§ MR. WEBB (Waterford, W.)I beg to ask the light hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary a question of which I have given him private notice—namely, has the Home Office received a Memorial praying for mitigation of the sentence upon Rayner and Eggleton, who are under sentence of death, to be carried out on Thursday next, for the murder of two gamekeepers last December; and is it proposed to recommend Her Majesty to grant the same?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.I only received notice of the hon. Member's question after I entered the House this afternoon, and the notice is not put in the form I might desire. I can only say it is a fact that a Memorial has been received at the Home Office praying for the mitigation of the sentence passed upon two men named Rayner and Eggleton; but I must respectfully decline to state, in answer to a question in this House, what advice I may have to tender Her Majesty.
§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.), speaking at a later period, said: With reference to the reply which the right hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary gave to a question respecting the condemned men Rayner 760 and Eggleton, I should like to ask whether he is aware that there are many precedents in the Journals of this House coming down to quite recent years raising the question of the desirability of extending the clemency of the Crown to condemned prisoners; also when he proposes to announce either to the public or to this House his decision in the particular cases referred to?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI could not answer any question as to precedents offhand; I should require notice. Airy decision favourable to prisoners is made known, indirectly, as soon as it is arrived at.