§ SIR. JOHN DORINGTON (Gloucester, Tewkesbury)asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether he has information before him that the Governor of Ceylon has granted a free pardon to Martinez Pereira, who had been convicted of perjury upon a prosecution ordered by the District Court in respect of his evidence given on behalf of the Ceylon Government, in an action 1340 brought by Mr. Talbot for the recovery of property lost on a Government Railway; whether, up to the present time, notwithstanding the decision of the District Court in Mr. Talbot's favour, the Ceylon Government has avoided making compensation for the lost property, such property having been lost in October, 1885; and, whether he will make further inquiries into the matter?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir HENRY HOLLAND) (Hampstead)The Governor of Ceylon has reported that he has granted a free pardon to Martinez Pereira, who was convicted of perjury. The Governor acted upon the advice of the Attorney General and the Lieutenant Governor; and the pardon was granted on the ground that the statement on which the perjury was assigned was not proved to have been made with knowledge or belief that it was untrue, but was an erroneous inference from admitted facts. The Secretary of State does not interfere with the discretion of Colonial Governors in the exercise of the prerogative of pardon.