§ MR. W. EWARTsaid, he would beg to inquire of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether the system introduced by Captain Crofton into Ireland 802 for the discipline and reform of Convicts will be taken into the consideration of the Government? He (Mr. Ewart) was not a partizan of any system, but he believed the result of that adopted by Captain Crofton in Ireland was that only 20 per cent of the liberated convicts were recommitted to gaol. The advantage of the system was that the prisoners were broken up into small parties, and were thus more easily reformed. They were individualized, as it were. The gang system must have a tendency to contamination. Captain Crofton's system inculcated a feeling of self-reliance, and had been most successful in amending the character of the convicts. If that were true, as he believed it to be, the system was certainly one well worthy of adoption.
§ MR. CLIVEsaid, he had no hesitation in stating, that anything done by Captain Crofton in connection with the subject of convicts, would gladly be taken into consideration by his right hon. Friend the Secretary for the Home Department. His attention had not, however, as yet been closely directed to the matter, but it would, no doubt, be duly inquired into.