§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMS (Birmingham, S.)I beg to ask the Attorney General whether his attention has been called to the case of Elizabeth Saunders, convicted on the 23rd instant, at West- 1143 minster Police Court, of cruelty to three children, and sentenced by Mr. de Rutzen to a term of three months' imprisonment for each offence, or nine months in all; whether he is aware that provincial Justices, sitting in Petty Sessions, are advised by the Magistrates' clerks that under the Summary Jurisdiction Acts they cannot sentence any prisoner to a punishment exceeding a term of six months with hard labour, except in cases of failure to find security for good behaviour at the end of that term; and whether the London Police Magistrates have larger powers of punishment than provincial Magistrates sitting in Petty Sessions possess; or whether it is to be understood that Courts of Summary Jurisdiction both in the Metropolis and in the provinces have powers to inflict cumulative sentences which may extend beyond six months' hard labour?
§ THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Sir J. RIGBY,) ForfarQuestions of this kind ought more regularly to be addressed to the Home Department. No doubt, if that were done the Secretary of State for the Home Department would cause the proper steps to be taken and communicate with the Police Magistrate about this case.
§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMSI am not at all calling in question the exercise of the Magistrate's judgment; I am only asking as to his powers.
§ SIR J. RIGBYIf that is an abstract question of law, I must decline to answer.
§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMSIt is not an abstract question. It is a concrete question. I will put it down again for Monday.