The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-02-19 00:00:00

MADDER DUTY.

The Madder Duty Ball %sent tnrougb u Committee.—Report
to-tuorrilw.
The Annual Indemnity Bill was read a second time.

( try JAILS.

Mr. Alderman WOOD said, in moving for a
Committee, it was not his inteution to trespass on
the House with unitecessasy arguments. Much had
been said of the abuses that prevailed in the Prisotis
of the Metropolis; but he believed a full investiga-
tion would establish the conclusion, that where evils
existed, as he was willing to admit some did esist,
they were not to be attributed to any oblivion of
duty on the part of. the Magistrates. There were
many things that required alteration. Great abuse
arose from the number of convicts that were kept in
these prisons. But when he stated that evil, it was
a duty be owed to the Noble Lord at the head of the
Home Department to state, that he had done every
thing to remove these convicts as rapidly as circum-
stances permitted. But to attach reproach to the
Magistrates of London, he believed the investigation
would prove, was unfounded. His Honourable!
(fiend (Mr. Bennett), and who could feel disin-
elieed to testify to his meritorious eaertious iu
►liking the miseries of the wretched and the desti-
tute, had, however, given the Magistracy a severe
lecture, though it would be found, that the evils fur
which the Magistracy were blamed were imputable to
the want of room in the prisons. Besides later cus-
toms bad operated to ill the prisons prematurely.
Formerly, in Middleses, as it was new in London,
prisoners were not removed to Newgate until the
Thursday immediately preceding the Sessions. T►e
Dumber. now from Middlesex, committed on the
Onal eseminatiun, were, as to the Loudon coMmit.
Meats, in • proportion of seven to one. Before he
Concluded, he wished to advert to one ci►cumstance,
Which be sincerely hoped would attract the attention
bf the Committee. It was the casualties that oo-

• 1" itrlds• sr •
carted Att4llll in Maeda skips, where, from the
nasal at wit ekthese people were embarked, for ie.
stance, in the midst of wigier4 theo suddenly et.
posal to the violent transition of. hoot ender the Line,
and thewapla to ettreme.colt in ibis high southern
latitudes, mortality most be prevalent. It was so
moth se, that in 1814, oat of ensbilk-
ad, 50 bad flied befat the vessel reached New Sorrily
Wales. He should only say, that if 'any delay oc-
corred its carrying ibe wishes of the Magistracy of
London lots effelt, in roped to these Prisms, it
ease from cireoesaances over width • they had no
coettool. •He mooed thewfor a Select Committee.
Mt. BENNETT observed, that it *as not his i sten-
dee to offer any opposition to the parent. motion, but
sialllesioss had been made by his Hon. Friend. who
wee se woes so eelosist of the Meisel Of thi Weiss
Mitt &rigida he wee himself a mensbervee a publics-
ties of his, he was aniirres to web, lose reenirke
en what had fallen from his Hon. Friend. it Was true
that the London Prisons were rendered more grit..•
oes to the unhappy persons confined in them from
want of room. Yeeng and old were huddled toge-
ther in indiscriminate and crowded masses, to the
attest of making these Prisons not schools of reform:
and instruction, bit schools of crime and depravity.
—But want of roods ryas not the only defect, there
was also s watt of clothing and of f00d.,--[lialKs
hear!]-11a had himself seen an infants %sidereal
shirt, shoes, or stockiees, and on eeqeiry he bed•
escertsioed the same miserable 'pectic!. had bear
witnessed by the Visititip Committee. It was with!
no view to self-applies., that he was compelled to
say, that he bad himself given the necessary clothing
to this infant unfortunate.—Ellear, hear !).--Want
of food was also experienced by the prisoners. It'
was impossible to look at a collective body of
confined, withost being able at Dace to &cm the'
longer imprisoned from those more recently conswit.
tad. Th. squalor carceris was visible amongst the
older prisoners. The scantiness of food was the
cause • indeed those who were there fbr artiste ap-
peared in a starving condition. There was one • ob.
servation which he wished the House would beaks
it. recollection. It was this—that whatever improve•
meats the Committee proposed might find on their
inspection of the Prisons, was to he attributed to the
exposure sods in that House. Since that moment,
all was solicited., oexepation, and haste on the part
of the London Magistracy to correct abuses. Dila.
pidatioes of years continuance were now repairing—
the walls of ihoJails were now while-washing—even
the baker had been changed within the last four days.
—[Hear, hear their satiety for sadden ins-
prorlemest, eves the Seedily was not held sacred.—
The House world, therefore, recollect, that if the
Prisons of London poneated all these improvements
thireommittee, they wold3e lan in their Court
dress.—[Hear !]—To the Motion he 63 no objec-
tion, in the hope that the Prisons of London would
no longer be discreditable to its waith sod charac-
ter, and that in place of being schools for the props.
gation of every species of crime, dry will be made
schools for the moral reformation of the miserable,.
the vicious, and the netilected.
Sir WILLIAM CUHTiS congidettel 'all the states
meats of the Honourable Member ezaggerrated, roe
that if !hornets were true, ,they did not bear him slat
in the way be had put them. What did he want ?
Were not prisons places for punishment, not for coat
fort ? The food be denied to be bad. The bread hi
had often tasted, and it was as good as any Gentle-
man world sae in his own family, or was used by his
Majesty's troops. There was a sufficiency of meat.
What, was not four pounds or meat a day enough
for ode person ?---LA laugh.] —He meant tour
pounds a week. Dad the Honourable Member want
to have the Prisons furnished with Turkey carpets ?
—bleu, it was to be recollected, were sent to prison
for their crimes. The wiudows of the New Prison
were broken wantonly, sod those who broke them
were told that either they must mend them at their
own espeuce or suffer. As to the white-washing, if
which the Hon. Member spoke, he knew nothing
about it.

Mr. BENNETT, in explanation said, that on
Friday last be visited Newgate, and saw with his
own eyes the preparation making for the enquiry.—
If the Worthy Baronet (Curtis) bed done his duty
be would have seen them also, end not been in igno-
rance of the fact of the ihite-washing. He had
also tasted the breed frequently, and found it heavy
and sour. The reason given was, that it was baked
on tiu.
Mr. WARRE observed, that as one of a former
Committee be had suited the Borough Compter, and
forsod more bricklayers and carpenters than prisoners
the day he went. The Committee were, however,
too alert for the Magistrates, and were fully impress.
ed with the motives for that sudden exertion of
provement. He then adverted to the case of John
Oundi, who bad died in Tothill-ields, pad whose
death the Coroner's Inquest, after mature rfejihere?
lion, had recorded as having arisen from the want of
food end medical aid. The turnkey of the prison
had ou that occasion given most equivocal les-
tiesony, and be would wish to know whether or not
such a man was continued in his employment ?
The motion for the Committee was then carried.
CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS.
Lord MILTON presented a Petition from Yojrk
against the employment of Climbing Buys to sweep
chimneys. He said, he believed it would be more
advantageous to all parties to use machinery.
Th. Hon. Mr. BENNETT observed, that Ile
narrow chimiteis were, in most cases, iu the hoUseil
of the opulent, WhO could alrfird to alter them. The
flues were sometimes net more than seven or eight
inches square. Chil4r4u of four or Owe years of age
were used for the 'purpOse of sweeping. SuCh ems-
tiloyment of children was most &quoin and de;.

• '
.Mr-.4lsk,
spewing llla
pieservitidisi _
worth conillitiedt
say, eililijo" -
of t he 'IN
and sold Ws
of litb. ii 6
Game, iffoogh
that all persons
penalties for
bring fon L - in);*._
. ..
of Gain.. . .ninii--,r-,
Mr. Ct./1070-MM, the mutter itquited ' eon*
deratroft. Lett iktir 1200 persons' bad been- aPprit
headed under the Game Laws. The pettelffei -kV Si
le
to be so regulated as to apply esually to . op 'bvi ' it
and lower classes. The presettratien'of (isnieir a
considerable Ajitet, is it regertled the Inffotetneittio
Gentlemen to reside in the country' end part, ibitlO
avhaseinents. *Uit While the present laWs enittfaired
the evils mould remain. Many circomitincis *Ail:
triboted to enhance it. The Incense.- of coMiiterag
. property was seven to one against the landed Pid..'
petty. Persons might be put on alt loillty in WO
tattteit and Gatne might be cootaideted as ptisate'Pelii.;
petty. He htd do objection that all should' hilve did
right to preserve Game. Regulations had been Matt"'
respecting otherirticles, sett is turnips, isc.; acslT
the depredations which hit iiiated did not' dog*
exist. He wished In such -dies to go to the toot et
the evil. Let even the Lord Mayor, if liki hrOti hie
laws, on the occasion of i dthiter 'patty,'he ptintiibelik.
equally with any other mad: Let there be a 13111, et
once to meet the cornmeal** of the subject and do'
away the evil. ;., : ,: a
Mr. WA /IRE said a' feir Oterds: In the pretent'
state of society, and with the motorist rights, was it
possible to prevent the sale of Game f Parts of a am
that had been brought in were repealed the nest'
Sessios. Ne practicable means were proJeced from.
the Committee last year. Blackstone, In treating on
the Forest Laws, had observed, that they.lreie, In a
great measure, grown obsolete; yet from this -root:
had 'Prong up a bastard slip known as ihi Gips,
Laws, now arrived to and wantoning in iti, hien!
signer, both founded on the same unressonabfe 00..
lions of permanent property in wild creatures, 'Sind
both productive of the same tyranny to the Com- '
mewl; but with this difference—that the Forest
Laws established only one mighty huwer through*
oat the land ; the Game Laws had raised a little
Nimrod in .every manor.
Mr. BANK ES, junior, explained. He felt it
would be a great uudertaking wholly to alter the
laws respecting Game; all he desired to do was, to '
make the laws better than they now were.
Sir C. BURRELL thought the rose of the seller
of Game should be considered, the ',nether, being ge.
wally a poor mats. It had been observed by Mr.
Fos, that the Game Lies could not be tery mate..
rially altered without some interference in the laws
of property.
Mr. WARRE explained.
On motion for leave to bring in a Dill being put,*
there were opposing cries of aye avd no.
On our re-admission to the gallery, we found that
the numbers on the division were
Ares -
Noes

60
vot

Majority
NORTHERN COUNItEa. ,
Mr. M. A. TAYLOR, in cousequenee of »hit
had passed on a preceding nights tonged that s &Oct
Committee be appointed, to consider, whether astir
and what steps were necessary tor the purpose of
giving to the counties of Cumberland, Westmorlied,
Durham, and Northumberland, and to the town earl
county of Newcastle-opon-Tyne, the same advert.
ages of having the Assizes held twice s-year, which
•as enjoyed by all the other counties of England
and Wales.
This motion *al immediately 'greed top iedill•
Committee appointed in pertinence of it.
Mr. BENNETT moved the further contlifil4tiiillSf '
the Report of the Bill for regulating tlie eppkor
rent of Climbing Boys in the Smeeprog,of Chlattuspo
for the purpose of having it re..coramitted. •
A clause was introduced toU' ezlendine its opera,
tion to Ireland ; and aftefa few amendments, either
Verbal or of a less important nature* which were
adopted vrithost discussions the Report was ordered
to be received to-morrow.
LOTTKRIVI. • •
Mr. LYTTELTQN withdrew his notice reeved...
ing the Abolitiop of lotteries, which stood for so.
morrow, upon the ground that the subject had already
undergone ample investigation, and with the lute*.
lion of bringing
.it forward in tee shape of certain.
Resolutions upon the Budget of the Chancellor albs
'Exchequer, should the Lottery form any part of the
proposed Ways and Means for the year.
ELECTION LAWS AMENOME4T BILL
Mr. C. W. WYNN moved the further consider*.
liva of the Report of the Election L. vs' Amendtatn:

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