[Report on King's Bench, Fleet, and Marshalsea Prisons; Appendix N° 4 (1815)]
Geen van de parlementaire rapporten van 1815 en 1818 geeft een nauwkeurige
beschrijving van de Rules van Fleet. Dat van 1818 zegt slechts, dat het gebied
driekwart mijl rondom de gevangenis was, met inbegrip van het London Coffee
House en verschillende openbare gelegenheden. In 1792 werden echter de huizen
waarin kansspelen werden ge-houden uitgesloten. De openbare gelegenheden,
waar drank werd geschonken, behoorden echter wel tot de 'Rules' van de Fleet
Prison.
In 1816, bracht Brougham in het House of Commons een petitie van een vijf
honderd 'merchants and tradesmen' in Westminster. Zij beklaagden zich over de
euvels verbonden aan de 'Rules' van King's Bench en Fleet. De arme schuldenaren
moesten binnen de muren leven, de rijke zaten in de 'Rules', leefden daar in luxe met
paarden en rijtuigen en gingen er zelfs uit, zelfs naar het buitenland toe. Drie andere
afgevaardigden ondersteunden, dat hiertegen opgetreden moest worden.
Besloten werd de petitie in handen te stellen van de commissie die de werking van
de insolvent debtors' acts zou onderzoeken. Deze commissie rapporteerde eerst in
juni 1819. Zij hoorde o.a. uitvoerig Mr.Nixon, de Warden van de Fleet, die weinig van
deze gesignaleerde misstanden afwist;
Have not you known several instances of debtors living within the rules, with their
wives and families? I can only answer that question in this way. It does not fall to
the lot of an individual to live in a vary expensive manner in the rules, if he has a
wife and family, he will have their welfare in view, and not live in that expensive
mannerIt frequently happens that people live in an expensive manner, but then
they have neither wives nor families.
Have you known of any instances of debtors having their wives and families
within the rules? Frequently.
Have you known any instances of their having their carriages and horses, and
driving from the rules in those carriages and horses? No, I have no knowledge
of that,
Have you never known any instances of a title given to a house, Ludgate Hall
for instance? I never heard of any instance of that kind.
Did you ever heard of a noble lord being in the rules? Yes, I know of his being
in the rules, because it was in my time but he never was a man that live very
expensively in the rules, because he had not the meanshis father only allowed
him 500 I. a-year.
You do not know how that nobleman liver when he was in the rules? No he
often used to have horse-dealers with him, trafficking in horses.
Did you know many other persons living as expensively, or nearly as expensively,
as the last person mentioned? If they have the means, they will live expensively
in the rules, without my having any knowledge of their living so for it ven/ frequen-
ly happens I do not see some of them in the rules for many months, I do not go
round the rules to see them, nor have I any knowledge where they live, till I am
informed; if I want them I send for them, and they come down to the office.
