§ MR. JAMES O'CONNOR (Wicklow, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his attention has been called to the fact that a man named Hugh Beattie, who is in custody at St. Helens accused of a series of burglaries, has made a confession to the effect that 12 months ago He committed a burglary at Rain-hill, for which a man named Brady was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment with hard labour; and, whether, he has ordered any inquiry to be made into Beattie's confession?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYNo such confession has as yet reached the Home Office, nor has any representation of his innocence been made to me by Brady himself. A newspaper report, however, has been forwarded to me this morning, from which it would appear that certain articles found in Beattie's possession have been identified as part of the proceeds of the robbery of which Brady was convicted, and I am instituting inquiries accordingly into the matter.