§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)begged to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department a Question of which he had given private Notice—namely, Whether Patrick Dunn, who was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude for blowing up a gasometer by dynamite at Glasgow in 1883, had been released; and, if so, upon what grounds; and whether the right hon. Gentleman would take care that in the absence of very extraordinary circumstances the full measure of deterrent punishment awarded by law to such enemies of humanity and the civilized world should be carried out?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. CHILDERS) (Edinburgh, S.)I quite agree with the hon. Member that—to use his words—
in the absence of very extraordinary circumstances the full measure of deterrent punishment awarded by lawought to be carried out in these cases. But the circumstances of this case were very special. Two years ago the man was on the point of death, and was only not discharged because he was not fit for removal. He has ever since been 1623 in hospital, and is a permanent invalid requiring most careful nursing. He is so feeble in mind and body as never again to be likely to commit a crime. In fact, he is prematurely old and childish. I think that this case is just one of the exceptional ones which the hon. Members's Question recognizes; and he may have some chance of living under the care of his family. I may add that he only took an unimportant part in the conspiracy referred to.