§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMS (Birmingham, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the case of Henrietta Ward, a married woman with four children, who was convicted on her own confession at the Birmingham Petty Sessions on the 4th instant of stealing boots, and sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with hard labour; whether he is aware that the woman had, up to the time of her conviction, borne a good character, and that the offence was the first of which she had been convicted; and whether, under all the circumstances, he will take the sentence into consideration, with a view of according to her the benefit of the First Offenders Act?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.I have carefully considered all the circumstances of this case, and I regret that I do not see my way to interfering with the sentence.