§ MR. WHALLEYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Tichborne Case, Whether he is prepared to afford the Defendant such aid in bringing up witnesses in his defence as he would have been legally entitled to receive if he had been committed for trial after an examination before a magistrate instead of by the summary jurisdiction of the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; and, if not now prepared to do so, whether, having regard to the fact that Petitions praying that such aid may be afforded, signed by about 100,000 persons, have been already presented to 1486 and read at the Table of this House, he will be good enough to point out what further evidence, if any, will be sufficient to satisfy him that unless such aid is afforded, there may be, in the opinion of a large portion of the public, a failure of justice in the pending trial?
MR. BRUCESir, I have considered the Question put to me, and have come to the conclusion that it is highly inexpedient that applications of this character should be dealt with in this House by way of Question and Answer between a Member of Parliament and a Minister of the Crown. The proper course would be to address the Department of the State which is competent to deal with these applications, and which would deal with them according to the special circumstances of each case.
§ MR. WHALLEYsaid, that application upon the subject had been made in every possible form to the authorities to whom the right hon. Gentleman referred, and desired to know, whether he was to understand from the reply of the right hon. Gentleman that that application should be renewed; and whether, if it were renewed, there would be any chance of success?
MR. BRUCEsaid, he had made inquiry upon the point, and, as he had been informed, no such application had been made.