§ The Marquis of Lansdowne, adverting to the motion made by him towards the close of the last session, and agreed to by the House, for papers respecting the State of the Prisons, and also to the intimation of the noble viscount opposite, of his intention to move for a committee to consider the state of the prisons, wished to know when the papers alluded to were likely to be laid before the House, and on what day the noble viscount meant to move for the committee? He did not wish, with regard to this subject, to take the question out of the hands of the Prince Regent's government, nor indeed, in consequence of his attendance in the committee, on the bank restriction, had he time properly to attend to it, but should the noble viscount not name an early period for moving the appointment of a committee, 510 he should feel it his duty to call the attention of the House to the subject.
Lord Sidmouthsaid, he held in his hand an account connected with the subject to which the noble marquis referred, and on Monday intended to lay on the table further accounts, which would constitute the greater part of the returns ordered on the motion of the noble marquis. Their lordships would recollect, that the motion of the noble marquis was for the prison returns until the end of the year 1818, and these, as he had already informed the House, could not be expected to be made up until a considerable time after the meeting of parliament, most of the returns for England were made up, but they were not quite complete. The major part for Scotland had also been made, but very few had been received from Ireland. He should on Monday lay all the returns made on the table, and would on Thursday next move, that they be referred to a committee.
The Marquis of Lansdownesaid, that the motion he made last session had for its object not only to obtain returns from all the prisons under the control of sheriff's, but all prisons in the country of every description. He had some apprehension, from the information he had received, that returns had not been made from prisons under local jurisdiction.
Lord Sidmouthwas not aware of the cases to which the noble marquis alluded, but if it should be found that the returns were not made in the spirit of the order of the House, it would be for their lordships to see that such a neglect was promptly corrected. For his own part, he could assure their lordships, that he would do every thing in his power to attain full and accurate returns, with as much expedition as was practicable.