§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department a Question with reference to three sentences of whipping imposed at the Liverpool Assizes by Mr. Justice Grantham, one in a case of forgery and embezzlement. He added that it appeared from the remarks made by the Judge in passing the sentences, 1206 that they were imposed under an old Statute of George IV., and before penal servitude was known, the Act giving power to impose a whipping on habitual criminals, either publicly or privately. He wished to know whether, in view of the fact that those sentences had admittedly been imposed under a Statute which had fallen into desuetude, the right hon. Gentleman would advise that the clemency of the Crown should be exercised, and that the sentences, as far as they related to whipping, would not be inflicted?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.),in reply, said, he knew nothing of the cases, except from what he had noticed in the newspapers that Mr. Justice Grantham, at the Liverpool Assizes, had sentenced three men to flogging in addition to terms of imprisonment. One sentence of the three was not under a Statute of George IV., but a much more recent Act, The other two sentences were imposed under the provisions of a well known Statute, 7 & 8 Geo. IV., dealing with habitual offenders. He presumed that the learned Judge was inclined, in view of the prisoners being hardened criminals, to try the alternative of a short sentence plus a whipping. Without communication with the learned Judge, he (Mr. Matthews) should not think of interfering with these sentences.