68 
tion.—Mr.. Hobhoufe noticed the King’s 
Speech in September lat, when the deli- 
verance of Italy, the co-operation of Ruf. 
fia, and the probable liberation of Hol- 
Jand, were all introduced by the minifter 
in terms of exultation. A great change 
“had taken place within a few months. 
Ttaly was now in the hands of the enemy. 
Holland was more attached than ever to 
France. ‘The Emperor of Ruffia, inftead 
“of being friendly, had fhewn figns of hof- 
tility. The infurgents in France, on whofe 
aid much reliance was alfo then placed, 
had fubmitted to the eftablithed govern- 
ment. ‘There had been within a few 
fhort months, an uniform feries of mif- 
carriages.—Mr. Sheridan faid, the mo- 
‘tion meant merely to provide a means of 
‘fcrutinizing the conduét of minifters, and 
of enabling the Houfe to carry their fenti- 
ments to the Throne.—Mr. Tierney faid, 
he did not wifh by any means to crouch to 
France for peace ; but ifever a committee 
to inquire into the ftate of the nation was 
neceflary, it was at the prefent moment. 
‘The Houfe then divided, when there ap- 
peared for the motion 27, againft it 143. 
“Adjourned at Three o’clock in the morn- 
ing. 
On the 18th of July, Sir Francis 
BuRDETT Jones faid, that previous 
to making the motion of which he had 
given notice fome days back, he wifhed 
to lay before the Houfe certain dccuments, 
upon which it was his intention to ground 
the propriety and neceffity of that motion. 
He would not now comment upon the na- 
ture of the faéts contained in thefe docu- 
ments ; indeed they {poke but too forcibly 
for themfelves. He would content him(elf 
with reading the documents, if the Houfe 
would have the patience to hear him. The 
Honourable Barcnet then read the follow- 
ing prefentment, on the fubjeét of Cold- 
_ Bath-Fields Prifon, of the Grand and 
Traverfe Juries of the county of Middle- 
4X :— 
Cafe of Mary Rich. 
‘© The facts on which the following pre- 
fentment is founded, originated in the mi- 
ferable appearance of a witnefs, named 
Mary Rich, before the Grand Jury, in May 
feffion, 1800, to give evidence againit a 
man of the name of William Dell, for an 
attempt to commit a rape upon her, the 
faid Mary Rich, then under fourteen years 
of age. The child appearing very ill, was 
queftioned by the gentiemen as to how fhe 
came fo; when they were informed that 
fhe had been committed above a month to 
the New Prifon in Celd Bath Fields, with- 
Horrible Affair of Mary Rich, &c. 
[ Auguft ]5 
out any allowance but bread and water to 
fupport her; that fhe had been ill four days, 
but had not feen the do€tor in ail that 
time ; and that during her ilinefs, dwoman 
had been delivered of a child inthe prifon, 
and that fome of the other prifoners had 
taken the covering of her bed from her, 
and fhe lay one whole night (illas fhe was) 
in that fituation. -The gentlemen of the 
jury immediately acquainted the magif- 
trates with the fituation of the child, and 
requefted their attendance in the jury- 
room to fce her, where fhe fat in a chair, 
fcarcely able to hold herfelf upright. 
They were very much furprifed at her ac-~ 
count, and immediately ordered the keep- 
er and the doétor of the prifon to attend 
them with the warrant of commitment. 
«© The gentiemen of the jury, fearing 
fome mifinformation might be given by 
thofe men, refolved to clofe the bufine{s of 
the day, and vifit the prifon themfelves ; 
and twe gentlemen were defired to wait on 
the magiltrates, witha requeft for an order 
to that purpofe ; to this requeft was added 
another, that they might be empowered to 
examine witnefles (in the cafe of Mary 
Rich only). The gentlemen werevery band. 
fomely anfwered by Mr, Conant, that re- 
{pecting the order, they readily granted it, 
for vifiting the prifon, and that it any thing 
appeared to them improper or materially 
wrong, while there, it would come pro- 
perly. before them in a prefentment from 
them, as the grand jury ; and then, if ne- 
ceflary, they fhould have power to examine 
witnefles even upon oath. In confequence 
of the order being given, the prifon was 
vifited, and the following prefentment 
was given into the court the 31/t of May, 
1800, immediately before they, as a grand 
jury, were difcharged. / 
‘ The Prefentment of the Grand Jury of 
the County of Middlefex, at the Gene- 
ra! Seffion of the Peace, holden for the 
faid County, at the Seffions Hou‘e on 
Cleikenwell-green, on the 27th Day of 
May, in the fortieth Year of the Reign 
of our Lord the King ; 
«In confequence of the appearance of a 
witnefs that was brought before us ina 
profecution, we confidered it our duty to 
obtain an order of this court to vifit the 
prifon in Cold Bath Fields, for the purpofe 
of enquiry into the ftate of that prifon, and 
particularly relpecting the care and atten- 
tion that is paid to the fick; and the fol- 
lowing obfervations are the refult of that 
Inquiry 
« That from the cleanlinefs and good 
order prefervyed there, we confider it the 
bett 
