§ MR. ANDERSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the case of a letter sorter who was sentenced, a few days ago, at the Edinburgh High Court of Justiciary, to ton years' penal servitude on his pleading guilty to the theft of two letters (one containing a gold ring and the other a half-sovereign), the Judge giving as a reason for the severity of the sentence that "a letter reaching its address might sometimes be a question of life or death, or of honour or dishonour;" whether his attention has been called to another case, that of a letter carrier, who, at the Glasgow Sheriff Court, has just been sentenced to two months' imprisonment for having kept up and thrown away twelve letters, the non-arrival of which, so far as he knew, might have been productive of equally serious consequences; and, whether he is aware that the severity of the former sentence has 1145 caused much public comment, owing to its having been a first offence, and the articles stolen being of small value, and if he will recommend the mitigation of his sentence?
MR. ASSHETON CROSSThe well-known leniency of Lord Young is such that I am sure there must have been some strong circumstances in the first case mentioned by the hon. Gentleman to have caused him to pass such a sentence. No statement has as yet reached the Home Office on the subject; but when any is received, it shall be immediately forwarded to Lord Young for his observation. With regard to the second case, it has been placed on the Paper quite recently, and I have not had the opportunity of making any inquiries regarding it.