VISCOUNT CEICHTONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If it is true, as stated in the newspapers, that a farmer, on Saturday last, discharged a loaded gun at some boys of Wellington College; whether several of the boys were wounded; and, whether any steps have been taken to make the person guilty of this outrage amenable?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTI have received a Report of this outrage. A farmer, finding some boys who belonged to Wellington College engaged in a paper-chase, and going across his meadows, shot at them with a gun loaded with No. 7 shot, and wounded a number of them. In these circumstances 635 the matter was taken up, in the first place, by the Chief Constable for Berkshire; but according to the technicalities of the English law, it being discovered that the offence was committed in Hampshire, the procedure had to be transferred; but I will take care that the matter is properly pursued, in order that an outrage of this kind may be duly punished.