§ MR. E. JENKINSsaid, he should not press his Motion as to debtors undergoing imprisonment, because the Home Secretary, having had the Correspondence laid before him, had modified the rules of which complaint had been made. He had to thank the right hon. Gentleman for the readiness and promptness with which he had dealt with the matter, simply brought to his notice by a Question in that House. There was still some complaint that the wives of debtors were searched, and often partially undressed, before entering their husband's cells, and with this he hoped the right hon. Gentleman would deal.
MR. ASSHETON CROSSsaid, he was ready to admit that the position of debtors, while prisoners under the provisions of the Prisons Act of last Session, was somewhat anomalous. He thoroughly sympathized with the poor men who wore imprisoned, because they were, in reality, unable to pay their debts. While in prison, they had to be maintained formerly by the county, and now by the State, their wives and families passing in the meantime into the workhouse, to be maintained out of the rates, so that society would actually gain by at once paying off their debts. But, having had much experience of prisons, he knew that there were many debtors imprisoned who were able to pay, but refused to do so. His view was that no one should be imprisoned except for crime; but a great many debtors, who were able to discharge 1354 their liabilities, chose to be kept in prison at the public expense rather than part with their money. Such men were acting with fraud, and ought to be punished for it. In one case, the Visiting Justices of a gaol had most successfully dealt with such persons by a timely increase of prison discipline, from which the debtors were glad to escape by paying their debts. He could not recommend the abolition of imprisonment for debt, but thought that the Attorney General might make some addition to the Act of 1877, which would meet cases such as those he had mentioned.