§ MR. LAWSONsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the horrible scene which took place at the execution of Matthew 8 Atkinson in Durham; and whether he has made inquiry into the conduct of the authorities who had the management of that execution?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, in reply, that the day after this unhappy occurrence the Governor of Durham Gaol wrote to him and stated the precautions which had been taken to prevent any such accident. He had thereupon written to the High Sheriff of the county, who was the person directly reponsible for carrying out the execution, calling his attention to the statement of the Governor, expressing his opinion that sufficient care had not been taken to test the rope beforehand, and hoping that if unfortunately another execution should take place at Durham, greater precaution would be used to prevent the possibility of the occurrence of so deplorable an event.