HC Deb 28 February 1871 vol 204 cc1036-7
MR. C. S. READ

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been called to the wholesale manner in which the Police of some districts have granted certificates to Pedlars under the Act of last Session, and whether he will lay on the Table a Return of the number of Certificates so issued?

MR. BRUCE

said, in reply, that his attention had been called to the wholesale manner in which the certificates had been granted by the police in defiance of what seemed, to him to be the plain provisions of the law. The duty of granting these certificates was entrusted to the police, in order that it might be discharged with care and vigilance; but they had, in some instances, interpreted a night's lodging to mean "residence," and had given certificates to tramps of whom they knew nothing, except that they had happened to lodge a night in a town. In many other cases they had given certificates to convicted felons, though the Act laid it down that no person who had been convicted, even of misdemeanour, should be allowed to obtain a certificate. It might, therefore, be well to send round a circular to the heads of the police calling their attention to the facts in order to remedy the abuse. Another matter which would require the attentention of the Government was the abuse of the certificates for purposes of mendicancy. It might be very proper so to alter the law that the practice of mendicancy should be followed by forfeiture of the certificate; and to empower the police to refuse licences in cases where they had reason to believe they were sought for purposes of mendicancy. If the hon. Gentleman would move for the Papers referred to in his Question they would be laid on the Table.

MR. EYKYN

asked, If the right hon. Gentleman would give instructions for the withdrawal of such licences as had been granted to convicted felons?

MR. BRUCE

I cannot give any directions that are not within the limit of the law; but I may remind my hon. Friend that the licences are renewable annually, and that they ought not to be renewed in the case of persons proved to have committed felony before obtaining them. A conviction of felony, after the granting of a licence, necessarily involved its withdrawal.