§ MR. J. R. ORMSBY GOREsaid, the Government having increased the allowance towards the maintenance in County and Borough Gaols of Convicts sentenced to Penal Servitude from a maximum of 4s. per head per week to a maximum of 8s., for such a period as they may be detained in prison, beyond two calendar months from the time of conviction, he wished to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is intended to keep such Convicts in County Gaols for any time longer than at present, as it will in Shropshire necessitate an increase of accommodation and in staff, there being no means of giving hard labour for any greater number than at present?
§ SIR GEORGE GREY, in reply, said, it was certainly not intended to detain convicts sentenced to penal servitude for a longer time than at present in county or other local prisons; but, on the contrary, it was hoped that they would be kept there for a shorter time. In consequence of the increase of penal servitude sentences in 1861–2, it was difficult to provide for the convicts in the Government prisons, and some of them were therefore detained longer than usual in the local gaols. Last year, however, there was some decrease in the number of penal servitude sentences, and it was expected that arrangements would be made to remove convicts from the local prisons at an earlier period than hitherto.