§ MR. PALKsaid, he begged to ask whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce any measure for the establishing a general police, and also any measure for the reformation of juvenile offenders; whether it was the intention of the Government to grant any funds for the establishment of reformatory schools; and whether any plan would be proposed for the profitable employment of convict labour?
§ SIR GEORGE GREY,in reply, said, that his noble Friend (Lord Palmerston) had stated some time ago that the Government did not propose to submit any Bill to Parliament this Session upon the subject of the police. He (Sir G. Grey) fully admitted the importance of that subject, and was anxious that an improved system of police in counties and boroughs should be established. His attention should be directed to the matter, and he hoped at some future time to be able to propose a measure in reference to it. There was, however, a way, under a recent Act of Parliament, by which counties could themselves establish an improved system of police, and the necessity for a compulsory measure arose only from the indisposition in some places to adopt it. With regard to reformatory schools, an Act passed last Session by which power was given to commit juvenile offenders to certain reformatory institutions, on their being certified by the Secretary of State as fit places for the purpose. That power had been exercised in several counties, eight such institutions had already been certified, and proposals had been made and were under consideration for establishing reformatory schools in several other counties. The hon. Member for Stafford had given notice of a Bill to amend the Act of last Session, to which he (Sir G. Grey) alluded, and from other quarters various sugges- 2089 tions of amendment had been likewise made. He, however, on the part of the Government, until they had more experience of the working of the existing Act, was not prepared to propose any alteration. In reference to the questions of funds, it had been decided by the Government that no money should be contributed from the public funds in support of those establishments, on the ground that as the buildings did not belong to the Government, but to what might be called private associations, no security was afforded that they would be permanently devoted to the object for which they wore erected. In reference to the employment of convict labour in public works, his attention had been for some time directed to that subject, and at this moment at Portland the labour of convicts was most usefully employed in that way. At Portsmouth a prison had been erected to facilitate the employment of convict labour in the dockyard. A similar prison was now in course of construction at Chatham, with the same object; and at Gibraltar and Bermuda there were establishments of convicts, who were employed upon the public works there with great advantage.