§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the case of a convict Cope, alias Stockley, arrested at Birmingham on suspicion of having committed various burglaries since his recent release on ticket-of-leave; whether it is the fact that no information of his release was published to the police until several weeks after his release, and not until some days after his re-arrest; and, whether he will undertake that in future due notice shall be published to the police of the intended release on ticket-of-leave of such convicts?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)No, Sir; it is not a fact that no information of this convict's release was published to the police until after his re-arrest. On his release he went to Staffordshire, to the police of which place his discharge from prison had been duly notified by the authorities of Chatham Prison. He reported himself there; but left in a few days without notifying his change of address. I have just received a telegram from the Chief Constable of Birmingham, who says that no blame whatever attaches to the Staffordshire police or to the convict authorities. Due notice always is given of the intended release of a convict.