parish to which such pauper lunatie poor and medicalattendant appoints belongs.

ed by each parish shall have liberty 13. That within three days to visit the pauper lunatics of their after receipt of such order and respective parishes at all hours of certificate, a copy thereof shall be the day or night. transmitted to the clerk to the 18.—That all county magistrates, London visiters, or to the clerk of in addition to the visiters or visita the peace or his deputy (as the case ing magistrates, shall have liberty may be), who shall enter the same to visit

all houses licensed for the in a register to be provided for reception of lunatics within their that purpose : and that such clerk respective counties, between the shall make therefrom a register, hours of eight in the morning and containing the true name of each eight in the evening. lunatie so returned to him, and the 19.-That in every case of the asylum in which such lunatic is death of any patient in such confined, which last mentioned licensed house, a coroner's inquest register shall be open to the inspec- shall be held upon the body; and tion of any person requiring to see if such coroner shall see fit, he shall the same.

direct the body to be examined by 14.-That whenever a hundred a medical man not belonging to the patients or upwards shall be con- establishment. fined in any one house, there shall 20.-.That in case the London be a resident medical attendant, visiters or visiting magistrates and who shall keep a register of the physicians appointed at quartercases of all the patients under his sessions, who shall visit the licensed care, the treatment and system houses, shall have reason, on exapursued with regard to their men- mination, after two separate visits, tal and bodily disorders, and the to believe that any patient confined medicines prescribed or administer in any of these houses has recovera ed ; and that such register shall be ed the use of his faculties, they open to the inspection of the Lon- shall make a report thereof to the don visiters, or visiting magistrates next quarterly or other meeting and plıysicians in the country; and of the said London visiters, or to there shall be inserted in such the magistrates at quarter-sessions, register by the proprietor or super- as the case may be, who shall have intendent, or medical attendant of power to order the discharge of such asylum, the name of every such lunatic, with or without patient under coercion, and the further examination, due notice nature, degree, and duration of having been given to the keeper of such coercion.

such asylum of the intention on the 15.- That wherever there are part of the visiters to apply for such less than a hundred patients, con- discharge. fined, there shall be daily medical 21.That in order to provide attendance, and a similar register for the due care of such lunatics as kept, which shall be open to inspec- are confined separately, it is expetion in like manner.

dient that every person who shall 16.—That no convalescent pa- receive into his house for hire (such tient shall be employed as assistant house not being licensed) any one keeper about the persons of other lunatic, shall, within three days patients.

after the arrival of such lunatic, 17.--That the overseers of the transmit to the clerk of the com missioners or clerk of the peace of under the hands of the Secretary the county, as the case may be, á of State or chairman of quartercopy of the order and certificate; sessions, in their respective counwithout which, such as in the case ties; and that every such house of licensed houses, no such lunatic shall be subject to the same visitashall be received ; and on the 1st tion as licensed houses, which, of January, or within three days however, shall only take place, by thereof, in every year, he shall trans- order of the Secretary of State, mit to suchclerk a certificate, signed London visiters, or chairman of by two medical men, describing quarter-sessions, in their respective the then actual state and condition counties. of such lunatic ; and in case of the 22.-That all lunatics confined death, removal, or discharge of such in custody of their relatives and lunatic, he shall forth with notify friends, or of a committee appointed the same to such clerk, which said by the Court of Chancery, shall orders, certificates, and notifica- not be registered, and shall not be tions shall be duly entered in a subject to visitation, except by the register to be kept for that purpose; authority of the Secretary of State and that the said clerk shall make for the Home Department, who therefrom a separate register, con- shall be empowered, on special taining the true name of each luna- application, to appoint, if he shall tic so separately confined, together think fit, visiters for such purpose, with the place of confinement; in the same manner as for special which last-inentioned register shall visitation of lunatics or lunatic be open only to the inspection of asylums in the country. the Secretary of State, London Your committee beg leave to visiters, or chairman of quarter- conclude their report by referring sessions, in their respective counties, the House to the appendix, con and to such persons as are authorised taining the evidence and other to inspect the same by an order papers.-29th June, 1827.

EXTRACTS from the REPORT of the COMMITTEE of the House of

COMMONS on CRIMINAL COMMITMENTS and CONVICTIONS, fc.

The first object to which the 1806 to 1826:attention of the committee was 1806

4,346 turned was, to inquire into the in- 1816

9,091 crease of the number of commit 1826

16,147 ments as compared with the in- Including the number of comcrease of population. The increase mitments on summary conviction of population from 1801 to 1821 before magistrates, the increase is as follows:

would be still greater. England and Wales.

The increase of crime from 1806 1801 in

8,872,986 to 1816 may perhaps be in part 1811

10,150,615 accounted for by the change from 1821

war to peace. From 1816 to The number of commitments for 1826, however, not only has there trial in England and Wales from been no such change, but peculiar

attention has been paid to the sub- ing up the deficiency out of the ject of crime both by official per- poor-rate.

While the war cone sons, by voluntary committees, and tinued, the increased demand for by individuals. The duties of the agricultural produce, and the Secretary of State for the Home abundance of the currency, conDepartment have been exercised cealed the evils with which this with peculiar zeal and judgment; system was pregnant; but with prisons have been improved, the the restoration of peace came large defects of the law inquired into, edua importations of foreign corn, a dication among the poor promoted. minished currency, and a want of

In proceeding to inquire into employment for the labourer. At the causes of the increase in the the same time, while employment number of criminal commitments, diminished, the new administrayour committee, for the conveni- tion of the poor-laws tended to ence of reducing into order an in- increase the population. So that vestigation so extensive, began by the further this vicious system was dividing the subject into three carried, the greater became the obparts, ist. The increase of crime stacles to a restoration of a healthy in the agricultural districts ; 2nd. state. The fluctuations which The increase of crime in the ma- have taken place since 1816, both nufacturing districts ; 3rd. The with regard to the price of corn increase of crime in the metropolis. and the amount of the currency in It is to the first part alone that circulation, have still further acted they have hitherto directed their to prevent any improvement in inquiries; nor have they been able the situation of the country. to form a definite judgment even It is not for your committee to on this portion of the subject. enter into any discussion on quesThey proceed, however, to lay be- tions of economy. But they think fore the House their observations, it their duty to call the attention together with the substance of the of the House to the degradation evidence taken before them, refer- of the moral character of the las ring to the evidence itself for more bouring classes which attends the complete details.

vicious system of supporting from The main cause of the increase the poor-rates a number of young of crime in the agricultural dis- men, for whom the parish finds tricts appears clearly to be the low only partial employment. The rate of wages, and want of suffi- wretchedness of their condition, cient employment for the labourer. the want of regular habits, and of This evil has been greatly aggra- the due subordination of the lavated, although not altogether pro- bourer to his employer, all tend duced, by the abuse of the Poor- greatly to the promotion of crime. laws to a purpose for which they Early marriages, contracted either were never intended.

During the to avoid going to prison on a high price of provisions, which oc- charge of bastardy, or with a view curred soon after the commence- of receiving a better allowance ment of the war of 1793, the far- from the parish, increase the evil, mers, instead of raising the wages and multiply a population for of labour in proportion to the in- whom there is no certain employers creased value of subsistence, had ment, and a miserable subsistence; recourse to the expedient of make and in this situation they are too : apt to believe that they can im- remark, that in the return of the prove their condition by offending commitments of prisoners for trial, against the laws.

none are to be found for offences The best remedy for such a state against the game-laws till the of things would undoubtedly be a passing of the act which subjects great increase in the demand for men to transportation for going labour. But whether that increase armed at night in pursuit of game. takes place or not, some amend

This offence does not appear by ment of the poor-laws, which the returns to have increased since might prevent the prevailing the passing of the act; the numabuses from being carried further, ber committed in 1827 being 127, seems to be called for. At present, and in 1826, 126. But many of while in many counties the cha- the petty larcenies in the agriculracter of the labourer is daily be- tural counties are to be attributed coming worse, and the means of to the vicious habits created by his employ daily becoming less, poaching. there are other districts where the With regard to prison discipline, old and wholesome administration your committee will make at preof the poor-laws prevails, where sent but two short remarks. The the wages given are sufficient for one is, that little good seems to be the maintenance of the labourer, effected by confinement, unless acand the feeling of independence is companied by bodily labour. The not yet obliterated.

other, that the construction and The evidence taken before the regulation of the tread-mill, the committee shows undeniably that prison diet, and the hours to be the great increase of preserves for employed in hard labour, ought to game which has taken place of late be made as nearly as possible uniyears has tended materially to the form in every gaol in the kingdom. increase of crime in particular dis- With respect to the increased tricts; a pheasant or a hare is so frequency of commitments under easily taken, that a labourer only the Malicious Trespass act, the half-employed, and ill-fed, cannot committee would observe, that alresist the temptation. Men of a though petty offences ought not to wild character likewise have with- go altogether unpunished, there in their reach both the means of can be no greater evil than the gratifying their love of sport, and abuse of the power of sending to the means of disposing of their prison for trifling trespasses ; so booty. Some are of opinion that far from preventing atrocious ofif the sale of game were allowed fences, the committee is of opinion, by law, poaching would not be so that the mere fact of having been frequently resorted to. Whether sent to prison is likely to deprive such a speculation be well-founded a man of one of the greatest moor no, it appears to be the duty of ral restraints—the dread of being the legislature to listen to every marked out as a criminal in the rational proposal on the subject of face of his country. To this evil the game-laws, and rather to hazard is to be added the danger of assoan experiment which may fail, than ciating with bad characters in prito allow the present evils to con- son, and the difficulty which sometinue without any effort to coun- times occurs of finding employment teract them.

after being discharged. When on this subject it deserves The committee now proceed to

furnish a summary of the evidence from the parish, without active taken before them.

employment, makes them disconMr. Pym has acted for nine tented and dissatisfied with their years as a magistrate for the county condition. They think they are of Cambridge. It appears from not sufficiently paid for their lathe returns presented to parlia- bour, and often hold out a threat ment, that the number of prisoners that if they have not more, they committed for trial in the county must do something which they of Cambridge were, in 1805, 40; would not like to do, to obtain it. 1806, 26; 1814, 37; 1815, 64 ; In this situation, the labourers 1816, 71; 1824, 110; 1825, 137; are often guilty of poaching or 1826, 142. Mr. Pym is of opi- fowl-stealing, but especially the nion, that since the gaol act there former. They do not consider have been more full returns sent poaching to be a moral offence ; to the office of the Secretary of there is a very general feeling, State. He states, however, that both amongst the farmers and there are more committals under amongst the labourers, that poachthe game-laws, which he attributes ing is not a moral crime. The to distress. The sum given by labourers begin with poaching, and the parish to a single man who that leads to every thing that is has no employment is 28. 8d. per bad; they begin to set snares at week; the wages in harvest are ten years old.

In the district about 26s. a week, and beer. where Mr. Pym resides, however, "In the summer season these sin- there is very little game, and more gle men can earn as much as would fowl-stealing. enable a man to support a family, The reverend Dr. Hunt progenerally speaking; they then duced, from an accurate return, squander that money, and in the the total number of commitments winter, about the month of No- to the gaol of Bedford. In 1802 vember, they generally apply to they were 47; 1803, 88; 1805, tlıe overseer, or to the surveyor ; 91; 1806, 120; 1815, 125; 1816, and I have known many instances 141; 1825,332; 1826, 348, and the in many parishes, and it repeatedly year ending the 10th of January, comes before me, that single men 1827, 417. He calculates that from would not let themselves as ser- the year 1801 to 1827, the populavants to the farmers, because if tion of the county has increased to they should do so they would be the amount of 40 per cent, while, under their control in the summer during the same period, crime has months, and they would rather increased ten-fold, or 900 per cent. take parish pay and take their It is to be remarked, however, that chance through the winter, than in the year following 1801 erimicontrol themselves during the sum- nal commitments more than doumer months, when they could get bled, and have never since been a tolerable demand for labour, and much below that amount. It is constant employment.”

likewise to be observed, that the Being questioned further as to prisoners from the town are now parish allowances, he thinks the committed to the county gaol. On feeling of shame at receiving pa- the other hand, the practice of rochial relief was quite obliterated; sending vagrants to gaol, which of the practice of the labourers sub- course swelled the returns, has been sisting on very small sums received discontinued for the last few years.

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