§ MR. ISAACS (Newington, Walworth)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been drawn to the sentence passed at the Dartford Petty Sessions on Saturday last on George Parish of six weeks' hard labour for taking five pieces of wood from a field belonging to William Moore for the purpose of lighting a fire to cook some food; and, whether, having regard to the fact that the police knew nothing against his character previously, he will be prepared to advise a remission of the sentence?
§ MR. SHIRLEY (Yorkshire, W.R., Doncaster)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the sentence of six weeks' hard labour, passed by the Dartford petty sessional bench, on a man named George Parish, on Saturday August 28, for taking a few sticks from a field to light a fire with in order to 1067 cook some food; and, whether he will consider this case in connection with the case of Abigail Bird, who was sentenced to a month's hard labour by the same bench for a similar offence on Saturday April 10th of the present year, and which case was brought under the notice of the Home Secretary in the House of Commons on April 15th?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)It is not quite correct to say, as stated in the Question of the hon. Member for Doncaster, that the prisoner was convicted "of taking a few sticks from a field." The stolen wood consisted of five new pieces, of 5 feet each in length, which had been specially prepared and taken to the spot for the purpose of erecting a fence. The prisoner was one of a company of hop-pickers employed in the district. A. strong Bench of Magistrates, including a Queen's Counsel, were of opinion that an adequate punishment was necessary in order to protect the neighbourhood from continual depredations of this nature. But this morning I have received a letter from Mr. Moore, the owner of the wood, stating that he considers the offence a trivial one, and that he is anxious for the immediate release of the man. Under these circumstances, I think that a week's imprisonment, of which several days have already elapsed, would have been considered by the magistrates themselves sufficient punishment, and I have given directions for the prisoner's release at the end of the week.