§ MR. P. A. TAYLORsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to a case in which three children—namely, two girls aged respectively 11 and 14, and a boy aged 8, were lately convicted, at the County Petty Sessions in Salisbury, of stealing rape-greens to the value of 1s. from a field, the two girls being sentenced to a month's imprisonment, in default of paying a fine of 20s. and costs, the boy escaping a like punishment against the expressed opinion of the chairman, Lord Folkestone; and, whether he has thought it right to make any representations on the case; and, if so, whether he will lay any Correspondence on the Table of the House?
MR. BRUCEreplied that he had received no representations whatever with respect to this case. It was not the custom nor the duty of the Home Secretary to animadvert on the decisions either of Judges or magistrates, unless representations were made to him; and if representations were made, and they appeared to be worthy of attention, inquiries were instituted, and he endeavoured to form Ms judgment upon them. In this case no representations had been made, and consequently he had taken no steps in the matter.