§ MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the sentence of six months' imprisonment for manslaughter passed at Taunton on Saturday last upon John Cox, a signalman in the employ of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Company, who, in a moment of forgetfulness, had given an "all right" signal for a goods train to proceed on to a portion of single line upon which another train was approaching in an opposite direction; whether the said Railway Company had omitted to adopt the train staff system of working single lines, recommended by the Board of Trade on the ground that it renders impossible such mistakes as that made by Cox; whether the accident in respect of which Cox was sentenced comes within the same category as that which occurred at Burscough Junction on 15th January 1880, which was spoken of by Lord Chief Justice Coleridge as—
The result of an innocent mistake, not through a criminal act which merited punishment;and, whether, under the circumstances, he will take into consideration the justice of advising a remission of the sentence?
THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. CHILDERS) (Edinburgh, S.), in reply, said, that his attention had been called to this case, and he had received a Report. He required further information on the matter, and was unable to express any opinion until he had obtained it.