The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.--,FRIDAY

Earl GREY rose to move the second-reading of the two
bills relating to convict discipline, of> which he had given
notice on a previous evening, and at the same time wished
to avail himself of the opportunity to state the determina-
tion to which the government had come with regard to
the whole subject of secondary punishments. They had
resolved, then, to make a change which amounted to no-
thing less than a total abolition of the system of tran-
sportation which had existed for so many years. After
premising that this change would not affect the deporta-
tion of convicts for purposes of punishment to Bermuda
and Gibraltar, where the term transportation meant an
entirely different system than that exercised in Australia,
the noble lord proteeded to review the, atter system, and
the various modifications it had undergone down to the
present time ; and having shown that it'had been ineffec-
tual, expensive, and ruinous both to the convicts them-
selves and the colonies to which they were transported,
went on to state the new regulations which it was pro-
posed to adopt for the punishment of offenders. Instead of
being transported, they were to be kept at home, at first for
a certain period in separate confinement, and afterwards,
when discharged from this preliminary state, employed for
a stated time on public works ; the principle of this em-
ployment would be that the convicts were to be subject to
a system according to which they would have a great and
direct interert in their own good conduct, not only to abridge
the period for which their punishment was to last, but also
to enjoy certain immediate and positive advantages. It was
also intended that every convict who really conducted
himself well, who worked industriously, and did not incur
any fresh punishment for misconduct, should be enabled
to obtain his discharge at the termination of half the pe-
riod for which he was sentenced. When this period was
expired a pardon would be granted to the offender, on
condition of his emigrating from England ; and to assist
him in carrying this intention into effect, the government
proposed that criminals, during the latter period of their
employment on the public works should be allowed wages
to nearly the full value of their labour, the money being
allowed to accumulate until the time for granting the

present year it was calculated that means would be avail-
able in Great Britain by which every convict sentenced to

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preliminary period of separate confinement ; and, with
respect to the employment of convicts in public works,
that the govenment were preparing wooden buildings,
which could be put up where great public works were in
progress, and removed, after their completion, to another

Lord BROUGHAM expressed great admiration at the
statement made by Earl Grey. Generally speaking, he
had come to the same conclusion, that transportation
ought to cease ; he was not, however, sure that it might

In his

opinion, it would be most safe to confine the punishment
to persons in a superior rank in life, because to such per-
sons it was indeed a most awful infliction, while to persons
of a lower grade in society it was no punishment at all.
He was not at all pleased with that part of the noble earl's
propositionwhich rendered compulsory exile a consequence
'of penal imprisonment, and thought our neighbours, the
French, would put a high prohibitive duty on the importa-
tion of offenders under the new system.

Lord STANLEY entertained doubts as to the policy of
abolishing transportation, which he believed was that
secondarypunishment most dreaded by hardened offenders.
As for the plan of imprisonment proposed to be substi-
tuted instead of transportation, he ventured to say that
such a. system must break down—a system which, in the
first place, would revolt against the feelings of the people
of this country ; and which, in the second place, must, if
fully carried out as it ought to be, interfere with the
demand for labour. It would throw the whole of the
government employment for the public works, which was

hands of a'convict population, who would be well fed and
kept, and perhaps, at the end of their sentence, be sent
ont as free labourers, or as emigrants to the colonies or

elsewhere

Lord DENMAN was extremely rejoiced to hear that the
Norfolk Island establishment was to be broken up, but

dismay at the prospect of the total abolition of transpor-
tation. He hoped no great change would be adopted in
the system without the most serious deliberation.

The Duke of RICHMOND hoped that the government
would reconsider their plan, and seriously reflect upon the

Earl Grey replied to the various objections which had
been made to his propositions ; and after some further
discussion the two bills were read a second time.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

-FRIDAY

Mr. MILNER GIBEON, in answer to Dr. BOWRING,
ated that the only new Quarantine regulation which had

been adopted, was with respect to Turkey importing non-
enumerated goods, " which were to be exempted from
quarantine if they were provided with clean bills of 'health,
and the crews and passengers free from suspicion in a
sanatory point of view.
Mr. LABOUCHERE, in answer to Lord DUNCAN, replied
that the Poor-law Commissioners had issued explicit
orders that all defaulters in the payment of rates in Ire-

iroughout t

iat coup

been direc

require

immediate payment.
Capt. LINDSAY moved an address for an inquiry into
the canteen system in barracks, and as to whether it would
not be advantageous to the discipline and to the moral im-
provement of the troops to prevent the sale of spirituous
liquors therein, or within the precincts or proximity of
barracks.

On an assurance from .Mr. F. MAur.E, that the whole
canteen system should undergo the most rigid investiga-
tion with a view to rendering it next to impossible that it
should tend to the deterioration of the morals or health
of the army : and after some observations from other
honourable members, Captain LINDSAY withdrew his
motion.

Mr. J. O'CONNELL in an explanatory speech, drew the
attention of the house to the advisability of employing
the labouring population now engaged on the public works
in Ireland in the tillage of land.

Mr. LABOUCHERE was not at all surprised that the
honourable gentleman should avail himself of the forms

of the house to bring the calamitous condition of Ireland
under its notice, but as regarded the proposals made by
the honourable gentleman, he conceived it to be the duty
of the Government unreservedly to state, that it would be
impossible for them. as well as impracticable, to act upon

Lord JOHN RUSSELL lamented very much that, in cer-
tain districts, tillage had not been proceeded with, but he
still hoped it would be found more general than was anti-
cipated, that hope being grounded upon the well-under-
stood determination of the Government not to interfere
in the manner pointed out by the honourable member for

The house then went into committee of supply, Colonel
ANsoN moving the ordnance estimates ; after which, the
navy estimates were proceeeed with, the discussion on
which occupied the remainder of the sitting►.

UNIVERSITY

IND, CLERICAL NEWS

OXFORD, MARCH s.—Mr. John Ryce Byrne, Com-
moner of University ; and Mr. Bull, from Rugby, were
this day elected to Scholarships at University College.
Mr. Charles B. Scott, of Trinity College, Cambridge,
is the successful candidate for the Pitt scholarship.
The Cambridge Chronicle, the organ of the University,
says that the election of Prince Albert to the Chancellor-
has " for the most part given satisfaction."
Earl Howe has placed at the disposal of the Society for
the Building of Churches and Parsonage Houses the mu-
nificent sum of £l,OOO.

The Rev. John T. Pigot, M.A., senior curate of the
parish of Wigan, has been appointed by the dean and
chapter of Rochester to a minor canonry in the cathedral
of that town.

The Liverpool Church Building Society have purchased
two sites for new churches--=one in Great Nelsoi-street,
in All Saints' district, and the other in Bona-street, in
Bevington district.

The Bishop of Chester has appointed the Rev. Thomas
Remington, A.M. Incumbent of Cartmel, to be Rural
Dean of the Deanery of Cartmel comprising the parishes
of Cartmel and Colton.

A provincial journal shows that in the diocese of St.
Asaph, which abounds in
_poor curates of_long standing,