Mr. Bennetrose, in pursuance of his notice, to move for the appointment of a select committee, to inquire into the state of the King's-bench, Fleet, and Marshalsea prisons. It would be in the recollection of the House, he said, that a committee of inquiry had been appointed in the last year to examine into the state of the gaol of Newgate and other gaols in the city of London; and the attention of this committee had been the means of relieving the great distress, which prevailed among the inmates of those receptacles of the unfortunate. Although those prisons were not yet in such a state as they ought to be, he conceived the interference of the House had done much towards correcting the evils which existed. The first prison which he wished to bring under the notice of the committee was the King's-bench prison. This prison was under the immediate care of the Chief Justice; and from the papers which were on the table of the House, it appeared that on the 1st December, 1814, there were no less than 837 persons in the custody of the marshal; of whom 600 were collected within the walls, the rest being dispersed in the Rules. And yet from the evidence submitted to the House of Lords, when an inquiry took place into this subject, the prison did not appear to be calculated for the reception of more than 200 or 220 persons. He could also tell the House, that the individuals confined in this prison had no allowance of food, of fuel, or of bedding; nor was there any medical attendant appointed to administer to their wants in the hour of disease. Added to this, the fees were extremely high, amounting to one pound three or four shillings going out and in. According to the 40 return to which he had already alluded, the Marshal of the court of King's-bench, who was the gaoler of this prison, received a gross profit of 2,300l. per annum, from which he had to pay the salaries of the under gaolers; but his net profits amounted to between 1,200l. and 1,300l.; and yet notwithstanding this he employed no medical person to attend a community of 600 persons who were placed under his care. The next prison to which he wished inquiry to be directed was the Fleet prison, which was under the care of the lord Chief Justice of the Common-pleas. This prison was calculated to hold about 200 persons; but in 1811, he learnt that there were no less than 769 persons confined within its walls. Here, too, as in the King's-bench there were no allowances of food, fuel, or bedding; nor was there any medical attendant provided for the benefit of the prisoners, although the net profits of the Warden amounted to 1,000l. The Marshalsea prison was the last which he should propose to include in the present inquiry. This prison was devoted to Admiralty prisoners, and to those of the Palace-court, who were of the poorest class. The same inattention was here paid to the state of the prisoners as in the other gaols; but the prison itself was much more wretched, and the state of its inmates proportionately miserable, while sir James Bland Burgess received 300l. a year, for being its keeper. On a petition being presented some years ago, an inquiry was instituted into the death of an unfortunate man who died there, it was supposed from hunger. That miserable being had been obliged to feed on bones, potato-peelings, and the scanty charity of the other prisoners, as no allowance was made to the prisoners of food, bedding, or fuel, and there was no medical attendance. Fees were, however, exacted to the amount of 10s. 10d. Misery was only one part of the picture; in these prisons were exhibited scenes of vice and profligacy which it would be difficult to parallel elsewhere, as appeared from the inquiries of the committees, and that of 1792 in particular. Having stated these facts, he thought it was unnecessary to enter further into detail, conceiving that he had shewn sufficient ground for the inquiry which he wished to take place into the state of these prisons. The hon. gentleman concluded by moving, "That a committee be appointed to inquire into the state of the King's-bench, Fleet, and Marshalsea pri- 41 sons, and to report their observations thereupon, together with any improvement which may be practicable therein."
§ The motion was agreed to, and a committee appointed.