§ MR. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for 671 the Home Department whether his attention has been called to a sentence of seven days' imprisonment, with hard labour, passed on the 4th of February by the Magistrates at Northiam, Sussex, on George Ransom, of Northiam, for non-payment of costs incurred in connection with an order under the Vaccination Acts; whether, in view of the fact that the imposition of hard labour in such cases has repeatedly been declared to be illegal, and compensation given to persons so punished in error, he will refer the case to the Treasury with a view to suitable compensation for illegal treatment in prison; and whether, having regard to the frequent recurrence of these illegal sentences, he will take steps by circular, or otherwise, to inform Magistrates and their clerks more fully of the illegality of inflicting hard labour in such cases?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS, Birmingham, E.)I have received a Report from the Justices on this case, and have also been furnished with a copy of the commitment. The man was sentenced to imprisonment without hard labour. The occasion, therefore, for such action as is suggested in the second paragraph of the question has not arisen, nor have I any reason to believe that such illegal sentences are of frequent occurrence.