The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-11 00:00:00

IMPRISONMENT FOR SMALL DEBTS.

A petition was presented from the medical gentle-
man who so ably performs his duties at Whitecross-
street Prison, praying that some addition should be
made to 'his salary, in consideration of the great ad-
dition to his duties on account of the increasing
number of patients, produced by the crowded state
of the gaol.
Upon the motion for submitting this petition to
the Gaol Committee, together with some others,
The Loan MAYOR said he had a few observa-
tions to make, and those he should advance without
the slightest idea of detracting from the claims of
the medical gentleman whose petition had been just
presented. He was convinced that the public would
be glad to hear there was every reason to expect
that Government intended to interfere to supersede
imprisonment for small debts. It had been repre-
sented to the Ministers that the arrest for small
debts, particularly the Court of Request debts,
was productive of the greatest mischief to the
morals of the laborious classes, and that the parishes
on which poor persons who have been imprisoned
had claims were put to great expence on account of
the existence of the law of arrest; in those cases
the families of the prisoners being invariably depend-
ent upon parochial relief from the moment caption
was made. This representation had made a deep
impression upon Government, he had had reason to
believe, and he trusted that at the beginning of the
next session the question would occupy Parliament.
Every one to whom he had spoken on this painful
subject at once assented to the necessity of getting
rid of so injurious, and in every respect so unprofit-
able a system. Under these circumstances, it was
likely that the medical duties of the petitioner would
be considerably diminished in a short time, instead
of being increased, and there would no longer exist
a claim to a higher salary on the ground of more
extended duties. His Lordship threw out these ob-
servations as a hint to the Committee,
Alderman WooD said, that Mr. Peel, to whose
active exertions the country was greatly indebted,
had expressed his intention to submit this most im-
portant subject to Parliament as soon as possible.--
The general confusion created in Parliament by the
great constitutional event which had occurred, and
which absorbed every other question this session,
prevented die adoption of some measure of relief for
unfortunate small debtors, as well as of some other
projects of public utility. No doubt the Home
Secretary would turn his attention to the condition
of the debtors whose families were thrown upon the
world, and whose morals were almost invariably de-
stroyed by the gaol habits. The present plan was
horrible. The tallyman, as had been a short time
ago stated by the press, with a benevolent feeling
towards the poor, resorted to the most ingenious
means of involving the labouring man in debt and
ruin, and infamy generally followed. The gaol of
Newgate was often the next abode: It was impos-
sible to hide the knowledge of the demoralizing ef-
fects of a prison confinement upon the poor unin-
structed of the community. He (Alderman Wood)
concurred with the Lord Mayor in the observations
which his Lordship had made as a recommendation
to the Committee. If, notwithstanding all that was
expected to be done on this occasion, the petitioner's
patients did not diminish in number, the Court
would most readily take into consideration the ques-
tion of an additional salary.
The petition was then referred to the Gaol Com-
mittee.

There are, it appears, at this moment upwards of
60 persons confined in the Middlesex side of White-
cross-street prison upon Court of Request processes,
most of the debts being under 31. It is estimated
that the families of half of number are now de-
pendent upon parochial relief. All over England
there are courts of the same kind held, so that if
this estimate be taken as the average, the poor rates
are enormously increased by the small debt impri•
sonment system. It may not be amiss to state here
what was stated in the lobby of the court, that the
prison in Whitecross-street is extremely crowded,
notwithstanding the exertions of the Commissioners
of the Insolvent Court, who are indefatigable, who
sit four days every week, and hear 15 original cases
each day. The conduct of the Commissioners can-
not be too highly applauded. Wherever they find
a case of misfortune, they dismiss the insolvent
without hesitation or delay. It is but justice, too,
to mention that the present Sheriffs, Mr. Copeland
and Mr. Booth, have acted with the greatest libera-
lity to the prisoners. They have supplied money
for their exigencies fForn'their Poekets, and in
the cold weather se►it a large extra supply of coals,
clothes, &c,

The Grand Jury of Middla"-
a true bill against -1.- ...ex yesterday found
BUTLER, for having set fire to
the 1."7".....i5es of Messrs. DOWNING, floor-cloth manufactu-
rers, of Chelsea. A true bill was also found against Tito-
al syltamula H.ot, for the murder of MARY ANNIE WAITE.