§ MR. BURT (Morpeth)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the case of a miner at Burrador Colliery, who was fined 20s. and costs, on 6th December, at the Moot Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for having in his house 251bs. of gunpowder; whether he is aware the quantity was 191bs. when the weight of the box containing the powder was deducted; and whether, inasmuch as the Explosives Act permits a person to have, "for his own use and not for sale," 301bs. of powder, the conviction was legal; and, if legal, under what section the defendant was convicted?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS, Birmingham, E.)Yes, Sir; my attention has been called to this case. I understand that, whatever the exact amount of gunpowder was, it was less-than the amount authorised by Section 5 of the Act to be kept "for private use and not for sale." The defendant, however, admitted that he did sell some to a fellow-workman. He was not, therefore, within the benefit of the exemption, and his conviction was legal. I have however, under all the circumstances, felt justified in advising the remission of the penalty imposed.