§ MR. BRADLAUGHI beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that, on Thursday last at Edinburgh City Police Court, a boy named Fair was charged with stealing, and Fair's mother, having promised to chastise her son, Sheriff Orphoot allowed the charge to be withdrawn, saying that he would order a constable to attend at the boy's dwelling in order to see the corporal punishment actually inflicted; and whether such employment of a constable is authorised by law?
§ * MR. J. P. B. ROBERTSONThe facts stated in the question are correct. The Sheriff was unwilling, owing to the youth of the boy, to follow the usual course of ordering him to be whipped in the police cells by a constable. He, therefore, agreed to the offer made by the boy's mother that she should chastise him, but, at the same time, deemed it necessary to send some one to make sure that the punishment was inflicted. He, therefore, sent one of the officers of Court, of whom four are constables; and it was in the capacity of officer of Court, and not as constable, that the man was employed.