§ Sir Eardley Wilmotwished to ask a question of the noble Lord the Secretary for the Home Department. Some time ago he had inquired whether it was the intention of the Government to bring in a measure to establish summary tribunals to try offences of a petty description. The noble Lord had said, that the subject was then under the consideration of Government. Since that time a Report on the state of Newgate had appeared, which recommended the very thing which he (Sir E. Wilmot) endeavoured to suggest, viz., that prisoners should be tried at petty sessions by a jury of five or seven. He wished to know whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce a measure on the subject?
§ Lord John Russellsaid, that Government might bring in a Bill on this subject this Session, but at the same time he would not hold out any great hopes that he would be a be to carry the second reading in the present Session.
§ Sir Eardley Wilmotwould bring in a measure himself, if the Government would support him—not in all the details, but on the principle of it.