§ DR. FARQUHARSON (Aberdeenshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether he is aware that a farm servant, named M'Pherson, living at the Culnach, in Aberdeenshire, was recently fined £4 under the Poaching Acts for being in possession of two grouse, and that he was subsequently proceeded against by the Inland Revenue Department in reference to the same offence, and fined £10 at their instance for not having a licence; and whether he will remit this fine, which has pressed very heavily on a poor man with a wife and family to support?
§ THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Sir G. TREVELYAN,) Glasgow, BridgetonA complaint was lodged against John M'Pherson under the Day Trespass Act for snaring grouse. He admitted his guilt, and, in order to avoid prosecution, paid a voluntary fine and expenses of £3 2s., which were accepted. The facts as to the subsequent prosecution under the Game Certificates Act are correctly stated. It does not appear whether the previous proceedings were known to the Inland Revenue officials, 1502 and, in any case, I have myself no power to remit a fine of the kind; but the circumstances appear fully to warrant my bringing the case under the notice of the Revenue Authorities, and ask their favourable consideration of it.