§ Sir E. Knatchbullsaid, that perhaps the House would excuse him if he now mentioned a circumstance which had come to his knowledge in the course of the evening, affecting the situation of one of the sheriffs of London—Mr. Wheelton. He understood, that his health had been so much impaired by his imprisonment, that it would be scarcely consistent with the safety of his life, if he were kept longer in custody. He had seen the medical gentleman who attended Mr. Wheelton, and he had assured him, that Mr. Wheelton's health had been very indifferent for some time before he was placed in confinement, and he thought, that if he were kept longer in custody it would endanger his life. The surgeon was in attendance, and ready to be examined if the House thought proper.
Mr. William Brookes, (he medical attendant of Mr. Wheelton, was called in and examined. In reply to questions put by the Speaker, he said, that. Mr. Wheelton had, for the last three months, suffered from congestion of the vessels of the head, and, independently of that, he had a predisposition to disease of that character, his father and mother having both died suddenly. Mr. Wheelton had a very short neck, and from his general frame and habit of body, was likely to be a subject for apoplexy. He had no doubt, that unless very great care was taken of him, his life would be endangered. He could not answer for it, that an attack of apoplexy would not come on even from hour to hour. It was his decided opinion, that his life would be endangered if he continued longer in confinement.
§ Witness withdrew.
§ Sir E. Knatchbullsaid, he should hope that after the statement made by the medical attendant of Mr. Wheelton, it would be consistent with the feeling of the House that he should be discharged.
§ Lord J. Russellsuggested, that the motion of the right hon. Baronet should state that Mr. Wheelton's life would be endangered by further confinement.
§ Mr. Humeobserved, that after the statement made that Mr. Wheelton's life would be endangered, he should not oppose the motion, but he wished that the statement of Mr. Brookes should be taken down as evidence. It would, perhaps, be enough for the clerk of the House to put down, that Mr. Wheelton's life would be endangered by further confinement.
§ Sir R. Peelremarked, that it was distinctly stated that Mr. Wheelton had manifested symptoms of the disorder with which he was now threatened before he was placed in confinement, and that they had been aggravated since. He confessed, that after the statement made, that the sheriff's life would be endangered by his further detention, he, for one, would not continue him in confinement for a single hour.
§ The Speakerasked, if the evidence as read to him by the clerk, had been correctly taken down?
§ The Witness.—It is quite correct.
§ Sir E. Knatchbullthen moved, "That it having been stated by W. Broaches, esq., medical attendant on J. Wheelton, esq., that in his judgment Mr. Wheelton's life will be endangered by further confinement, the sheriff be forthwith discharged from the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms attending this House."
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Mr. Humewished to have it understood whether the sheriff was to be discharged on payment of his fees in the usual way, or otherwise.
§ The Speakerstated it to be his opinion that persons in custody of the Sergeant, who had been ordered into confinement by the House, and whose health, it was stated, would be endangered by further confinement, ought to be at once discharged by the House without payment of their fees.