HC Deb 06 September 1831 vol 6 cc1202-3
Mr. Hunt

rose to move, pursuant to notice, an Address to his Majesty, that he would be pleased to release all Crown Debtors now in prison, at the ensuing ceremony of the Coronation. The hon. Member said, that in bringing forward this Motion, he was influenced by an earnest desire to promote those feelings of regard to our patriot Sovereign, which at present were so prevalent among all classes of the people. The releasing those Crown debtors, whom he particularly alluded to, he meant those who were confined for arrears of taxes, fines, and other debts to the Crown, and not those who were confined for a violation of the Customs or Excise laws—so far from being detrimental to the revenue, would be actually a national saving. Experience had shown, that in nineteen cases out of twenty of those confined for debts to the Crown, of the class which he had just specified, the revenue never recovered a single farthing, while the nation was put to the expense of supporting them in prison. For example: he knew one case of a person who was imprisoned in Somersetshire for sixteen years, for arrears of taxes to the amount of 34l., all which time his support was defrayed at the expense of the county, at an annual cost of 30l., though ultimately he was discharged without paying a farthing, from total inability. Besides, therefore, effecting a national saving, the Address would, if acted upon, be just now felt by the people as a special act of grace, in the best sense of the term. He begged, therefore, to move, "That an humble Address be presented to his Majesty, praying his Majesty to grant an act of grace to all Crown Debtors on the approaching Coronation."

Mr. Hume

seconded the Motion, on the ground, that he had ever advocated the principle, that debtors to the Crown should be placed on precisely the same footing with debtors to private persons. He had hoped, that the hon. and learned Member, who had recently taken up the cases of those unfortunate people who had been confined for Contempts, would also have done the same with regard to Crown debtors, and have prevented their being detained in prison when they had not the means of discharging the debts.

Lord Althorp

was sure the House would at once see the inexpediency of acceding to the hon. Member's Motion. It was objectionable even in its form of wording—so far as it included "all" Crown debtors; and was highly objectionable on principle. If it was right, that his Majesty should, of his own free accord, discharge the Crown debtors from prison, it was plain, that the grace of the act would be done away by the proposition's not emanating from his own royal clemency, but from that House. And if it was not right, it was equally plain, that the Motion must appear neither more nor less than an act of censure, on a matter on which Parliament had no right to interfere. Upon these grounds he was prepared to resist the Motion.

Sir Edward Sugden

was willing to place every confidence in the discretion of Ministers with respect to the Crown debtors. He had no intention whatever, he begged to inform the hon. member for Middlesex, to introduce any remedial measure with regard to Crown debtors.

Mr. Hunt

begged to say, that, after the declaration of the noble Lord, he would not persist in his Motion. In withdrawing it he must add, that he never meant the remotest censure on Ministers or his Majesty; and he thought, he was forwarding the humane and enlightened designs of both with respect to the poor debtors—unfortunately, a very numerous class at this moment. He was one who highly approved of the approaching ceremony of the Coronation, and merely wished to add to its éclat by an act of well-timed mercy.

Motion withdrawn.