HC Deb 27 April 1893 vol 11 cc1302-3
MR. CAINE (Bradford, E.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to a case which was heard by Mr. Justice Mathew in Chambers on the 21st instant, and reported in The Daily Chronicle last Saturday, when a man was discharged from Holloway Prison on a writ of habeas corpus, after a detention of more than a month as a Crown debtor; is he aware that he was originally arrested under a writ of attachment for an estreated bail, given by another person unknown who personated him; that at the time he protested against his arrest, and declared that he had never gone bail for anybody; that no opportunity was given to him of appearing before any Court to prove the truth of his story; and whether he will take steps by legislation or otherwise to secure that bail shall not be accepted without inquiry into its bona fides?

MR. ASQUITH

The answer to the first paragraph is in the affirmative. The man referred to was originally arrested under a writ of attachment for an estreated bail, and he at the time protested against his arrest, and declared that he had never gone bail for anyone. He then sent a Petition to the Home Office; inquiries were made by the police, and also by a solicitor on his behalf, and ultimately he was brought by habeas corpus before Mr. Justice Mathew, who decided not that he was not the person who had given bail, but that there was too much doubt on the point for him to be detained in prison. It appears that the person, whoever he was, who offered himself for bail professed to be Richard Hall, brother of George Hall, for whom bail was to be given; that he gave Richard Hall's correct address and produced Richard Hall's rent-book, and the Magistrate was satisfied at the time that he was Richard Hall. The Judge suggested that in future the person offering himself for bail should be required, as an additional security, to sign his name, and this matter is at present under consideration.

MR. CAINE

Will any compensation be paid?

MR. ASQUITH

I do not think there is any ground for entertaining the question of compensation.