The Lord Advocateof Scotland said, that in making his proposed motion, he had to inform the House, that the prisons of Scotland were entirely under the guardianship of certain royal boroughs, which were not possessed of revenues sufficient for their maintenance. The consequence was, that the gaols of that country were of the worst possible description, and their management of them a disgrace to any country. The apartments were always 46 few in number; there was no classification-whatever of the prisoners; in many of them there was not even a fire-place, and the persons under confinement were exposed to the greatest of inconveniences. These unhappy persons had to undergo severities which were truly dreadful, and those severities were inflicted without distinction of age or sex. Persons, both before and after conviction, the debtor and the criminal, were all mixed together, and thrust into a space totally inadequate to their accommodation. But he had also to complain of the improper persons to whom the charge of gaols was committed. These people were often in other employments, and were sometimes shopkeepers in the town. They did not reside in the gaols; and in the event of accidents, they were totally unacquainted with what happened. In one case, the gaoler lived at a distance of sixteen miles from the prison; in another instance, the gaoler was stone-blind, and the gaol was managed by his daughter. There was a crown debtor in this very gaol for the sum of 7,000l. The House would see that the blind gaoler could not give his eye to the prisoners; and as to the daughter, it might occur that the prisoners might be giving an eye to her. He thought the subject deserving of immediate attention, and he, therefore, moved "That a select committee be appointed to inquire into the State of Prisons in Scotland, and into the means of maintaining prisoners confined therein under criminal warrants; and to report their observations thereupon to the House."
§ Mr. Humesaid, he rose to second the motion of the learned lord with pleasure, because it was a disgrace to Scotland that such a system should have been allowed to continue so long. The only reason he could assign for its continuance was, that the prisons were in general empty, and the number of prisoners so few, that their condition excited little attention. The learned lord would do great good by inquiry.
Mr. Secretary Peelsaid, that it would be highly convenient if the smaller jurisdictions of Scotland would agree to unite, six or seven of them together, in the erection of one large and convenient gaol The more extensive a gaol was, the more certain it was to be well managed; both because it could afford to pay proper officers, and because public curiosity was excited, and it was sure to be visited more 47 constantly than a small one. To maintain a sufficient and well-disciplined gaol for each of the small burghs in Scotland was impossible. He did not wish to mix their jurisdictions; but merely that they should build a gaol in common, which all alike should be entitled to the occupation of. Last year he had brought in a bill to enable local jurisdictions to compound with counties for the support of their prisoners. To attempt by any other means to obtain a good government of prisoners, was altogether hopeless.
§ Leave was given to bring in the bill.