The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-04 00:00:00

satisfactory state of the prisons of the metropolis,
espee:ially-the-Barough Compter;respeef ing which,
be -read an extract from Mr. Buxton's work,
shelving the entirely inadequate state of that pri-
son for any purposes connected in the remotest
degree with the reform of prisoners. The
great test of the fitness of prisons in this respect
was the greater-or less number of their inmates
who returned to them again charged with different
offences '; and whenCe it appeared, that under the
system of indiscriminate i•--association to which he
alluded, where there were no means adapted to
reform, the return of the prisoners was in the
proportion of 40 per Cent., whilst, under the
system of reform, the-proportion was only 5' per
Cent. ; there could surely require no Other
argn-
tnent to prove the necessity of acquiring that in-
formation, which would enable the Parliament, in
another Session, to legislate with a view to the
extension' of that system which had been found,
in partial- instances, so eminently beneficial. His
Lordship concluded a very eloquent speech, lay`
moving an Address to his Royal Highness (Le
Prince Regent, praying that information night-be
laid before the House, in the next Session of Par-
liament, respecting the State of Prisons through-
out the country; the effect of the regulations
established for their government and regulation ;
and respecting a variety of other circumstances
connected with their management.
Lord SzomouTtiagreed with the Noble Marquis
as to the importance of the subject; and. the mi.,
lity of instituting an inquiry under the authority
of,Parliament. The melancholy fact of the in-
crease of crime,for the last eight or nine years
could not be denied, but as to the cause of that
increase is vas impossible to speak with confi--
dence, though it-might probably be attributed to
the accumulation of causes noticed by the
.Noble
Marquis, and to some circumstances which ehasi. •
racterised the last few years. It would be found,
on referring to The,Papers laid before the Pouse,,,
that the number of capital offences had nearly
doubled the risen! proportion for three or four
years after the close of the war in 1783, but that
after that period' they declined again into the or-
dinary average. At the close of the late war the
distress was greater than at any former period,
owing to the high price of prOvisiOnS. This
Might be supposed to-hare its influence. It was
also to be recollected, that Ore terror of punish,
trients bad-been lessened by the decreased severity,
of their execution,- and that the neglect of itn-
prOvement in the state of the prisons,• no provi-
sion basing been made to promote labour and ins
dustry within theta; had rendered them, as they
.were but too justly described, nurseries of 'vice.
His Lordship then entered into a detailed account
of the. comparative number of persons convicted
acrd executed-inithe different years, from 1749-tc.
1817, from which. he inferred, that capital pu-
nishments were :less. frequently enforced •of late
than at any of the former periods. In this situa-
tion the House had to chuse•betWeen two modes
of preventing crime ;—either they must adopt a
system ofincreased rigour,- or, by some reforma,
tionin the management of gaols, attempt to ar-
rest the progress of crime before it arrived at that
stage in
.which capital punishment became neces-
sary. He thanked the Noble Lord for proposing
the. inquiry,. and belvas are the. House would
feel, it to be their duty, when the information w,as
collected, to appoint a Committee; 'and without
pretending to, anticipate -what the Report of that
Committee might be, he was confident it would
lead to an improvement of the system, for which
reason the motion had his most cordial concur- •
rence. .

The zuotitht was accordingly agreed to nem.
41s.

On the motion of the Earl of CARNARVON, the
amendments of the Cdmnions to the poor Laws
Amendment Bill were agreed to.
Bart GROsVerroß postpogeti his intended mo,
lion' for the abolition of Offices in Reversion till
Friday.

The- other Orders of the Day were then dis.
posed of, and the House adjourned to Friday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The House having attended in the House of
Lords, the Speaker, on its return, stated, that
the Royal Assent had been given by commit:-
Sion to several Bills, (for which see our report of
the Lords.)
A Message from the Lords brought down tie
with some amendments. This Bill
was ordered to he printed, and taken into con-
sideration on Friday.