The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-03-02 00:00:00

roitrpprehension had Aone abroad ea this sobitiot.—
his motive had been properly enderstobtl, heroes.
tinned ohether a Loomed Gendarme's world have

riven Ms notice of a motion for to-morrow. as to the

state of crime. Ilia motion would not merely he for
an enquiry into the state of Jails, bet into the stale
of the Criminal Law, as wished by the Numerable
and !warned Gestlmmo. There was then no sub.
stantial difference between the object of the Loomed
Gentleman and himself. It would be oboists, that
an enquiry into prim n discipline could not have bees
his single object; for, if it had, he would hardly
have moved for a Couriusittee of that Hooey, when a
Ministerial Committee would have been so mock bet.
ter. The enquiry mast go to the state of crime, and
the best Woe. or controolling and sepproselog it. To
do ibis, they most come to an enquiry into our Crl.
rniaai Code. His objection, hooever, was to tattoo
the state of Ike law as the basis of the enquiry ; be-
came they might recite a rejettice against the law
before they were prepared to alter it. The enquiry
would be better applied to the modes of penishosent
most likely to suppress crime. lie saw nothing bet
ineonvenlence from holding out greater lenity of pa.
oi.hoseots io prospect, until they had thoroughly ex.
*mined them all, and found *hillier solitary confine.
.ith or without labour, or labour in hulks
aid penitentiary houses, &e. would be most likely to
diminish crime. Ikea* no difficulty in this enquiry;
for he bad knower many subjects brooch out to far
greeter patent than this. If, therefore, this sobjeet
was coolly quid temperately poised, much good
might result (inns the enquiry, and a userriftal rabic-
tiet of posit's/Dent eight he latroduced. At the
same time, he was decidedly against multiplying
Committees, which could only operate le produce
confusion. fie was also noxious that Gentlemen
should not, by a sweeping clans* and scesiestion, de-
stroy the force and moral character of our Pawl
Code, without pointing out the mode by which that
Code might be amended and iesproved. He strongly
urged Gentlesero to keep their passions woinfleessued
on this subject, otheroire, when they rams to view
it in its auesaggerated state, they would not peeved
with that energy which the subject required. The
Noble Lord ackuowledged that crime had increased
of late y etre ,• but he submitted, that this was to be
impaled to the increase of polyglotism, sad to the
transition from war to peace. In Ilse last ten years),
the iscresse of crime use as two to one; sod
in the last, as four to one. Bet ho trusted,
this increase would be found to arise out of
temporary anuses, as during the lest fear yeses,
the country bad laboured under s grout increase
of social difficulty. The Noble Lord then pro-
credo(' to take a review of the proportion of crimes
committed In the several counties, and observed, that
the fire counties of Middlesex, Surrey,Wa rat ick, Len-
caster, and York, wore aled to all the other
counties pet together. This proved that the iretemae
of crime bad kept time with the increase of trade mad
population. The population of chose counties hod
greatly increased ; and that the trade bad, would soh
amenity appear, wh:o he stated that the capital es-
',toyed in the cotton manufactory previous to the War
was four millions ; since the war, it had arnousitrol to
18 arillioas. It would be ditto for the line's to
liars. that the class of crime which mere IN:Westerly'
meat to sleet the moral character talks cation, sea
which distress sad poverty did net encase, had not
increased la the last year. Hy particularly alloded
to murder, manslaughter, rape, ir.,:avey, end assaults
of a certain description. lo these there was rather
a decrease. Tie increase bad taken plac.. in the
mimes of berglary, robbery, and forgery ; and the
two full of these were net attead.rl with thoeseggra.
voted cilcomstancos which h.J accompa.
vied them: sod, with respect to forgery, even on
enquiry, it would be hood the number of forgerier
committed in the last ten years, did nut equal the
number in the preceding tee years. It was also sa-
tisfactory to find that the increase in the number of
female offesders bore so proportion to the increase
of waste offeodtis. The Noble Lord also conteoded,
that the number of puerile.a had decreased of late
years. 111 1805, this amber condemned was 12.50,
and the esecelloes were as one is its; is 1817 they
were as owe la 11 ; and last year, the member exe-
cuted were as ono in It. The wbelo number of
swims' last year were 97 is the whole kingdom—s
number not more thaw 'goal to what, in former
years,•bed interred is Landoll and Middlesex. The
Noble Lord read statements and retains for 1785,
i, mod 7, to prove the correctness of this automat.
Ile contended, that an investigation of the state of
our Prisons alone would sot meet the evil complete.
rd of---the increase of grime, he was of opinion,
arose eat of other causes oleo; end to these objects
the Reese most also attend its enquiries. It would
be torrential in his °piglets, to enquire with respect
to Botany Bey, whether that place had not asaismod I
too mach the character of a celery to be as object of i
terror. He had even understood that many persons I
ruoridened transportation to that selfhood tether
as a hinter than a punishment.—[Heer, freee!)-
11e believed the Honourable and Learaird Geode-
man and himself bad the same object In clew.—
Yet be could not but object to the costae proposed
by the Hon. and Learned Gentlemen, which would
be le take an abstract view of the qeestioo, which
would give to our laws sanguinary character that did
ant belong to it. Ile could sot bet think it was I
owing to the present previsions of out law, as roe
girded the punishateat for robbery, that robbery in
this country was so midge attended by cruelty, as
ass almost invariably the case on the Continent. II
the youishmerst for volanieg wee Geed at the lowest
point, aid has the Crowe was deprived of the op-
partially of mitigation and mercy, one of the emotive
straiten; on cruelly naiad be Cesnoved. These, how.
ever, would be subjects for consideration whets the
Committee made itsgeportjhe Noble Lord again re-
eontineeded that appointment of a single Committee.
lie again deprecated any exaggereted statements by
which the population of the country, who bad been
taught by our anteaters that oar Government masa,
mildest on earth, should now be told, that oar Code
of Levee was eenvinary, oppressive, and enjest.—
Tbe Noble Lord concluded by moving the eppolut.
meat of a Committee to enquire into the State of the
Plinio., and into the best methods of preventing the
Venires. of Crimes, &c. Ibe Noble Lord said, if
this motion was. agreed to, he should then name the
Carenintee from a list of persons which he held
is
hit hind, acct which lie read user.