§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been called to the expression on the 16th instant by the inhabitants of Sheffield, in meeting assembled under the presidency of His Worship the Mayor, of regret at the lenient sentences recently passed upon two prisoners for unlawfully wounding; and, if it is possible to draw the attention of Magisterial and Judicial Authorities to the importance attached by the public in the interests of general safety to the treatment of offences against the person on a scale of punishment at least equal to that adopted in offences against property?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. STUART-WORTLEY)(who replied) said (Sheffield, Hallam),Yes, Sir; attention has been called to this matter. The Home Secretary has no reason to doubt that the Judicial Authoties are fully alive to the considerations urged by my hon. Friend. The right scale of punishment depends so much on the particular circumstances of each case that the authorities, with whom the duty rests of trying such cases, must be intrusted with discretion as to the amount of punishment.