§ MR. LAWSONsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is true that Mr. King Harman was, on the 12th of June, committed to the House of Correction for ten days, but was liberated by a Warrant from the Home Office before the expiration of his sentence, and contrary to the advice and opinion of the committing magistrate; and if so, whether the Secretary of State for the Home Department has any objection to state to the House the grounds on which he recommended Her Majesty to exercise Her prerogative of pardon?
SIR GEORGE LEWISSir, it is not usual to ask for the grounds upon which a recommendation is made to the Crown for the exercise of the prerogative of mercy, and I am very reluctant to enter into any case of this nature. But I will state to the House that Mr. Harman was brought before a magistrate in London and charged with haying created a disturbance at Cremorne Gardens on the night of the Derby day. He was fined by the magistrate after a remand of a week, and bail having been refused, he had suffered imprisonment for five days. The magistrate thought that justice required that a second information should be laid against Mr. Harman, on account of the same transaction for resistance to the police. That was not the opinion of the police authorities, who did not think a second information need be laid. However, the second one was laid, and the magistrate convicted on it. There was no question of any violence used or blows struck. The person was rescued from the custody of a policeman—merely drawn from his custody without violence being offered. The magistrate sentenced Mr. Harman to ten days' imprisonment. An application was made to me on account of what was considered the unnecessary length of the sentence. It appeared to me that after he had undergone two days' imprisonment, the justice of the ease was sufficiently met, and I directed him to be liberated.