§ MR. JOICEY (Durham, Chester-le-Street)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he has yet received any Report from Sir Robert Morier, the British Representative at St. Petersburg, as to the case of Mr. Robinson, a British subject, who, after having been imprisoned by the Russian Government for eight months without trial, for infringing its Passport -Regulations, was sentenced to four months' imprisonment; whether he is aware that Robinson was kept in prison before trial without any advice being given by the Russian Authorities to the British Embassy or Consulate; whether he is aware that the sentence was passed on Robinson on the 4–16th December last, and that the Russian Procurer General announced that the term of imprisonment would not begin till January 24th—February 5th, 50 days after the sentence was passed, although Robinson had been in prison so many months without trial; whether Robinson has already been in prison more than four months since sentence was passed; and, if so, whether his detention now is illegal; and, whether, under these circumstances, he will wire instructions to Sir Robert Morier to press for the immediate release of Robinson?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)Sir Robert Morier has sent the reply on the case received from the Russian Government. Robinson 953 was arrested for having a false passport, Until he could be tried, he was imprisoned under a provision of the law as a vagabond for being without a permit of residence. Sentence was passed on him on the 4–16th of December. It was communicated to him on the 18–30th, from which date the legal interval of 15 days was allowed for appeal. The operation of the sentence began on the 2–14th January, and has not expired. He was condemned to expulsion on its termination. It is not the practice, when foreigners are arrested for infractions of the law, to inform their Embasies or Consulates. There appears to have been nothing illegal in the procedure.