PRISON REGULATIONS. (Hansard, 15 April 1840)

§ Mr. Greene
thought it a matter of great importance, that some general and uniform system should be introduced into all the prisons in the country with regard to debtors. He thought it led to great dissatisfaction, that one set of visiting justices should lay down one set of-rules in one county, and another set of visiting justices different rules in another.

§ Mr. Hawes
thought the whole subject was one which ought to be proceeded in with very considerable caution, because he hoped the time was not far distant, when a report would be laid before that House recommending that imprisonment for debt should be altogether abolished, except with regard to fraudulent debtors. But to this class of persons a punishment would be awarded for misconduct, and they ought to suffer for that misconduct according to the rules of the gaol, and ought not to be considered as debtors under the ordinary acceptation of the term.

§ Mr. F. Maule
said, the question was one which required to be treated with great delicacy. The object of the present bill was merely to relieve debtors from the stringency of certain rules at present in force at prisons.

§ Lord G. Somerset
said, there was another point to which the attention of the Government ought to be directed, he meant the exceedingly anomalous position in which gaolers of the county prisons were placed. They were the servants of the high sheriff, whereas the rules and regulations for the management of the gaols were made by the county magistrates. The inconvenience of such an arrangement ought to be done away with.

§ Mr. Wakley
hoped the Government would be disposed to go a step further, and take the regulations of gaols altogether out of the hands of the justices of the peace. His opinion was that they, of all persons, were the most incompetent for 1125 the conduct of such business. The Government should appoint some responsible persons, who would be paid for the discharge of their duty, and not act in the factious spirit in which the magistrates too frequently acted with regard to certain prisoners. Until these regulations were taken out of the hands of the magistrates the country would never be satisfied. He wished to know, whether the noble Lord had made any regulations with respect to prisoners committed under the coroner's warrant, because a short time since he had occasion to have a female prisoner from Clerkenwell to give evidence before him, and upon that prisoner being sent back, the officer refused to receive her.

§ Lord J. Russell
said, that some time since an order in council had been issued, by which Newgate was the prison to which the coroner was authorised to send persons committed by him. The order in council, however, did not extend to any other prison.