§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether, on or about the 31st of July last, the Chief Justice of Her Majesty's Superior Court of Justice in the Bahama Islands adjudged that Thomas Taylor, for contempt of Court, should receive 30 lashes, and suffer a term of penal servitude, the said contempt consisting in an assault committed on the Justice whilst sitting on the Bench; whether the sentence of whipping was carried out; and what course Her Majesty's Government propose to take in the matter?
§ SIR HENRY JAMES (Bury, Lancashire)also asked, Whether any information has been received as to a sentence of penal servitude for life and flogging passed by the Chief Justice of the Bahamas on a man named Thomas Taylor; whether it is correct that Taylor, having been sentenced to seven years' penal servitude, committed an assault upon the Chief Justice, who thereupon increased the sentence to one of penal servitude for life, and ordered the man to be flogged; if this be so, was the sentence inflicted after any trial for the assault; was such increased sentence imposed in respect of the original offence, or as a punishment for 892 the assault; and, is there any record of the infliction of such sentence being Passed?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Baron HENRY DE WORMS) (Liverpool, East Toxteth)On the 27th of July Thomas Taylor, having been sentenced by the Chief Justice of the Bahamas to seven years' penal servitude for burglary, committed an assault upon the Chief Justice in Court, and on the 31st of July the Chief Justice sentenced him to penal servitude for life, and ordered him to receive 30 lashes. The increased sentence appears to have been inflicted as a punishment for the assault as a contempt of Court without any trial. The Secretary of State has not been informed whether the sentence of whipping was carried out. A report of the sentence, which is stated to be a correct copy of the record, is contained in The Nassau Guardian newspaper of August 1. The Secretary of State has given instructions that Taylor is to be released after serving the sentence inflicted on him for the burglary; and that the Chief Justice has been informed that should any such grave miscarriage of justice occur again, it may have very serious consequences for him.
§ MR. PICKERSGILLWill the hon. Gentleman inquire whether the sentence of whipping was carried out?
§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSI will.