§ Mr. Hawesbegged to put a question to the right hon. Gentleman, the Secretary for the Home Department, upon a subject to which he felt that public attention ought to be called. The right hon. Gentleman was aware that the last report from the Inspectors of Prisons had been for some time on the Table. He (Mr. Hawes) had gone through the report, and it struck him that it contained accounts of some 1090 gross violation of prison discipline. He thought it belonged to the province of the Secretary for the Home Department, to see such abuses corrected. He thought the report, and the cases in question, deserved the best attention of the right hon. Gentleman, and he would be glad to receive some assurance that the subject would not be overlooked.
§ Sir James Grahamwas glad to have an opportunity of stating, that he was aware the last report of the Inspector of Prisons, did contain matters worthy of the most serious attention of the Executive Government. He had not yet had time to give to it that attention which the importance of the subject imperatively demanded, but it had not been altogether overlooked. He had issued instructions to the Inspectors of Prison Discipline, to add to their reports an appendix, dividing the subject matter into two heads; first, matter to which the attention of the Executive Government should be directed, as being immediately subject to the control of the Secretary of State; and, secondly, such farther matter as, in the opinion of the Inspector, might, in a future Session, require the attention of Parliament. As soon as he received such a report, he would turn his attention more particularly to the subject; and, with regard to the last report, he partook in the views of the hon. Gentleman opposite, as to the necessity of his attention being directed to it.
§ Adjourned.