HC Deb 18 February 1887 vol 311 c29
MR. H. J. WILSON (York, W.R., Holmfirth)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been directed to the report in The Daily News of 3rd December 1886, of a case heard before Mr. Paget, at the Wandsworth Police Court, on the previous day, relating to the irregular attendance at school of the child of a Mr. John Carmichael, in which the Magistrate is represented to have said that— The defendant took advantage of the Board School to have his child educated out of the rates, and that— If the defendant submitted to the degradation, as a respectable man, of having his child educated out of the rates, he must conform to the rules; whether such language was actually used; and, whether Mr. Paget has by statute any right to decide on any other matter beside the validity of the reason given for the irregularity of the attendance at school?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)

I have received a Report from the learned magistrate on this case, and he says that, at this length of time, he cannot state the exact expressions that he used; but that he certainly used none which he should consider inappropriate to the circumstances of the case. There is no statute regulating the discretion of magistrates in making such comments as they think proper on any particular case. The only decision given by Mr. Paget was that the defendant had incurred a fine of 6s.

MR. MUNDELLA (Sheffield, Brightside)

Did Mr. Paget say it was a degradation for a man to take his child to be educated at a Board School?

MR. MATTHEWS

I have communicated to the hon. Member who put the Question and to the House the effect of the answer I have received from the learned magistrate, and I have nothing to add to it. I can hand the right hon. Gentleman the magistrate's letter if he desires it.