§ MR. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWEN (Kent, Tunbridge)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has received a letter from the Rev. Arthur Symonds, Rector of St. James, Stockport, with reference to the 39 refusal of the Stockport Magistrates to commit Church of England children to industrial schools other than the Stock-port Industrial School, which has been closed by the committee to Church of England children. Whether he is aware that Colonel Turner and other Magistrates refused, on 18th September 1894, to commit a boy named Charles Edward Briscoe, who had been remanded three times in order that an industrial school might be found willing to receive him, although the Essex Industrial School was willing to receive him; and, whether he will take such steps as may be necessary to secure that no difference shall be made by the Stockport Magistrates on account of religion in the administration of the law.
§ MR. H. H. ASQUITHI received Mr. Symonds' letter, which I referred to the Magistrates. In reply I received an intimation from Colonel Turner that the reason for not committing Charles Briscoe was because the Magistrates did not consider it a fit case for an Industrial School, but that the Guardians of the Poor were the proper authority to take charge of him. There appear to be some differences of opinion between Mr. Symonds and Colonel Turner, but it is not necessary to go into these matters, in view of the reason assigned by Colonel Turner for the Magistrates' decision, with which I have no power to interfere.