§ MR. CHARLES LEWISasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, having regard to the heavy sentence passed on William Craddock for contempt of court, he will institute an inquiry into the facts in order to ascertain whether it is a fit case for the exercise of clemency on the part of Her Majesty; and, whether he has any objection to lay upon the Table of the House a Copy of the Letter from Mr. Justice Denman from which he gave quotations on the 16th instant?
MR. ASSHETON CROSSSir, I have not had occasion to make further inquiries into the facts of this case, because I have this morning received a second letter from Mr. Justice Denman, in which his Lordship states that he re- 78 gretted to say that his recollection was at fault in one important respect, and that the conversation supposed to have taken place between the prisoners was not at the time the jury were being sworn, but after the acquittal of Craddock, and while the jury were deliberating, and therefore the contempt of Court was not such as he thought it was. I believe this is a case for the clemency of Her Majesty, and I have advised Her Majesty accordingly.