The first operation of the Act for the Abolition of
Imprisonment for Debt would appear to have had very little effect in diminishing the number of inmates in prisons devoted to that purpose. Only about 30 prisoners have yet been discharged from the Debtors' prison, White- cross Street, and 20 more are on the eve of receiving their discharge. The remainder, consisting of near 360, remain incarcerated, being either taken in execution or in course of application for relief under the Act for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors.— Tinies of Friday.
Many prisoners for debt, who would otherwise be entitled to their release under the new act, are retained in confinement, from inability to pay the gaoler's fees!
'f he sentence of Young and Webber for being present at the Wim- bledon duel, does not include " hard labour" in prison, as at first stated.
A boy only turned of eight years old was brought before two worship- ful Magistrates sitting in Petty Sessions at Brentford, a few days back, charged with stealing five potatoes, value Id., from an open field. The father of this infant "depredator" was a poor labouring man in the neighbourhood. The child was attending some cattle; and in an tin- enclosed potato field discovered a heap of weeds burning, in which the little creature, hungry, perhaps, through long absence from home, or listless for want of active exercise, began to poke about for potatoes, in case any should have been put among the ashes to roast. Not finding any, he pulled up the above awful quantity of five raw potatoes from the ground to cook them for his own eating; and was seized in• the act by somebody in the service of the owner, an innkeeper at Brentford ; on discovering which, the father interposed, and took pos- session of the boy, for the declared purpose of bringing him of his own accord before the Magistrate—a heinous act in a parent. On hearing; these facts, their worships convicted the child, and fined him ten shillings, as a punishment to the unfortunate father, for neglecting "the
of his children. We submit, that an instance of misconduct iin the child (for the charge against the father is altogether
,t0„ ) would have been abundantly visited by a few serious and aWcords of admonition to them both. But the worst is to come. '72 demand of ten shillings more, in the shape of costs, upon the A '..v/Prre'tch—making in the whole 20s.—who might earn possibly about rss much per week for the support of his entire family, was made functionary well known in all proceedings at Petty Sessions, called tillelv magistrate's Clerk ! " and, on the utter inability of the unfortunate to pay the 20s. so entailed upon him, the child, between eight .j nine years of age--not a regular town thief, be it recollected, but 7.1 rant thoughtless, rustic infant—is sent off to the county or dis- trailirwl;ison'.for a fortnight, there to associate for the first time in his • criminals, and to imbibe the first elementary lessons of des- yr, wit poste and incurable depravity.— Globe.
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