The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-02-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

tiovsr. OF LOR Ds. Fen. IS.

Th. flak• of N. roNsoleittlandi cad Lora Cloward of Ea*.
ltd.,. ~-► INo .•al IF ■aA their sent..

Email mad 4.1111e.t.. ro411101.“ ChM ib Ifore of
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welt trod a GM her.
ItTaTR OF Pit 150'01.

sr DmouTir sok!. their I...rdskipo ba,t now
on the obi, Returns from the oarless Jails in the
kingdom. lie bad the satisfection In brine able to
rorr.rt the misapprehension of a Noble klettpais, es
to the mode of getting at these Iteterns. 'they were
this r—letters were written in the Sheriff', Clerks
of the Peace, and chief Magistrate, throughout the
kingdom. as to the State of the Jails under their
care. If soy [toreros had not been made, he should
proton, them. Returns had not been made from
Ireland and Srolland, 'seep! in • few instances; bet
the Hume bad solbelont information to set open.—
It wee gratify* to Ind, that crimes had decreased,
awl more in the county. of Middlesex tbie in any
other cottons... esrept Rutland and Glamorgan.—
Persons of authority thought, that the State of the
jail, the raw of the increase of crime; bet
these men had not taken into consideration the many
Acts that had !seen passed for the regulation of Pri-
sons, which were sow in • state of implevemeat.—
If the Prisons had beers In the best stole any man
could wish, still the distress which bad prevailed (or
the list two or three years, would have tended to
the ins-nate of crime. The high prier, of provisions
—the want of employment—and the numerous die.
charges from the aimy sod sash—bad iwereased the
temptation to IlifaCPl. The crowded mete of the
Jails was itself on obstacle to claseificatiors of the
prisoners. and to the furnishing ibens with work.—
..More effecting a change In prison discipline, they
ought to consider the causes of the crowded state of
the Jails. Some hail considered net punishments,
and she desire of the Government to marry them into
elfert, a• mingainary. Let them took at the differ.
truce between the number of convictions and vane-
'ions now and formerly, and they would see that
the latter had been greatly diminished. It had been
an object with Government to get on ertobliohmeet
in Botany Bay, which would Separate the depraved
from the hiss burdened. In the hulks clessikation
bad taken place, medical inspection and religious la.
wooden bad been affom!eil, and, above all. the
convicts bad been kept at constant work. Those
who behaved cell obtained early discharges, and no
instance had yet occurred of soy so ilischerged re.
Corning to their former bed holtsts. From represeu-
*miens matte to him by M.4istrotes, reform hod failed
of the prioresses's, of cries* ; still the °Nevi wee, that
prisoners should he improved lu morels, and taught
habits of industry ; bet penishmeot should be ease.,
cistrd with prison distipline,and sorb prisoner should
carry with him a painful remembrance of his punish.
meat, In order that his treatment might not he an
&uteri um to others to get limo prison. Under
these impressions, be thought it impossible In sops.
rite p own discipline from some steps to be taken In
(honk .he proves, rime, by placing • locol juris-
diction in Jails anti Houses of Correction. The ise.
0441, therefore. was indiopensible, of poise into'
on enquiry en this subject. and the information de.
rived through these rosins world he the basis of erg
regislotiro the Noose might think fit to adopt. Ile
then growl for a Select Croiarri'lre 1.. enquire iulo the,
sta.e of the Jails in Lnelsoll and Wale..
The bilarqu.s of LA:. SDOW N had limed the No-
ble Viscount's speech •ith great sit:startion. Ile
was also rejoiced to hod that this great question had
bees taken •p hi the Noble Secretary. Ile 'lid not
know who lad entertained the ',pude'. that the stole
of o'er lass the cast. of the krreaso of crime;
b. t 'is opinion we., that the state of Prisons was
one acceleration cause of that iocteatte. As his opi.
oleo was. that they mast look much deeper for toe:
real causett, he did not think Chit they would he
able to find them out by the MCI MI proposed by the'
Noble Lord. The whole Criminal La a, consisting of
730 At is of ['ornament, night to be eeesidereri as
It operated in preventing or punishing crime, and how
far it art•sl open the feelings of the People at Jorge.'
Far this reason be protested against going into the
Con millet., with ass expectoti.m that Committee
could enter Iwo so wended on enquiry. fiat the'
Committee fright lay :loop an equal degree of 'u.
nishment, and also a (1611i:claim between prisoners
before and conviction. Their Prison Regula-
tions would be very deferive, if they aniseed penal
treatment to commence b. fore robriciion. Another
wield be w! Ir the Noble Lord had hinted at, same-
ly, legal jurisdictions. fit.ove all, there night to hel
so account every year of site state of ill Jells laid be.
fore the House sod the Public. to show what she
amount of labour done by the ;nitrations was. In Mr.
Gurney's accrant they would find, that owing to the
enforcement of lab..ur its Glasgow hison, not wore
than one-third of prisoners ever were brought
back to it, wEite tie. th•rde were Lund to be brought
back to that of Manchester. That did net, however,
arise from soy fault in the blagistr rtes. Improve-
ments were smoking in the latter Jail. Is Iskh couldat.
low the best regulations to he introduced. It was
a duty to 14,000 of the population, annually cosy
misted to misc.., and a duty to the Public at large,
that while they ponisiscd chore, they should provide
the offenders with the mean, and the opportenity of
returning once more to the bosom of society. With
these views he heartily agreed in the motion, though
he everted no more from it this an improvement of
prison discipline.
The Committee was then appointed.
Lord 1101.1.AN1 gate notise, that this day week
he would more for Copies of certain Colonial Itege•
lotions adopted by the Assemblies of the WWII In
dies, in consequence of an Ast.lreso of that Boise.