§ MR. GARNETTsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he will lay upon the table of the House the Circular, dated 27th of January, 1863, addressed to the Judges, &c., stating that the regulations as to remission of sentence set forth in the Circular of June 27th, 1857, should not apply to persons sentenced for a second time to penal servitude; and whether any instructions have been lately issued to the convict prisons as to making convicts about to be liberated on licence known to the police; and, if so, whether they also can be laid before Parliament?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, there was no objection to the production of the later Circular to which the hon. Gentleman referred. The Circular of the 27th of January was already before the House. In answer to his second question, he might state that no general instructions had been issued having for their object the making of convicts about to be liberated on licence known to the police throughout the country. To do that would, he believed, be hardly possible. Instructions had, however, been issued that certain officers of the Metropolitan Police should have an opportunity of seeing the prisoners at Milbank, with a view to their possessing greater facilities for the identification of those persons. The arrangements entered into for the purpose were at present suspended in consequence of the inquiry in progress, and it was deemed better that before new regulations were made on the subject an opportunity for an expression of opinion with respect to it on the part 223 of the Royal Commission should be afforded.