§ MR. STRAIGHTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to a charge of wilful damage, to the amount of 2s., heard before the magistrates at the Aldershot Petty Sessions on Thursday last, against six children, named and aged respectively as follows: John George, 8; Matthew Wiltshire, 7; James Burgess, 8; Arthur Wells, 9; Jane Luff, 9; and Mary Anne Warner, 9, upon which they were all convicted, and severally sent to prison for a period of two months; and, whether, having regard to the ages of the defendants, the circumstances of the case, and the severity 874 of the sentence, he will take immediate action in the matter?
MR. BRUCEsaid, he had that morning received a memorial from a person interested in the case, and had referred the memorial to the magistrates for their observations upon it. Until he had received their answer it was manifestly impossible for him to answer the Question, and the hon. Gentleman would, perhaps, oblige him by repeating it on a future occasion.
§ MR. H A. HERBERTasked, whether the right hon. Gentleman would inquire whether the parents of the children had not encouraged them to commit this destruction of property, and to pull down the butts for the purpose of obtaining the lead for sale as old metal?
MR. BRUCEreplied that the magistrates would no doubt state everything connected with the case that would in any way tend to justify the sentence they had passed.