§ MR. SUMMERS (Huddersfield)asked the Secretary for State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the following statement, which appeared in the Leeds Mercury of Tuesday, 6th March:—
The brother of Edward George Copley states that the deceased had given him the following account of the Badsworth affray before he died: ' The poachers went away. Illingworth sent me one way, he went the other. When I came in sight of them again they were struggling together. The young fellow (Pilmore) placed the gun on the grass, and then went to assist his mate. When I got within a few yards of them the young fellow and I both made for the gun. He succeeded in getting to it first; and as I rushed at him the gun went off as he was picking it up, before I know where I was;'and, whether he has any reason to believe the correctness or otherwise of the paragraph in question?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)The man has been respited. Had it been otherwise I should have been unable to answer this Question. It would be impossible for the Secretary of State to perform his duty in the consideration of these cases if, before his decision is announced, he is to be called upon to explain to the House what weight he attaches to this or that statement for or against the prisoner. In the present instance the statement was not evidence at all, but mere newspaper gossip, without any foundation in fact.