§ MR. BURTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been called to a case reported in The Reading Observer of the 5th instant, in which it is stated that Frank Stockmell, a child seven years of age, was tried before Baron Pollock,
Charged with feloniously and maliciously setting fire to a certain stack of hay, the property of the Rev. T. H. Michell, at Shalbourne,and that the child was sentenced by the Judge to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, and ordered to be whipped twice during that period, six strokes on each occasion; and, if he can state whether the Report referred to is correct; and, if it is, whether he can and will interfere to mitigate the sentence, and to prevent the repetition of such severe sentences in the case of children of tender years?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTYes, Sir; as soon as my attention was called to the question I wrote to the authorities, and upon the receipt of their reply the child was directed to be discharged.