§ MR. DIXONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether any steps have been taken by the police authorities at Bath to discover and prosecute the persons who threw Cayenne pepper at Messrs. Cox and Adams on the 20th instant; and, whether he will take into consideration the advisability of a reward being offered by Government for their apprehension, in order that a stop may be put to a practice which has been repeated on several occasions?
MR. BRUCESir, I have received a communication from the town clerk of Bath, stating that the police authorities of that city have done, and are doing, everything in their power to discover the perpetrators of the disgraceful outrage referred to in the Question of my hon. Friend. They have not been hitherto successful, but they have not abandoned hope, and are still pursuing their inquiries. With respect to the second part of the Question, I beg to say that 1554 rewards to those who may give evidence leading to the detection and punishment of offenders are only offered by Government in the very gravest cases, such as murder, and then only on the application of the magistrates; such rewards, if frequently given, having the obvious tendency to encourage important witnesses to withhold their evidence until they are assured of some pecuniary advantage. No such application from the magistrates has reached me. I understand, however, in this case, that rewards have been locally offered, and I trust that the efforts of the police may be successful, and that severe punishment may overtake those who have been guilty not only of a private injury, but of a public outrage, by this dastardly attempt to interfere with free discussion at a public meeting.