vour of it, absented themselves on the occasion.

ACT FOR THE BETTER ORDERING OF PRISONS.

During this session an act was passed for the "better ordering of
prisons." By this act it was provided that prisoners might be separately
confined, though that separate confinement should not be deemed solitary
confinement. No cell was to be used for the separate confinement of
any prisoner which was not of such a size, and lighted, warmed, and
ventilated in such a manner as might be required by a due regard to
health, and which did not furnish the means of enabling the prisoner to
communicate at any time with an officer of the prison. Every prisoner so
confined was to have the means of taking air and exercise at such times
as should be deemed necessary by the surgeon, and was to be furnished
with the means of moral and religious instruction, and with suitable
books, as well as with labour or employment. All prisoners were to be
divided into the following classes: namely, debtors in those prisons in
which debtors might be lawfully confined; prisoners committed for trial;
prisoners convicted and sentenced to hard labour; prisoners convicted
and not sentenced to hard labour; and prisoners not included in either
of the foregoing classes.

MOTION FOR A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE TO CONSIDER THE NATIONAL
PETITION.

On the 12th of July Mr. Attwood moved for a committee of the whole
house, to take into consideration a "National Petition," which had been
presented on the 14th of June. In making this motion, Mr. Attwood stated
this petition was signed by 1,200,000 persons of the working classes. In
it the petitioners urged five demands: namely, universal suffrage,
vote by ballot, annual parliaments, remuneration of members for
their attendance in parliament, and the abolition of the property
qualifications. This proposal gave rise to a considerable discussion;
but it was rejected by a majority of two hundred and thirty-five against
one hundred and eighty-nine.

BIRMINGHAM RIOTS, ETC.

The defeat of Mr. Attwood's motion was contemporaneous with alarming
riots at Birmingham. These riots arose out of the proceedings of the
Chartists. That dangerous body of men had recently resorted to many
methods, in order to impose upon the majority of the people that they
were the strongest party in the country, and that they could carry their
plans into effect without resistance. One mode of proceeding was to go
round from hous