§ MR. HEALYasked Mr. Attorney General, If there is any precedent in modern practice in England for the Crown employing as witness a person who had been first convicted of highway robbery, and, after undergoing punishment for this crime, being convicted secondly of conspiracy to murder, and subsequently sentenced to death for murder; and, whether, in view of the great temptation such persons have to escape punishment by false swearing, it is intended to make persons whose death sentence has been commuted incapable by Law of giving evidence, as is now the case before commutation?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir HENRY JAMES), in reply, was unable to say whether such a combination of convictions had occurred in the case of any witness in England. They must judge on each occasion as it arose whether such evidence should be accepted or not, but no change in the existing law was contemplated
§ MR. HEALYsaid, he should draw the attention of the House to the fact that the Government had availed of such a witness in Ireland—[Cries of "Order!"] —in order to convict another man.
§ MR. SPEAKERI did not understand the hon. Gentleman to be putting a Question.
§ MR. SPEAKERThen the hon. Gentleman would not be in Order.