§ MR. E. H. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S. W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to a case heard at Worship Street Police Court on Saturday last, in which complaint was made against a bailiff of having illegally taken possession of a woman's mangle, which was her means of livelihood, when the learned magistrate decided that the defendant had committed an illegal distress, but said that the only remedy which he 318 could give to the complainant was to order the return of the mangle on payment of the rent; and whether, having regard to the frequency of similar cases of illegal distress, he will bring this case under the notice of the Solicitor to the Treasury, with a view to proceedings being taken against the bailiff in the County Court, under Section 7 of the Law of Distress Amendment Act, 1888, and Rule 12 of the Rules made thereunder?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. H. MATTHEWS, Birmingham, E.)Yes, Sir, I have directed that the papers referring to this case be sent to the Solicitor to the Treasury, with a view to compel the return of the mangle which the bailiff illegally distrained, and to such further proceedings as may be deemed proper under the Statute referred to.