§ MR. FLOYERsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, as stated at the inquest on Edward Bly, one of the warders of the Convict Prison at Portland, he had been placed in sole charge of the working convict party in consequence, among other reasons, of the requirements of the War, Admiralty, and Prison Departments; and, whether, considering that several warders have lost their lives within no long period from murderous assaults upon them by Convicts, it is not possible to make better provision for the safety of such officers in charge of working parties, especially when the parties are employed at such a distance from each other that assistance in case of need cannot immediately be given?
MR. BRUCEsaid, in reply, that the working parties in Portland were employed on public works of considerable magnitude, and were distributed to meet the requirements of the works as far as was possible consistently with the preservation of a good guard. It was true that many parties were in charge of only one officer each; but besides the officers in charge of other parties there were guards and other officials within call to render assistance. No single officer, therefore, was left absolutely in charge of a number of men. It was the duty of every officer to keep all the prisoners of his party in front of him and under his observation, and it was in consequence of the neglect of this rule that Edward Bly was attacked and came to his death; but it was impossible, whatever care was taken, always to prevent an occurrence of the kind referred to if the convict were bent upon committing the assault. He had inquired into the matter, and believed, all rea- 894 sonable precautions were taken as a general rule; but he promised to direct the attention of the chiefs of the department to the subject.