsb the present
aysstem. If any Gentleman
11..Issie4elit!eovtie,dlt-hgassi:elore the House particular case for its con-
e facts of that case be stated and investigated.
sFistrn'tstatnhos,shlnhillit
would be far more conducive to the public
l'lL_Peintment of a Committee. Under these
11°,4• - '''''44 that the House would reject the
tilt, WARLEy
14461)1e Lora ~, said he
was sure the information which
k‘the4d just receivede Secretary of State for the. Home Depart-
, roe was °° kmust be gratifying to him. lie heard
.ii' tueentchange whatever in that department of the
Iltj' °Li
I*-V N'' lir A v ARAM--As related .to that particular matter.
11'1,-EY Yes as related to that particular matter.
tikkike',4 Was going on precisely as it did . before; all the
llasise s„ atlons of the Noble Lord were faithfully adopted,
BSaellll,,-IPreeernent was such that it was highly desirable
that set
be no change.. Now it had been said by a great
est seke celebrated writers, that the merits of great men
ot,dtsso ;14 known until they were dead.-(Laughter.) In
• tif , e.,_
it'd tai Itt. 'esenaed that political suicide, at all events, was a
,Iss
~st-i, ta '"(Lond laughter.) The Noble Lord lived to hear
'Vt"' t.' Officially he was dead-it was " the late Secre-
`a Ot ‘te,"
t:titii, haft , and the late Secretary of State had the plea-
(' she ling his commendations from a quarter from
Nles, list el,d oo reason to expect. He was sure that the Noble
ilt.r.'-ellexpecteil such commendations from such a bin
-
\ Iri 4,41 e had heard the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite
llh:sstlis se.rY different tone with regard to what was passing
s,- -Ohl sr,!e Government existed. That night, however,
t'seal-d 1),A• Gentleman had spoken in a different manner
st,st;,:dies, bee most free and most liberal in the com-
as), Yof which he had bestowed on the late Se-
bei 'ti kate , ktsoi hi,
~s for the Home Department.-( Hear, hear.)
illilefkiNi7Jltened most attentively, in order. to. ascertain
fivel 44 11,7 been In the system of governing prisons which
l'laltottrs Os:....Gentleman would condemn ; but it appeared,
sin" bOa..aft giest laborious research-after the must atten-
Zses_sa oii er the most searching investigation which he
iirl4thet, ' to bestow upon the question then under discus-
-oEnts4t tshietis nothing to condemn nothing to alter, in the
"te 411 it - the late' Governmenthad pursued.-(Hear.)
HO s' as' 4181 the Right Hon. Gentleman had not. said that
'la ''et ° was on that side of the House.-( Hear, hear.)
'141„• G. et tool
Fr 11,tcatifte ate to alter, and he trusted that the. Right
. nit entlit,N h ,V,would be convinced, before the discussion
hi `et f4cit Mpf„not given a satisfactory answer to his Hon.
thelidstd2nts in,i7,ssa.r_Y, he would ask, to continually harrow
vi' `44...-' L ine 1-1 bsuch representations as hai
.041, y his „s Ouse
ohs tl- 'Pe of ,tt oh. Friend? He was willing to trust to
cr„' th:esar, he Secretary of State. He believed that he
th:el t, tY hkr tsn's of
vigilantly and faithfully, but after
to;_alstpor
,:selrd of the Magistrates, he thought it was
tOs4'ilbssessr,r,nners under their care.-( Heat:, hear.) If
tliihkotsNhis-'.‘ exceeded their authority, the House. ought
kt ;'4l Ili% et into its consideration, and give poor prisoners
"'SOO f6hstiaootis °lse law. In his opinion. such a state of
t't 'Oll vn taken'') ,oe allowed to exist for another week. Look
trlsst‘' AI -sltstt ii; Place at Ipswich; there the chaplain had not
tisit•teanapstsat e prisoners, but had refused to do so by order
hal; tha,Per4L., If they sat down quietly under such state-
i.' -,-,. th --i„Such practices to continue, it was impos-
tie;4lteelBre Q,,ll°'ise tould retain any portion of
'tlti,t),el. were --
-'respect. Nine-tenths of the crimes
a' th'
cite'lN 44Honourable Colleague had very
14:atly to tcributable to ignorance and to poverty.
tlioa th;!'itiaie weglect of the Legislature that there were
to 4.14411," tern..,ansl they ought rather to be objects of_com-
kss,t'ry th 'af mivitY• He thought the improvement in the
hltat`,l‘tes -seate. pli.at,,se much hid
nut said, existed rather
ettai,L to ~!andy 4 'Lice. The dimon of capital unish-
tlt ts.?reept`eitios great improvement-(Cheers)-bpt with
asseees,.. s sss corn_
savagesu in the
e;° Ii "inti-6 ' Inflict-'3, we were becoming.
tstsa, bseselds p •ed• The first inquest he hadeverluld
-100 '''o "kiln,'
to had been upon the body of a black,
t,°4lNral .444 had, the streets of the Metropolis in a state of
k' q pltteti for, because he was in a state of destitution,
tiKleattl'eliis'alereatinll t.irree months, with heed labour, to the
Site itSlttioo . tee months, with hasl labour, to the
54,f Jaeolirao 1,0 Coldbath-fields. That man, a native
hit
04. ,I.lara e' natl been laced upon the tread-mill on
igst o,"ioo 'le (iitn,tl before the three months had elapsed he
•.'' ita 43 -medical e* wakley) had no hesitation in giving it as
as), s es
against
k op, a man, that the sentence passed i't no:cit4sispol'ntttirit it,"tethueewse(v4 death. The tread-mill was exposed
4,4114t54
thtttuppos4
ills crest weather, and after the man had
s„,Noi, i'l it. 0 tread .
' 'llev' ‘ 6,-eathar tread-
he sat upon the bench, exposed
'slop became affected, and he died.
ttieNia,4l to Mat, fi. that the Visiting Magistrates might have
left •1 ta Whet °ln Puishment, but there might be some
rAtt eel
5.4 hither they Possessed that power.. Why. the
is
ias,,iitle.
for
Ise (11Atitr, iLterfered to prevent this punishment
,th Ittls °l' neat • waklea) could not tell. In another
.444140 rd I:',' had eeeng Vbs. of bacon from an open shop in
rep t hoed I:,'
si.._
Weeks
sentenc(d to six months' imprisonment
ke7, 41,1', He
.!_iieelcs of the time to be passed in solitary
1441 et te"trtlaily g•euss't state a few instances to the House.
% • 41,14aPortntie teals before Christmas, a man was sen-
iettr, jek. her for life for stealing a penny out of a
th kk Ito man was
L 'l4 %4, lteaii„,, , . sentenced to transportation for
ifol,h_tt for of it nth half-sentenced
out of a letter. Another
t 000,6 wok %Lanai::
.I:llnraitted by him (Mr. Wakley) from
td Ist_eaqinette whom e The man pulled out of bed a
4417 N thattuots her, sipreseosehabbietredakickedith:rbaibsouktnetehse
d tirtvitille 43fashe told,
'l'
he would rip the child out
tin that sOt of a most notorious thief and ruffian.
iity! sir:tif her.
ofth. at.
poor woman caused her death,
ote and restat,en !Prlogs and there was not a mitt-
ift
let tot
tot a those in the ease: The man was found
as tette, etr tell'
fors at which a man was
tip s ans Ported f l
kdh til this °ther or , for stealing a penny out
list ,1 1 wa,s a raan, guilty of the death of.a woman and
, ,retts. ahn,‘._ etenced to
le tro hooq-. lao, it
.twelve months' imprisonment
4ro,atttesi that obtain the
was impossible that laws so admi-
t to lief
the . . respect and confidence of the people.
1,,_. h lorrn o,_ Ho would therefore proceed in right
4 tr:t' t;l:j,_‘lst a',171 erlf min.al law, and the GoPvernincnt of the
eeehng tone in which the Right Hon.
oche seb; 'secrets,. r00..,h,e, •Let, e,tati berEY jo_r_.mt.hre
.Home Department had spoken
lose ~`-',otqs major;,!_eis led by them all--( Hear, Lear)._
1)0,,t‘,' the ':.'.eAt w,:u1.;7 yin the House, he truded the Right
~,„_ll Jo.thnseene tissegsonot allow the matter to rest, but would
'''.. stioirosi Ilinovat:ti :eptononiteasuCbejememt. ittee, which should
sues, s to • -le on i, ,
factslie naeneddmedatneroitalas
egislatinn,gnaltie,-
thee
had already
. y ought, after receiving the lie-