§ MR. KEKEWICHsaid, he would beg to ask the hon. Member for Dumfries, Why it is that he has withdrawn the Notice which he had given of his intention to put a Question to the Government in reference to the execution of Mary Ashford? He (Mr. Kekewich) was anxious to know whether it was because the hon. Member had ascertained that he was under a misapprehension as to the facts of the case when he gave the notice, which seemed to cast some imputation on the conduct of the authorities implicated in the matter?
§ MR. W. EWARTsaid, in reply, that his attention had been drawn to the case by the painful accounts of the execution which had appeared in the public press. He had, in consequence, given notice that he would put a Question to the Secretary of State for the Home Department with the view of ascertaining whether those accounts were correct. He had since, however, ascertained that they were very much exaggerated, the only one of the statements made, he believed, which was perfectly accurate being that the unfortunate woman had been led to execution supported by two men. He had not, under those circumstances, deemed it necessary to act upon the notice which he had given, and he should certainly have stated the reasons which induced him to withdraw it, even though no Question on the subject had been put to him.